They Were Just Kidding
It's been a big 24 hours in the goat department. For the most part I just ignore them and let them steal whatever it is that they want to eat. About a week ago though I decided that I thought they might be getting close to having their kids so I penned them up down in the lower barn. Yesterday afternoon while I was doing chores I noticed one of them standing by herself over in the corner of the pen, which is usually a sign that something is up. When I went in to check it out this is what I saw.
Then while we were down oohing and ahhing my wife noticed that one of the other does was looking kind of close. That one didn't do as well. When I went down to check her later that night she was in trouble. She had one head and four legs sticking out of the back of her. Both kids were trying to get out at the same time and were stuck. I was able to get one of them pushed back in far enough to deliver the other, and then there was no problem with getting the second one out. I think if I had checked a few hours earlier the kids would have been fine, but both of them ended up dying. They never were able to get to their feet. I offered the loan of the mother to Farmer Todd and family for a milk goat, so that's where she is now, until they come to their senses at least.
Then the third doe we have looked like she was thinking about it this afternoon while all the neighborhood kids (human) were down looking at the first set of baby goats. When I checked again an hour later her twins were out and up nursing. We have one more doe (a yearling) who I think is a little way off yet.
Then while we were down oohing and ahhing my wife noticed that one of the other does was looking kind of close. That one didn't do as well. When I went down to check her later that night she was in trouble. She had one head and four legs sticking out of the back of her. Both kids were trying to get out at the same time and were stuck. I was able to get one of them pushed back in far enough to deliver the other, and then there was no problem with getting the second one out. I think if I had checked a few hours earlier the kids would have been fine, but both of them ended up dying. They never were able to get to their feet. I offered the loan of the mother to Farmer Todd and family for a milk goat, so that's where she is now, until they come to their senses at least.
Then the third doe we have looked like she was thinking about it this afternoon while all the neighborhood kids (human) were down looking at the first set of baby goats. When I checked again an hour later her twins were out and up nursing. We have one more doe (a yearling) who I think is a little way off yet.
posted by Peter comly at 7:07 PM
2 Comments:
beautiful babies, beautiful mamas! sorry about the loss of the two who didn't make it. We used to have goats, but we moved and haven't gotten started back yet! Love your blog!
Over on my Sugar Mountain Farm blog on the Eliminating Boar Taint post you asked about boar taint. The boar you mentioned has genetics are something you want to move away from to get rid of the taint. Out of his sons, taste some of them at progressive ages. Smell their breath when they're around females. If any smell sweet instead of male then you might have the non-taint genetics. Otherwise you want to bring in other genetics, if you want to get rid of the taint.
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