This hours-old doe already can stand and nurse
Last night brought the latest addition to our herd. Two doe kids were born from the first of 4 pregnant goats. Kathy checked on Penelope (the goat) frequently throughout the day Sunday, because it was clear that she was in labor. Kathy told me this morning that she made the last check at 10:30 p.m. and that since things looked okay she went to bed and slept until about 4 AM, knowing that the little ones would arrive while she was in bed. When she got out there in the early morning, Penelope had delivered them both and nudged them into the small shelter in their pen. The house was a buzz of excitement when the family woke up and got to see the baby goats for the first time!
The new goat kids, named “Star” and “Angel” by our human kids, will get all the milk from their mom for the next couple weeks. This will give them a good start until they are big enough to be separated for the night, and Penelope will then rejoin the morning milking routine.
This brings our herd to a total of 13. (Penelope and her 2 doelings, 1 doe still in milk from last spring’s freshening, 3 bred does, 2 yearling does, 2 bucks & 2 yearling weathers.)