Today's New Baby Boy

I should know better.  I slept in this morning, took a shower, started laundry, ate breakfast, just relaxed a little knowing Sassy was content with her new babies.  I decided to check on her before I fed the boys however when I went out.  When I went into the barn I heard a baby crying out....NOT SASSY'S! I flung open the gate and of course there is chaos because everyone thinks I am there to feed. And standing in the middle of the chaos is a black baby goat.  Where is the mother? Well Daisy is running around looking for food.  My heart caught in my throat as panic set in.  I scooped him up and looked in all the stalls and outside for another one.  He was it. I got him the stall I had cleaned out yesterday, got the heat lamp plugged in, and put fresh straw down.  He was still damp but some one had cleaned him up, I honestly hope it was Daisy because she wants nothing to do with him as of right now.

He is a very solid, healthy little LaMancha baby boy, very eager to nurse and be with his mom.....

.....but Daisy won't let him nurse unless I tie her up so he can nurse.  She will let him nurse then but otherwise when he tries to come up to her, she runs or pushes him away.  She is more concerned about him eating her food than anything less.  I was worried this would happen because she is only a year and half old and she has always been very much about "her".  I have never had this situation with goats or sheep so I am concerned as to when the bonding might happen or if it won't.  I don't want to jump the gun and start bottle feeding but I know there is no way he will make it from 6:30 in th morning till 4:00 when I get home from school. 

He is really sweet and wants to be with someone.  I just don't want her to hurt him by pushing him out of the way if he wants to nurse esp. when I am at school.  Oh, I am just so mad at Daisy!  This is frustrating esp since Sassy is the best mom in the world and Daisy is just concerned about herself and eating. 

Any advice is greatly welcomed!

Sassy and her babies are doing will today, they were even trying to do the hop but were a little wobbly.....too fun to watch;)  I am so exhausted and the weather channel keeps talking about this possible storm potential for Wednesday.......I should just take the whole week off and be done with it!

Winter Baby Goats Born 2 Day

So Sassy decided that Friday was a good day to have babies........but this Friday wasn't good for me because I left my grade book at school and grades are do on Monday and 3 of the 5 teachers that I work with on our 7th & 8th grade team had to go to a meeting today and kids are always hyper on Fridays plus its next to impossible to get a subsitute last minute on a Friday morning.  So my quick thinking plan was to call in sick for a sub (I have well over 160 sick days so I was not worrying about using a day:), go to school and if I got a sub, I would get my grade book and leave BUT if no sub then I would teach my morning 8th graders and leave at 11:00 and pray that my fellow teachers in other grades would not kill me cuz they had to cover my 3 afternoon 7th grade classes. NO SUB. I was out of there at 11:00 and prayed for my safe return on Monday. 

Last time Sassy had babies she stretched out the labor from early morning to about 2 in the afternoon so I was hoping she was going to do that again.  I got home about noon. I already had her tucked away in a little stall with the heat lamps on.  When I got to her I noticed the 2 little hooves and nose sticking out and a little tongue hanging out...perhaps a little blue.  Perfect timing!!  I ran to the house, washed up my hands, grabbed towels, and ran back to the barn.  I pulled that baby out right onto the towel and gave it to Sassy.  I cleaned out the mouth and rubbed him real good and was relieved to see him breathing.  Not sure on how long Sassy had been pushing him out, I was concerned about if there was another one waiting to come out.  Called the vet. Favorite vet teach Carol said to wait about 25-30 minutes before I should go in and check to see if there is another in there.  In about 30 minutes Sassy pushed out a little girl!!! I helped her clean her up.....I was a tad concerned because it was so cold and I didn't want them to get chilled.

So, above is the little baby girl and she has little waddles like Sassy does!  She is jet black and very shiny. Oh, and she is a little pistol, looking for that nipple within 15 minutes.  She is about 20 minutes old in this picture.

And here is the little boy, he is chocolate with light tan on his under belly and don't you love those white frosted ears?  He was having a "finding the nipple issue".  Oh and he just screamed at me when I was trying to help his little self out! 

So who is the daddy of these cute little kids?  Yep, that stinking little chocolate LaMancha! The babies have long legs like LaManchas but the tell tale sign is the ears, they are little elf ears;)  Time will tell of course but I am pretty sure.  So what do you call a Nigerian Dwarf / LaMancha cross?

Nigamacha?

But you know what?  Who cares?  Sassy is a great mom and loves them to death already!

Actually, I am kinda curious to see how they grow up esp. the girl....wonder what the milk production would be seeing as LaMancha can produce a nice amount.

Now, I am just waiting on Crazy Daisy......................

My 3 Musketeers

I now have 3 Musketeers.  After Rutland's broken leg incident, I put him in with Glover and Barnet, 2 Shetland wethers which are insanely mellow.  And just as I hoped, they have become buddies.  They do the popcorn dance, they baa in unison, they share food very nicely, and play like good boys!  Rutland has adjusted well to his fiberglass cast and I am praying that all is mending well underneath.  He is entering into the 6 week stretch so fingers and hooves are crossed! 

Left to right:  Rutland, Glover, & Barnet= 3 Musketeers

Is it me or is this becoming the longest winter on record?