New Kids on the Farm

How cute is this? Talk about a mirror image....

Claire finally got around to presenting 2 of the most adorable kids one could hope for Sunday afternoon! We have twins - a buckling and doeling! I was thinking she was going to have a full litter as she was HUGE! Claire has a tendancy to have a big belly anyway. It's also a sign of good rumen volume. The twins weigh 6 and 5 # and are both Sundgau. Sundgau is their Alpine coloration/pattern.

The buckling has a small white tip to his tail and the black triangle in the ear is solid and "sharp" looking (more pronounced). The doeling has a black tail tip and her black ear triangles are frosted, so a bit "muted" in look.

They are now in the house with Buttons and being bottle fed. Buttons is working hard to teach them her gymnastic routine and they are apt pupils and trying hard in the jump upon the little stool. They have stumble off perfected!

They are such fun! They and Claire are doing wonderful. She had a rough kidding in 2009 and I debated long and hard if I was going to breed her, give her a year off or retire her. That was her 2nd kidding and to a standard sized buck. I decided to breed her to my ND buck, Nipper, who is MUCH smaller than she after learning that ND's crossed on standard sized dairy does really do produce smaller kids. So I did breed her but was determined to be present for the kidding. She's sailed through with flying colors and is doing so much better than last year. I'm MUCH MUCH relieved as I adore this doe and knew the guilt I'd carry if I was wrong in my decision. She's also in 24 hours milking out over a gallon a day! We're 48 hours out now and this morning's "milk" was still considerably yellowish so still a high % of colostrum with a transition to milk. (I've added fresh colostrum to the freezer for emergencies in the future.)

Burgler has been sent to the barn. He's too rough for the new kids and he has been escaping the play yard pen here in the house. He needed more room to spread his wings and perform his gymnastic gyrations! He has Becca and Bandit for company and the Boer triplets are joining in on their fun in the yard during the day.