Where do I start since I have posted so infrequently? Summer, my junior doe, had her babies late on April 4th, barely making it before midnight. She had triplets, all does, with the middle one again being brown and white spotted (I say pinto<g>). The other two are buckskins. They were born within ten minutes, likely more like five, I had gone to the house for a bathroom/drink of water break and was gone ten minutes to come back to all three already born. All went great with one being larger than the other two who were within an ounce of each other for three weeks. They were disbudded at two weeks with the smaller buckskin getting an infection at three weeks and knocking off the scab, bleeding profusely. Did not know it was infected until I took her to the vet two days later. She got antibiotics but was not gaining so I started supplementing her milk. She has never caught up with her sister the same size and still wants a lot of milk.
Capri, about whom I was so worried, kidded on May 19th, early morning. I had slept in the stall all night leaving only for bathroom/drink break. She had been talking nearly constantly for hours and then stopped around 4:00 a.m. A bit after 5:45, I went inside and decided to sit down for a bit since I thought Capri was *not* in labor and I would hear her on the monitor. Just before 6:30, I went back out to FIVE babies! One, the littlest, was already dry and trying to nurse so the other four had likely been born in the last ten minutes. She had the sac broken on one and was frantically working on another with two laying at her behind, the last two born, both with the sacs unbroken. I quickly broke the sac on the one she was working and then went to the others who were motionless. I broke the sacs and tried to revive them but it was to no avail. It was a buck, the largest of the litter, and a doe just a little larger than the tiny one.
The tiny one weighed just 1 lb. 10.5 ounces. I started supplementing her milk the second day after she had all the colostrum she could get. With her being less than half the size of her sisters, she could not begin to compete with them for equal food. I am heartbroken at the loss of the two, especially since I was being so diligent and staying there with Capri; gone for less than 45 minutes resulted in tragedy - she did not call out once so it was apparently an easy delivery. I let her down and now she has two more babies buried under the apple tree.
She seemed to realize that Tiny Baby needed more care. I would often observe her when all the babies were asleep go over and wake up Tiny Baby and feed her while the other two were asleep. She is an exceptional mother, without doubt.
So the end result of the two kiddings is six beautiful little doelings. Ginger is due the first week in August so more to come; I am hoping she also has doelings, preferably twins.
The couple who bought the brothers last year have friends interested in taking the older triplets but might be interested in taking Capri and her babies. They are now reviewing their pasture and talking about it and will be over next weekend to meet the kids. I did tell them they could get goats much less expensive than these (they want primarily pasture goats who are also pets, not milking or breeding) but said that the price does not matter. They want mine because they fell in love with Alex and Eddie. I would be so blessed if they take a set of the triplets. I would like them to take Capri and hers because that way Capri would not be bred again - I am still uneasy after last year's experience though this year all went well (as for the kidding part if I had been there), but am convinced her diet has to be very closely watched so she doesn't gain too much, or rather the babies gain too much.
Though the births are past birth announcements, I am putting this in the announcement category for lack of a better designation.
Here are videos of the kids:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2B3Pf8-RRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC20Nnw-dJA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ri89Cz-2iY
(Capri liked to lay in the turtle sandbox a lot toward the end of her pregnancy so that video is very appropriate. <g>)
Replies
Condolences on your losses, but congratulations on your babies!!
Thank you ever so much, Deborah, for telling me your experience. If it can happen to you walking in and out of the barn, right there, then I have to stop beating up myself for that half-hour break. Because she didn't yell at all, there is a slim possibility it could happened with me right there and having fallen asleep. I'd like to think not, but as tired as I was, it could have happened. Both lost babies were completely enclosed; they didn't have a chance without me there when they were born. I think they all came right after each other like Summer's did. Capri was so frantically trying to get the third one's head cleaned off right after the second one's head was freed, but only her head (she didn't even try the body she was so concentrating on freeing their little heads). Tiny Baby was all dried off and nursing which is why I think she was born earlier with 10-20 minute break before the other four. Summer did that last year, one all dry, fed and jumping around and half an hour later the next two one right after the other with me having to move the second for the third to get out (she was in a corner). I'm so grateful Capri kidded easily (not like last year!) but feel horrible I caused her to lose two more babies. She didn't like me taking the two away from her, but I think she adjusted to it rather quickly when the other three started hopping all over the place. My son came up within the next two hours to bury them near the two from last year.
Yes, Ginger *is* pregnant! Today, I put her on the milk stand to give her some grain and a little one inside her let its presence known! Very active little one. She is bagging up quite nicely. I am hoping she is as good a milker as Summer was last year, in ease and volume. She is my friendliest doe for sure and the first one born here so I am looking forward to many hours with her giving wonderful milk.
Because I want to keep Tiny Baby, I am seriously considering selling Capri since I am limited to three adults. I am currently pushing it with three adults and a yearling. I realized one day that I have TEN goats in my back yard when the two sets of triplets are counted. Capri has to be one of the sweetest goats ever born; she has such a wonderful personality and is an outstanding mother. Her milk is so rich that her babies are very close to as big as Summer's though they are six weeks younger and from a smaller buck. If I had a farm, I would *never* let her go and dislike I cannot have four or five here, especially when I have an oversize lot with most of it back yard. <big sigh> At least we can have them which is more than some cities/towns.
Sorry that you lost some of the kids, but you can't blame yourself. You just can't predict how these things are going to go. I once had a doe kid when I was doing evening chores and was running in and out of the barn, and I thought I'd hear her when she kidded, but I missed the first one, and it was laying there with the sac covering its whole body.
The babies are adorable, and Ginger is looking quite pregnant!