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.

Claire

Again, I'm sorry for the cruddy pics!

Claire got to join the buck of her interests, Nipper, who is my ND buck on Oct. 16th. I didn't know if I was going to breed her this year because she tore last year and had a very rough couple weeks after kidding. I thought I was going to loose her. She made the valliant effort to rally and pulled it off.


I spent a lot of time trying to decide what was best for her and if I should breed her. The decision was made and I'm going to have to live with it of course. Breeding decisions are not always easily made. I so hope I made the right one. I also hope she has SMALL kids being Nipper is an ND. The kids will be first generation, experimental mini Alpines. Nipper is also black with frosted ears and muzzle, some frost around the edge of his tail and a couple moon spots. Claire is Sundgau and no white spots other than her normal Sundgau white trim.

This will be Claire's 3rd freshening. She had a single buckling the first kidding, twins (doeling/Cinnamon & buckling/Buckley) last kidding and all of a sudden she is really "popping out" to the sides. She's also slowed down, but not nesting yet.

Claire is a very sweet doe. I like her immensely. She's also VERY personable. Milking MUST start with nuzzling my neck and face and then we can get down to business. As soon as she's done eating, she likes to pull the ponytail band off my hair or bandana off my foreheard and dink around with them up in the air. She also expects her treat before leaving the milk stand. She has a variety of treats she likes and prefers to use her own muzzle to choose one rather than me choosing unless it's fig or apple newtons. Then she would just prefer the whole package right now! She's a fund doe to have around and very cooperative.

Leave a comment letting me know when, what, how many or what ever guesses you'd like to make!