Our New Addition

We had a new addition to the farm this month, a buckling who has the unfortunate moniker of "Hot Dog."  You would think that something like that came from my daughter, but it was actually my husband.  Unfortunately for the poor goat kid, the name stuck.  At least it doesn't change the fact that he is completely adorable.



Here is Hot Dog with his mother, Fluffball.



Hot Dog has just had a nice milk breakfast from mommy.



Hot Dog enjoying spring.



Hot Dog racing to keep up with the rest of the herd.

Hot Dog showing off.

Hot Dog trying to jump on to his mother.

Hot Dog racing Squeaker.

Now that he's a few weeks old, he's trying to figure out what all the grazing and grass-eating is all about. He keeps bringing sticks and twigs to his mother, trying to impress her.  Between his bouts of jumping, hopping, and general frisking about, he pretends to be a serious grazer with the rest of the goats.  We can tell that he's just nibbling, but it is adorable and gives his mother a much needed break.

Goat Kids!

Well, all our does have finished kidding for the winter.  We started in December, right before Christmas.

Here is the first doe kid of the season.  She is the only all-brown one that we've had survive, and so is already being spoiled by my husband and daughter. We could not decide on a name for her, so she got three: Cocoa cinnamon bon bon. Sounds pretty snooty and high-bred, right?

 

A day later, Muesli, a buck kid was born. Since he's a buck and therefore won't be staying permanently, no one cared what I named him.

After that, we had a break until late January, when Squeaker was born. She got her name because she doesn't make normal goat kid "maaa" sounds. Instead, she sounds like a squeaky toy. Since she's otherwise healthy, we aren't too concerned. Plus, you always know when she's talking.

After Squeaker was born, I was lamenting not seeing any of the goat kids actually coming out. Well, Snowflake decided that she would wait for me.  One day in February, when we had been without power for 24 hours due to an ice storm (and would continue to be without power for another 3 days), I went out to check the goats. It was dark in the barn, even with the flashlight, but I thought I saw a baby. I did.


















As my husband and I went about doing our goat feeding and watering, about an hour later another one came out. So we stood and watched the two for awhile, making sure everything was ok, since Snowflake is a first-time mother.

Well, after about another hour, she had a third kid!

We ended up bringing the third kid inside as a bottle baby, since his mother didn't have enough milk for all three of them.

He enjoys romping in the kitchen with the corgis, and getting into trouble as well. He is well on his way to being spoiled.

Our final kid was born just before Valentine's Day: our first angora kid! Unfortunately, her mother wants nothing to do with feeding her.  So she has also become a bottle baby.  Happily, all kids are doing well and are super cute!