Disbudded Babies

We disbudded the Alpine bucklings today.  They are nine days old today and boy am I glad we didn't wait.  Romeo's horn buds were quite large.  We used the disbudder, counting for five seconds and then another five seconds to get a beautiful copper ring.  Freestyle's rings did not look quite as copper as I would like, but I am not comfortable going beyond ten seconds of burning.  Hopefully, with their age and the previous successes we've had disbudding, we will have horn-free goats.

Escape Goats

We knew from experience that a four foot fence was laughable.  We knew that it was only going to buy us a little bit of time.  And we were reminded again.  All of my roses are eaten.

Because we are a little short on cash, we needed to figure out how to keep the girls from jumping the fence anytime they want to until we can buy hot wire.  This was the first attempt.

It was successful - for about a day.  We will be getting hot wire tomorrow.

Asha Delivers Twins

This morning while we were graining the goats, M mentioned to me that Asha had a "balloon coming out of her butt."  I told him that this meant she was going to have the babies today.  He and Z were both still home, so we decided to keep them home to watch the delivery.  I ran in the house to get dressed (doesn't everyone do their chores in pjs?)  While inside, M yelled to me that the balloon had popped!

Asha has kidded before and done it without complication so I knew that she would be fine.  She walked, pawed the ground, lay down, got up, and walked some more.  Two little black and white hooves began to poke out of her rear end.  Each time she would lie down, the baby hooves would come out further.  Each time she would stand up, the baby hooves would suck back inside.  I wanted so badly to just reach over and tug...but I had to trust the momma.  She knew what to do.

Here's our goat delivering twin A.

The boys and I watched for what seemed like forever, but was actually about a half an hour.  Finally, we saw a head and with a few hard pushes, the baby was born.  Asha went right to work cleaning her baby up.  She made sure that he was breathing and stimulated, just like she should.  There was no need for us to intervene.  She made sure that the amniotic sac was gone and that he would begin to dry soon in the morning sun.

Soon, the second "balloon" appeared.  It popped almost immediately.  Asha alternated between standing, lying, pushing, and cleaning.  Soon the first baby was up on his wobbly legs.  He walked right behind Asha as she began to deliver the second baby's head.  As she delivered him, she paused - his hind quarters still inside her, but his front already out and starting to breath and move.  She seemed a bit confused, stood up quickly and turned.  Baby B came slipping out quickly.

Within fifteen minutes, both babies were cleaned up and drying.  Asha is a little protective and it was hard to get close enough to check to see if these were boys or girls.  But after several failed attempts, we determined that we have two beautiful, albiet unmilkable, Apline bucklings.  They look just like their daddy.

Here's a photo of the two boys a few days old on their first romp.  Introducing Rogers' Roost Romeo in the foreground, and Rogers' Roost Freestyle in the back.

Show Ducks?

I'm a sucker for ducks.  So when this gal was looking for 4-H kids who would like to have some show ducks, I responded.  I figured that they would want more money than I was willing to shell out.  But no...they were free.

Z and I went to select the three ducklings that we were going to bring home for him.  There were several varieties of Runner - white, pencil, black, fawn & white.  It was hard to choose.  So we came home with four.  I think it was either the ducklings or the two extra turkens that K brought home for me that put hubby over the edge.  He came up to my room and quietly asked me what keel-hauling was.  I've been married to a sailor long enough to know this one, so I batted my eyelashes and coyly agreed to a moratorium on all things poultry.

Here is a picture of our four Runner ducklings - Pencil, Chalk, Sharpie, and Crayola.

I mean really, who could say no to those faces?

Lucky for hubby, possession date for 4-H is today.  So...we won't be adding any more livestock - until the meat chickens arrive in June.