Birth Announcement
Three little girls arrived just before midnight Friday, April 4, 2014, two buckskins and one brown and white. Though the photos don't show it, the buckskins are almost identical with the only difference being minor with the white markings. Saturday evening, their weight were 2 lb. 11.6 oz., 2 lb. 8.9 oz., and 3 lbs. 9.2 oz. Honestly, because they were born so quickly, I need to review the video to see which buckskin was born first and which was third.
(I think the middle girl's ears cause her to look a bit like a puppy.)
Replies
Everyone is doing very well. All have begun gaining wonderfully and the two smaller ones are within 2/10 of an ounce of each other with the biggest one having gained a full pound since first weighing. Mom's udder is not so tight and full now; it is soft though full so they are regularly taking milk. I've seen each one "successfully" fully nurse. With this, I will stop being paranoid though keep an eye on them but not such a nervous eye.<g>
Today, I opened the pen so Summer could go out and she did but called the babies. She really tried to get them out of the pen but they had no interest in leaving their secure little playpen. She really did try to get them outside because she wanted to be out in the sunshine but not enough that she would leave them more than two or three minutes.
So, until it is time for Capri to kid in a month (due May 20th), I'll go back into feeling comfortable with everything. These three doelings are now where her triplets were at one day old last year. Color me happy, happy, happy.
Babies are doing very well, not quite caught up to where last year's triplets were when they were born but getting close. Everyone is continuing to gain though two slowly while the biggest one is really growing and has gained almost a pound already. Today, they were much more lively and awake more of the time. The middle girl's ears have almost completely straightened now so she doesn't have "puppy ears" anymore.<g> Tonight, I watched video of last year's triplets taken the day they were born and these little girls are nowhere near that active and bouncy though seem to be doing fine.
Mom's udder is always very full and I am wondering if I should milk her and give bottles to the two littlest ones for a day or two to supplement what they are getting from her because I am wondering if it is difficult for them to get the milk with her so full. I'm already milking out a couple of tablespoons once a day to relieve her a little bit but haven't wanted to take milk from babies though there is easily enough there right now for twice as many! Tonight they were 2 lbs 14.4 oz, 2 lbs 14.5 oz, and 4 lbs 2.8 oz.
And their little hooves that were so white when they were born look like regular tiny hooves now!
After the nightmare I had with customer support, I'm hesitant to give you the name of the one I bought. And I still don't have it on-line though I can view it on any of my computers locally (through my own airport/router). The image on the camera is excellent but I am not certain anything is worth what I went through with customer support. After I "recover" (calm down!) from my experience, I might try to find another venue for customer support for it. However, I might just consider it a lesson learned and go with the Logitech. After all my frustration with them and finally getting the camera operating, it was my old camera from Harbor Freight that alerted me Friday night, the one hooked to the television with a telephone cord!
I was going to get the one that most folks recommended and rave about. Here is one thread about the Logitech: http://nigeriandwarfgoats.ning.com/forum/topics/barn-cams?commentId...
Another: http://nigeriandwarfgoats.ning.com/forum/topics/barn-cams?commentId...
In hindsight, I would recommend the system that several here have found good, the Logitech. I don't recall Deborah ever telling us what she uses; perhaps she will share that with us.
Julia @Woody Glen Farm said:
Congratulations, Glenna! Cute!
Oh so glad to hear! I got so lucky with the weather too as it had snowed two days before but she had them at noon and it was 78 degrees! Super early to be that warm but we'll take it! Now it's back to normal temps but now they can handle anything ;)
Tell me the brand and model of your barn camera? I sure would love to get one. I have 2 more preggo girls due in the next 6 weeks and would love to be able to see everybody in the barn.
Time for you to post some more pics! Congratulations again, Glenna!
Thank you for the response (and a pound and a half is very good!). Each one has gained between 2 and 3.5 ounces since morning so now I will stop worrying. They have been much more active afternoon and evening. I was going to relieve the fuller udder tonight and take maybe a tablespoon of milk but one of the babies decided to get dinner and was there for several seconds and it felt less tight after. I didn't re-weigh her but they are all looking a bit less skinny. Tomorrow would be Day 143 which is when she kidded last time so maybe they will be caught up with where they would have been had they waited three more days. However, she kidded quite easily so I have no complaints there even if I have been concerned. The one who was so weak at birth is bouncing around very well and has gained 2.5 ounces since I first weighed them. I was so afraid those first few minutes, we would lose her; I wasn't even sure she was alive when she was born with absolutely no movement and so very limp.
