It’s a sweet time on the farm when the kids are due. Anticipation, nervousness, excitement join to form a feeling that sort of keeps you on edge, and a little bit holding your breath and not realizing it. I actually start looking at photos of baby goats from the previous year. I’m constantly in the barn monitoring (but not sleeping there like some with many, many goats) I check the kidding kit and track down missing parts or say pull the same snot sucker, (baby nasal aspirator) thing from the bathroom drawer that I had used for my kids 20 years ago. This is still only our third year and I’ve not needed it previously but maybe this time. Our does have mostly done it all themselves with only a little assistance for a couple and they’ve all been born healthy.

Especially with social media, I see I’m not alone in this just post empty nest time. I love being a mom and in some little way I get to help “mother” the kids:) They can’t help but fill your heart. Their trust, vulnerability and curiosity are powerful. And it’s just plain fun and so amusing. Holding a baby goat brings you very much into the present and just gives you a moment to step outside of a sometimes crazy world.  I’m grateful we have the opportunity to experience this process and share it with others. We’ve so enjoyed all the visitors the last two weeks.  We are grateful for another successful kidding season with 11 out of 11 strong, healthy kids. And we will be looking for new homes in the near future!

So let’s get to it…There’s a lot of goat kid cuteness all over the web- here is what we have to add.

First to give birth on April 3rd was Dinah our Lagerian (they don’t have their own wikipedia link). She’s a cross between a La Mancha who have the elf or gopher ear trait(we call them all nubby ears) and a Nigerian Dwarf. You hope for the butterfat of the Nigerian with a little larger size/milk capacity of the La Mancha who also have very sweet personalities.  She kidded, cleaned them and they were nursing by the time we saw them. She’s like that.

With her buckling Duffy.

Duffy and sister, Dharma.

They are funny and smart and the first to hang on the doorstep like they’ve lived here for years.

And to venture on the teeter totter- Ollie’s rule of thumb… we might consider keeping kids who play on this. (he made it)

On the same day Jane (nubian), kidded- she was a little early. Jojo, Juan in the middle and Juno’s bum on the right. Beautiful markings on these three. She did great for a first year mom (freshener).

These three getting some lap time with Nanny Nadine. She’s making goat week an annual event:)

Then we waited, and waited, and waited till Friday April 7. Shirley got some relief after a long labor with another three… she only had one last year. She was like…. wwhhhaaattt??? The second buckling, Salvatore (Sal for short) was very big. I’ve yet to get a good photo of the three. Sal on the log, Sadie in front and Mr. Brown on the right. And they are on a different play/sleep schedule than the rest you see under the manger napping.

And if you’ve never seen it- here is Mr. Brown straight from the womb.

Getting cleaned up.

And hoping he can figure out how to get up and hit those teets.

And last but not least on April 8th (my birthday too), Nena kidded THREE MORE- unassisted. I think she intentionally waited for the 90 minutes we were not in the barn.

We’ve got Nellie on the left, Nigel in the middle and Oreo on the right.They all started in their own corners and within a few days started playing together inside and out. Once they were sure footed, introductions to Else were closely supervised.

She is still only 7 months old and very curious.The kids are outside in between napping and nursing. They are in constant motion on the rocks and logs.

And they are venturing out into the yard now.

One of my favorite things with this whole venture is I’m like the pre-teen mecca. It’s so sweet watching these girls nurturing the kids- lots of snuggling and a natural rocking like a baby.

There likely will be regular photos on Instagram if you want to follow along… wendyellenthomas or Facebook

Happy Easter, Spring and all that you celebrate!

xx

wendy

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