Winter Kids!

I knew I was going to need winter milk for all of the small children in our home.  So In July, I bred Amelia to Sergent Pepperbox and Milky Whey to Major Coco.  I put them in with the bucks and saw them both in standing heat the same day.  Their due date was December 23rd.  The 23rd came and went.  Finally on December 27th, early in the morning, Milky Whey delivered triplets.  Two beautiful bucklings and a very nice doeling.  Milky Whey had a very easy delivery and the babies are all very big and strong. 

This huge buckling was born first.  He looks like someone dunked his front half in black paint!

This flashy little buckling was born last.  He is very sweet and colorful.  Black, White and brown!

This little doeling was born second.  She is large and spunky.  I am partial to black and white goats.  I am retaining her.

Milky Whey is milking nicely.  This is her third kidding and she is my very best, pure bred Nigerian Dwarf goat.  She has long teats with large orifices.  She has a very nice, large, well attached, udder and her personality is as sweet as her wonderful milk.  She is already giving almost half a gallon a day.  I am going to retain her doeling this year as circumstances have prevented me in the past from retaining one of hers and this years doe is exquisite.

We knew Amelia was bred the same day as Milky Whey and have been playing the waiting game.  They both went over due.  But Amelia went days more.  All I can say is that she must not have settled the first breeding and got bred her next heat cycle.  I left them in with their bucks for a few weeks so it is very possible. 

Yesterday morning (1-2-16) when I went out to the barn, Amelia was in labor and within a half hour, had delivered two very large and flashy doelings!  I have a waiting list of people wanting goats from my herd, so these already have homes to go to.  I will de-horn (dis-bud) them all tomorrow, as I was waiting to dehorn Milky Whey's kids till Amelia's were born.

The first one born was a huge brown doe with white markings.  The second one was very flashy with frosted ears and lots of white marbling. 

This is Amelia's second freshening, she is milking very well and has a very nice udder. Her udder is very high, round and well attached.  Her teats are very easy to hand milk.  I only keep easy to hand milk animals. The very best of the best produced here.

I don't feel badly culling hard, so I can always have healthy good producers here.  I sold Jubilee after she freshened in the spring, as she was a good milker but I had so many just a bit better.  I did retain her daughter from the spring.  Carolyn named her daughter Carmel Pie.  Her dad is Sergent Pepperbox and I wanted to see what his genetics do to improve over Jubilee's.  We shall see, as Carmel Pie is in to be bred with a buck now.

Wishing everyone a happy New Year and hope you are having fun planing for the spring plantings.

Happy Farming!

susan