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Friday, March 8, 2013

Chain Reactions & Late Night Dashes


I had this swell plan last year that I wanted to get all of my kiddings done within a month...

When kids aren't even conceived yet, this is a sound, idealistic theory. When you have does back to back kidding, no helpers, limited towels (just 5 measly towels available for kidding) and 500 other things going on at once, it's not the brightest plan I've concocted. Either way, the deed is done, so onward we go!

Due to Bleuberry going WAY past her due date last year and giving me a monster of a buck kid that was brutal getting out, I decided I'd induce this year right before the due date and hopefully prevent freaks of nature from slithering out of her womb.

Late night shot of Dexamethasone & Lute and like clock work about 36 hours later on February 28th, we're in labor.

Like Star, we had a day time kidding in beautiful weather. 8lb twins, a super flashy, uniquely colored buck kid and a splashy little doeling:

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Bleuberry’s flashy buck kid

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Bleuberry’s twins. Doe kid on left, buckling on right

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Bleuberry’s precious doeling.

Ginger, a mothering fiend, LOVES babies... Her antics last year almost cost me my darling Tricks thanks to her barging in and stealing the lil Lamancha buckling from first time momma Casper, while Tricks laid in her sack on the barn floor, forgotten in the confusion. Miss Ginger was VERY curious about Bleuberry during her labor... Would stare at her, poke her head in and baby talk to her and spent a great deal of time pacing in front of the barn while we delivered babies. Finally ran her off and much to my surprise, she decided to stay out of the way and go lay down by herself. I honestly didn't think of her much during the hustle and bustle of the day.

Apparently I should have paid better attention though! Bleu's laboring obviously set off a chain reaction in my goat pen....Despite still having her ligaments and showing no signs of impending labor and despite my doubts that she was even bred, Ginger was actually in labor...... I had FINALLY finished up everything on my 2 mile long to-do list and just wanted to crawl in bed. Decided to take one last peak around the barn first and color me surprised when I find Ginger in the process of cleaning a brand new baby!

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Ginger’s big buck kid

Snap the lil one up and run him inside (completely soiling my PJ's in the process) and run back out to deal with Ginger. And when I say run, I do mean run! We don't have proper gates up yet so there isn't a real efficient way to get into the goat pen, so that night I did quite a bit of dashing through the dark...

Anywho, I get back out to Ginger and she's just standing there. Since I highly doubted she was pregnant anyways, and the kid I took in was good sized, I'm betting she's done.

Of course with goats you NEVER, EVER assume anything, so I decided to bounce her once to see if I could feel any babies... So I wrap my arms around her, right in front of the udder and pull swiftly up and much to my surprise something dark rockets out of the barn and flies a good 3ft or 4ft before hitting the grass and sliding even further!

OMG! WTH was that?!?! Of course if a mass goes propelling out of your goat, even if it is pitch black outside, you must run after it! When I finally caught up to the unidentified flying goat mass, I was quite shocked to see it was the cutest lil scrap of a buckling! His brother was in the 10+lb range and this lil dude was right around 6lbs... I dubbed him "the left overs".

 

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Ginger’s tiny buckling, dubbed “The Leftovers”

I must say, airborne kids are certainly a new one for me! I can also proudly say that I ran through the dark, in pajamas covered in birth fluids, chasing and scrambling after a flying, sliding newborn goat kid and I didn't even trip!!!

Quite the accomplishment if I do say say so myself.

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Yes, the fast, easy labor and rocketing kids was great fun and all, but the work afterwards just sucked. After tending to momma, heat treating colostrum, getting a few days of milk pasteurized for 4 new bottle babies, and cleaning up the nastier bits of the mess I tracked into my kitchen, it was 3:30am before I even got in the shower...... At that exact moment I really started thinking my fabulous idea to kid everyone out back to back wasn't so great...

As I type this though I can't complain. All 4 lil ones have since gone to their new homes. 3 all went together just a couple days after their birth.

 

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Shayla with Bleu’s doeling. “Noodle” to the right, & Houdini in the background as always..

I was so sleepy, I truly didn’t think very far into the future when I sold the first 3 kids… Goats being the herd animals that they are, do not do well alone. A newborn kid alone with no one to snuggle with for warmth is simply not acceptable. So once Bleu’s twins and “The Leftovers” left, I was stuck with Ginger’s buck kid, now aptly named “Noodle”.

