Back in July two of my does got in with the buck. The buck was kept in a horse stall, 10 x 10 with a latch that I locked by putting fencing wire through the clasp and twisting it tightly closed. It would take me about a minute to untwist the wire to go in with the buck. Anyway it was July for goodness sake!
I went out one morning to find a yearling, Sharona in the stall and the wire gone. Ok, I got a little more serious and put a Carabiner on the latch. That should fix it. Three days later one of my milkers was found in the stall with the buck in the morning! Still, it's not fall and these are Nubian goats...not known for breeding out of season.
Anyway, my milker, a yearling who had produced two doe kids in March, started bagging up. I started watching her and checking her ligaments. I knew kids were coming early from her. But the other goat wasn't showing. Nothing at all...no udder to speak of, no big belly, nothing. But when I was out checking ligaments I checked her too and thought "that's weird, her ligaments are GONE". I looked her over, decided I was wrong and went to bed. No way this goat was having kids early.
Well weren't we surprised to find a doe kid, dry and standing in the stall the next day. Just goes to show...if a goat breaks into the buck stall...she's bred. Don't believe anything else. She's bred!
The other went three days later. Now I have two gorgeous does and a lovely buck out of my two yearlings. For Mocha it's the fourth kids and second lactation for 2014! That little darling spinner in the picture is one of her babies named for my favorite drink from the Grindstone Cafe in Lyndonville...Kashmiri Spice. Her brother is called Machiatto. And the surprise baby? Holly of course!
What a nice Christmas surprise!
