Nubians! Ick!!Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Cookie Comes Back!
I thought the farmer had settled on ONE Nubian being enough for the farm. Well, lo and behold, who shows back up yesterday, but Cookie. Cookie is Pepper Ann's kid from last year. Pepper Ann is the one Nubian we had, which I thought was satisfactory. Pepper Ann is a big pain in the butt, but as long as there are only one of her, it's manageable. Now there's two of her!
Cookie came to the barn last night and was put in with my boys. The farmer figured since the boys were big enough to hold their own but not too big as to beat up the new arrival, that they would be good house-mates for Cookie. Cookie did well during the night and doesn't seem to be as whiny as her mother (thank God!). This morning the farmer opened the door to the outside pen for the boys. Cookie went through the door and then a horrible racket was heard! Cookie was bouncing off the fencing on all three sides of the pen. She must not have seen it because she kept running into it. The farmer told her to knock it off and Cookie did. No one ever said Nubians were the smartest breed.......
After that little episode, the farmer put the big girls outside (me included) and I luckily don't have to deal with Cookie again until dinnertime when I come back into the barn. Whew!
Cookie came to the barn last night and was put in with my boys. The farmer figured since the boys were big enough to hold their own but not too big as to beat up the new arrival, that they would be good house-mates for Cookie. Cookie did well during the night and doesn't seem to be as whiny as her mother (thank God!). This morning the farmer opened the door to the outside pen for the boys. Cookie went through the door and then a horrible racket was heard! Cookie was bouncing off the fencing on all three sides of the pen. She must not have seen it because she kept running into it. The farmer told her to knock it off and Cookie did. No one ever said Nubians were the smartest breed.......
After that little episode, the farmer put the big girls outside (me included) and I luckily don't have to deal with Cookie again until dinnertime when I come back into the barn. Whew!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
New Pictures!
The farmer got a new camera. Here is what she took pictures of this morning.
My two boys. My how they have grown!!!
Grandma Gloria says, "What are you doing out of your pen?!"
My two boys. My how they have grown!!!
Grandma Gloria says, "What are you doing out of your pen?!"All of the adults out in the morning. Can you spot the Toggenburg?
The barn in the morning. It's still a little dark out at 6am.
Friday, April 2, 2010
My Babies!
My babies are a week old now. They have graduated from the house to the garage to the barn. Here they are all curled up in the barn, taking a nap.
Here's me and my new babies when they were born.
Here's the farmer and my baby.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Finally!!!
I had my babies on Thursday! I had two bucks. Both are very handsome Toggenburg-looking kids. One is very big (which I wasn't so happy about at the time.... ). The other is big but not as big as his brother.
I was a good girl and waited for the farmer to get home from yoga class before I started labor. I had to cross my legs all day and wait for her! She got home and I let her know that I was ready by giving her a big greeting. I yelled and yelled. She got the clue.
We went in the barn and I ate some hay and my grain. Then the contractions started for real. I had to lay down a lot and get ready. They hurt so I layed quietly. I started pushing a little. Nothing happened. I started pushing more. Nothing happened still! The farmer came in and gave me a hand. The first baby started to come out but he was big and his leg was bent and the knee. There was no way that his head and his bent leg were coming out at the same time. The farmer reached in and grabbed his leg and pulled it forward. She then pulled on the kid while I pushed. I screamed a little because it was a lot of pushing and pulling!
The next kid came out quickly. The farmer grabbed them both and cleaned them off with towels. I helped by licking them. I was super tired and ready to sleep so the farmer took the boys into the house to feed them and take care of them. She can do all the hard work from now on.
Now I am making milk and having a good time. I get extra grain and cookies on the milk stand. Everyone is very jealous!
I was a good girl and waited for the farmer to get home from yoga class before I started labor. I had to cross my legs all day and wait for her! She got home and I let her know that I was ready by giving her a big greeting. I yelled and yelled. She got the clue.
We went in the barn and I ate some hay and my grain. Then the contractions started for real. I had to lay down a lot and get ready. They hurt so I layed quietly. I started pushing a little. Nothing happened. I started pushing more. Nothing happened still! The farmer came in and gave me a hand. The first baby started to come out but he was big and his leg was bent and the knee. There was no way that his head and his bent leg were coming out at the same time. The farmer reached in and grabbed his leg and pulled it forward. She then pulled on the kid while I pushed. I screamed a little because it was a lot of pushing and pulling!
The next kid came out quickly. The farmer grabbed them both and cleaned them off with towels. I helped by licking them. I was super tired and ready to sleep so the farmer took the boys into the house to feed them and take care of them. She can do all the hard work from now on.
Now I am making milk and having a good time. I get extra grain and cookies on the milk stand. Everyone is very jealous!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Baby Goat Watch 2010!!
Spring has decided to come early to the frosty North Country! The weather here has been quite fantastic lately with clear, blue skies and temperatures in the 40s. The snow has started to melt and us goats get to go outside to play almost every single day. What more could a goat ask for?
The farmer was nice enough to clean and sanitize the goat barn last weekend in anticipation of my kids arriving. I am due next week and can't wait! I am as big as a house and ready to get these kids out of me. I have been moved to my kidding pen during the nights. I don't have to share my pen or my food dish with Martha anymore. WhoohoO! Now Martha is sharing the big pen with Gloria. They haven't quite figured out the feeding arrangements yet. The morning and evening feedings are now accomplished with lots of jumping and dodging as Martha crashes nervously around the pen to get away from the possible onslaught of Gloria. The farmer was smart to notice that this racket was disturbing my peaceful meals and she now puts Gloria on the milk stand and leaves Martha in her pen to eat. This way no goats have to share any space with other goats during breakfast and dinner. All is better.
I am preparing for kidding by making an udder. No milk yet but my udder is swollen and ready to kick into production once the kids arrive. I also have started to get a little loose in my backend. It shouldn't be long now until I go into labor. The farmer is on stand-by to be available whenever I decide it's time to let the kids out. I will try to keep her guessing, as is the faithful duty of any respectable goat. ;-)
Well, time to get back to napping in the sun. I will let everyone know when the kids arrive!!
The farmer was nice enough to clean and sanitize the goat barn last weekend in anticipation of my kids arriving. I am due next week and can't wait! I am as big as a house and ready to get these kids out of me. I have been moved to my kidding pen during the nights. I don't have to share my pen or my food dish with Martha anymore. WhoohoO! Now Martha is sharing the big pen with Gloria. They haven't quite figured out the feeding arrangements yet. The morning and evening feedings are now accomplished with lots of jumping and dodging as Martha crashes nervously around the pen to get away from the possible onslaught of Gloria. The farmer was smart to notice that this racket was disturbing my peaceful meals and she now puts Gloria on the milk stand and leaves Martha in her pen to eat. This way no goats have to share any space with other goats during breakfast and dinner. All is better.
I am preparing for kidding by making an udder. No milk yet but my udder is swollen and ready to kick into production once the kids arrive. I also have started to get a little loose in my backend. It shouldn't be long now until I go into labor. The farmer is on stand-by to be available whenever I decide it's time to let the kids out. I will try to keep her guessing, as is the faithful duty of any respectable goat. ;-)
Well, time to get back to napping in the sun. I will let everyone know when the kids arrive!!
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