Noodle became a kitchen goat. Slept in a crate with Karma, our Chinese Crested, and took his potty breaks with the dogs. Poor lil guy, I do believe we gave him an identity crisis….. He left on Wednesday but I managed to snap a few pictures of him hanging out with Jasper. Little Noodle had such a great time following him around like a tiny shadow and using him as a launching platform to bounce off of…

 

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Jasper took his baby sitting duties quite well, though I do admit he seemed very relieved when all the babies were finally gone.

We get a tiny break, Nubian kids from Rosie are up next, due March 9th with Lamancha kids right on their heels on the 14th…. Cross your fingers for doelings for me! So far, I’m at 5 bucks, 1 doe kid born…. These numbers MUST even out soon!!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your very pretty new babys! Can't believe they are gone already, you need to post your babys on the blog first so us readers have a chance at them before they are gone. Amy

Anonymous said...

My buck kid is named Noodle?? lol

Still can't believe you wouldn't sell him to me, such a nice buck kid and I really like his dam Ginger. You tell whoever bought him that if they change their mind they can contact me and I will take him :0 Good luck on the next kiddings, hope you get yourself some does.

Signed, a very disappointed Roger ;)

Anonymous said...

Roger,
You can't have him. :-) He's my new herd sire in the making! I'm still working on a registered name, and we are leaning toward Spice Free.

* Crystal * said...

Thank you Amy. Generally my kids are reserved before birth and if they aren't I post them on FB & various message boards and they are scooped up. I don't get much time to work on my blog so I'm always behind here... sorry :(

LOL Roger! That is *not* your buck kid! Noodle was reserved before he was even conceived. His new momma had first choice of all my buck kids, but before she even saw him, I knew he was hers..... Very sorry, I know how much you loved him :)

* Crystal * said...

Aww thanks Audra! BTW- You need to hurry up with book #2 in your series!! ;)

Alice I'm loving the name Noodleville's Free Spice for Noodle's registered name.... You get that nice mix of Sire & Dam's names, plus it's cute too :)

watchmom3 said...

Oh Crystal! They are so beautiful! I am really missing you guys! Just posted your blog on healthyhomeeconomist! Let me know when you can come see ME!!!! Love to all! Evelyn

Michelle said...

Congratulations! You've got some beautiful babies out there!

Miracle kidded with twin doelings last Friday night, while I was in Tennessee for my grandfather's funeral. Hopefully I will get time to put up a post with their pics soon. :-)

* Crystal * said...

Aw thanks Evelyn, I miss you too! :( Wish I could come down for a visit, but I can't leave the house for extended time periods with does kidding and no one to milk for me.

Hi Michelle! Thanks! So sorry you had to travel for a funeral, but I'm very happy you got some doelings. Could you send me some of those doeling vibes? Mocha is kidding this week and I NEED doelings!!

Michelle said...

I'll try, but I think it may be too late for gender control. :-P

Leigh said...

What an amazing story Crystal, only you! LOL. The kids are so, so cute! Never assuming anything with goats is the best advice.

Did your vet give the shots, or give you a script? So glad it worked out well, and that you decided to keep Blueberry as your resident Alpine.

* Crystal * said...

Leigh dexamethasone and lute are both cheap RX items. You can find them at places like PBS Animal Health or Valley vet to price them.

Dex was about $7 for a 100ml bottle, lute around $5 for 30ml. You do need an RX from a vet, but if you get the RX you can order the meds online.

Lute is VERY handy to have on hand... Not just for induction, but also to use in case of a buck break out.. Had a large boy breed some 6 month old does and was very happy to have Lute on hand for them.

Dex has tons of uses... 5cc for induction, and I've had to use it in a kid who a friend had hit just a lil too long with the disbudding iron.

Anywho, I would NEVER induce a doe without being 100% positive of their breeding date. I hand breed all my does, then confirm pregnancy via blood test after a month that way I KNOW, just in case I need to induce. Have induced on the night of day 145, and I have used it in does at day 150 who looked like they wanted to hold out as long as possible. So far everyone has kidded in the day light between 35-40 hours later. :)

I do love day time kiddings :)