Or maybe it's new kid in the barn. We don't usually have a kidding this late in the summer, but here she is.
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| Minutes old |
This is Sky's little doe. I had hoped for a late summer or early fall kidding to lengthen our milk supply, so I'm really happy about this.
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| 24 hours old |
The last time I bred Sky she didn't settle. I knew the mating was successful, but five months later, no kid. So I was a bit unsure this time. Sky is my oldest doe, eight years old, and this time as I watched for signs of pregnancy, I didn't see them. She was always fat, so that wasn't a clue, and her udder remained unchanged. Until the other day.
Wednesday I went to the barn for afternoon chores but Sky didn't come to her feeder like she usually does. I found her lying down behind the hay feeder, unwilling to get up. I coaxed her to stand and it was immediately obvious that her udder was very full. Plus the discharge was a sure-fire clue. I put her in the kidding stall and about an hour later, she had her little doe.
Sky is a very happy mama! She's always loved having babies. For now, they are in the kidding stall. Newborn kids usually spend the first couple of days sleeping a lot. Once she's steady on her feet and Sky is willing, I'll let them out for a supervised nose-to-nose meeting with the other goats.
New Kid On the Block © July 2025
What a stout little newborn! Very strikingly colored, too. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle! It was an unexpected expected surprise.
DeleteCongratulations! What a sweet one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie!
DeleteThat's a sturdy little kid! Such a good surprise
ReplyDeleteLiz, it's always good when things go well and they're healthy. :)
DeleteBeautiful baby.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteAww! What a great way to start my Friday!
ReplyDeleteTB, baby animals are always a joy. :)
DeleteGoats can sure surprise you often!
ReplyDeleteKevin, I know! And this was a pleasant surprise because even though I was keeping an eye on her, I doubted anything would happen.
DeleteCongrats! Brings back so many memories of our own goats.
ReplyDeleteKristina, the babies are always the sweetest memories, aren't they? :)
DeleteWhen we raised hogs, we usually kept pretty good tabs on mating dates and gestation cycles but every now and then we would have one that would surprise us. It usually never ended well for the little piglets which is why we kept such good tabs on the dates.
ReplyDeleteEd, it's so much better to keep track of dates. I confess I had pretty much given up on Sky being pregnant, but it was always in a corner of my mind to keep an eye on her.
DeleteWhat a great story! I wonder if it was a surprise for Sky, too 😁
ReplyDeleteI've wondered about that. I think the experienced ones know when they're pregnant, but that's a guess on my part. :)
DeleteOh my goodness, how sweet!
ReplyDeleteY.E., one of my favorite things about having goats. :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful little girl. Luckily, it's not so late in the season that she'd have a difficult time over the winter. I love her colouring and markings!
ReplyDeleteNina, I've gotten away from breeding to have kids in cold weather. It's horrible to lose them to hypothermia. And no fun when midnight barn checks are in order!
DeleteBaby animals really are adorable. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteBecki, thank you!
DeleteOh my! Baby goats are so darn cute! And this one is a beauty as well.
ReplyDeleteR.T., it's funny how some of them just grab at your heart. :)
DeleteCongratulations! She's a beauty!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debby! As always, it's good to hear from you. Are you still blogging?
DeleteNot blogging at present, feel free to email if you want.
ReplyDelete