Daisy's Kidding!

Daisy kidded EARLY morning on the 21st! It was a very long night and I knew she was going to have them. I also knew she was having multiples and it could easily be triplets as her dam has triplets every year. We are still having COLD nights below freezing so I knew the only way they'd live is if I was present. I got a half hour nap early on in the evening and then an hour before hubby was going to bed. That was it as I was afraid I'd fall asleep and loose these kids. At 4 am Daisy finally got going better and delivered the first 2, both doelings and both red heads!

Then over an hour passed and I really didn't think she was done as the doelings were "too small" for her to have twins and she still looked too wide! She had twin doelings last year and they were both much larger than these 2 little girls. So I was patient and of course occupied as it was COLD out by then and I had 2 soggy wet little girls to help Daisy clean up and to get DRY and warm! Those LONG ears sure do hold a lot of fluid and took for ever to get really dry. I didn't want to have them frost bit so it took some work! In the mean time Daisy was still having contractions and would pause and look, lay down and get right back up, and pace.... along with trying to tend her girls. Sometimes it just takes time for a baby inutero to get in position to be delivered normally and successfully and boy did this fella do that! He's twice the size of the doelings and he's a little chunk from the get-go!

I'm having a time naming the kids this year. I'm working on names for the 2 doelings. In the meantime, meet Clifford, the red goat who will eventually be a big red goat! He does have some white on him though and he's SHARP!

All 3 are doing wonderful! Daisy had a rough time after delivery and put some fears into me. I've heard it said that a doe will produce milk based on the number of kids she has. That may be true with Daisy! Her udder is HUGE and she just kept getting bigger and bigger! Her udder was so swollen and getting hard that I was afraid she was going to be engorged badly. I warmed olive oil and peppermint oil and took it out every 2 hours during the day for a couple days and gently massaged the oil into her udder and made sure the kids were getting enough to eat and all 3 were getting fed. Daisy really appreciated the gentle massaging and stood snoozing furing it. She did soften up and the kids did increase their intake so that she now is not near so large and they are eating very well. Daisy is a WONDERFUL momma and if the kids want to eat she's standing there letting them. She mothers them and seems to be enjoying their company.

Hubby and I really like Daisy a LOT! This doe is super sweet and will stand at the gate gazing into our faces and LOVES to be loved on! She has horns and she keeps them out of the way and off everything. She's very conscientious in that. I never liked horns on goats before but she's given me a whole new opinion.... some goats are NO problem with their horns! So far last year's twins are the same way with theirs!

This year I will most likely sell all 3 of Daisy's kids. I have Daisy and her 2 daughters from last year, Latte and Coffee Bean, who we really enjoy and like. I also traded 2 young red-headed bucks for Daisy's sisters, Mo'Nique and Macey. The 2 are triplets and one doe had been spoken for before their dam kidded. I was tickled to be able to get Mo'Nique and Macey! They are also VERY sweet. So, I can't keep all of them and will probably let the triplets from this year go. Their sire is one of the red-headed boys I traded for Mo'Nique and Macey.