As for warmth, I'm certain they are warm enough which is why I spent part of the night (until after 3:30 a.m.) out there with them laying down in just my regular clothes with no blanket or jacket. I figured if I didn't get chilly, they would not either since they were completely dry. Also, I held my hand on the hay bedding by them and could feel some warmth from the heat lamp. We were lucky, they were born when it had been raining so it was cloudy and warmer than it would be with clear skies. Tonight, the sky is clear but they are fine. They now know to move close to or farther from the heat lamp. I love how smart these little ones are so early in their lives.
Knowing they were early, I undoubtedly worried more than I needed to. Tonight, they are all laying like little goats and no one is all sprawled out like earlier, a relief for this goat mama. I cannot believe I have been so worried this year when last year I just watched and played a little with Summer's babies. Of course, my mind was so much on Capri and hers with all the trouble. I always felt I neglected Summer's which may have been just fine with her.
I really like this camera as it shows better than my old one; I can adjust the brightness and contrast. I finally got it installed in the barn though have not yet been able to view it via internet but can locally on all of my computers. I've left the old one (connected to the television) since it has audio. On the very positive side, I can now tell the two buckskins apart though I need to watch the video closer to see which one was first; wet, they look just alike.
Glenna, you know I'm pretty much a newbie, but my triplets born on Wednesday also barely sipped for the first day-- literally for 1 or 2 seconds at a time. The next day they drank for longer and it has increased each day. I didn't weigh until today and they've gained about half their weight in 4 days. Are they sucking okay? Do they have a good sucking reflex because maybe they're slightly preemie and weak because of that? I spent a LOT of time down there putting them up to mama's teats to get them to drink more and feeling their little bellies. With them laying flat out, that doesn't sound right either. Have you checked that they're staying warm enough? They may be having trouble maintaining their temperatures if they are preemie. I don't think you're being paranoid-- I think they're very fragile when they are newborn! I hope someone jumps on here who knows more than I do! It does sound like you're doing what you need to (making sure they nurse). Btw, my littlest one was 2.1 lbs and hard to get going -- nursed the briefest amount etc. She caught on in a couple of days though and has gained a lb and a half!
Now a question. Saturday evening, their weights were 2 lb. 11.6 oz., 2 lb. 8.9 oz., and 3 lbs. 9.2 oz. This morning, 12 hours later, they are 2 lb. 9.8 oz., 2 lb. 9.3 oz., 3 lb. 1 oz. Only the middle girl, the weakest at birth, so much so I was really worried about her as she didn't even move at first has gained weight while the other two have lost. Summer has lots of milk for them; her udder is really full, so full that last night I milked a tiny bit out so it wasn't so tight as I was concerned maybe they couldn't get the milk flow started. I put the middle one immediately and she stayed this time to get a full tummy. Generally, they seem to nurse only a few seconds and I rarely see any milk "spillage." Should I be concerned? It seems they should all be gaining since she has the milk supply and has great milk.
I have to admit that I have not weighed babies before to see how they are doing but have this time because it was a 140-day gestation and they seem so thin compared with the others born here, even hers last year who were born on Day 143. They also don't seem as active as her triplets were last year. They usually lay all sprawled out rather than upright which causes a minor panic in the pit of my stomach since that is how I found Capri's doeling last year. I have put Summer on the milk stand to get them to nurse there but that isn't working; even with milk squirted into their mouth, the interest isn't there then. Sometimes, I can get them to nurse (in the pen) and they get a good meal but they don't often. I don't want to bottle-feed at all but certainly will if I should be supplementing until they gain more strength. I'm not sure if their very brief nursing is because they get nothing because she is too full, are too weak to get much. Though I didn't write it down last year, it seemed like someone was heading to nurse nearly all the time when they were on their feet. They were also much more lively than these little girls though I attributed the difference to the three days earlier for birth.
Kidding went so wonderfully well, I certainly don't want to mess up now if milking and offering a bottle 3 or 4 times a day is what I should be doing this first couple of days. Though my prime goal is milk for the people, I sure don't want to lose any babies getting there! Opinions, please.
(Honest, I am trying to not be paranoid but I don't want to be careless either.)