Just Kidding Around

We’ve had 7 goat kids this week – 5 bucklings and 2 doelings. We were hoping to have more doelings than bucklings, but since 4 of our 8 does have kidded, it looks like that is not going to happen.

One of the bucklings that was born yesterday died last night, and his brother is struggling. I have him by a heater in the kitchen right now.

Several hours later…

My day has been consumed by kidding activities. The little guy I’m nursing along has had most of my attention. I actually brought his mom inside so he could nurse. I kept her just inside the back door. When he was done nursing, I put them both outside in the rabbit hutch with a thick bed of straw, just outside our back door so I could keep a close eye on them.

In the midst of all that, Violet gave birth to twins around noon, which I’ve checked several times. They are snow-white.

Cashmere goats are very hardy, but in the cool, wet weather we’ve been having kids are susceptible to chilling. When they are chilled, they won’t nurse. When they are cold and don’t nurse they get weak and die. It can happen fast. That’s why I check on the newborns every hour or so.

I’m looking forward to relaxing with Brett and a good movie tonight. Maybe with a buckling in my lap…