NO KIDDING!- It's Kidding season

All across the country goat kids are dropping as we speak. I know. i'm keeping up with it because in not too many days, I'll be one of them.

YEP! KIDS! HERE!

hopefully, healthy and normal.

My friend Susan has dropped over 40 kids this month alone. And on other farms across Florida even more. Many farms in Florida drop now to get ready for the beginning of the Show season. As the goats kid and wean, you can still milk a doe 350 days of the year. And that is what alot of the shows are for. Udder capacity, among other things. BUt udder is the most important.

Alas, here we will max out with 4. Hoping for twins. Hoping for doelings. But most importantly just hoping it goes smoothly. i don't think my two first fresheners (1st time pregnant goats) will drop any more than 2. But it's possible. YIKES! i hope not.

In preparation i've been doing research. Lots of it. One of the best sites on the net i've found is fiascofarm.com Quite amazing the information this woman ( Molly ) has amassed for all of us. Thanks to this site I feel i have a handle on the situation. As much as one can. I'm a first freshener myself. Never having done this before who knows what can crop up. I have my birthing kit ready. I'm going off today and getting a baby monitor. Then i'm all set!!

Sadly, not all births go well. I was at my friends house yesterday hoping to see a live birth. And well 10 hours later nothing was really happening. This morning i found out that she had to go in and pull out the kids. DEAD! So sad and heartbreaking. So demoralizing. And so scary! i wanted to be there to see it. but secretly relieved i didn't. I had already learned so much being there and watching the signs. See the contractions. Learning what the mucus plug is. and so on.

BUT i learned. ALOT. My first instinct around 5 ish was lets go in and check. Go in meaning stick your hand/arm up you know what and do a little reconnaisance. I didn't push my thoughts on my friend, who am i to know. But i think it was the right instinct based on the outcome this morning. I want to kick myself for not being more forceful. But hindsight. and second guessing yourself is so true what they say. I'm devastated for my friend. Another lesson though. and i'm grateful to have been there to learn.

So although, i'm all physically prepared for my birthing here. You can never be TOO prepared. AND you can never really learn from reading. Doing is your best teacher. And some times mother nature is not kind. It's lessons like these though i hope make me better prepared.


My due date is is Jan 11. Next date Jan 15. And any day in between. And then not till February for my second doe to freshen. I'll keep you posted.

WISH ME LUCK!!

My babies are having babies..
Delilah on the left is having kids first.
She is now 3. I hope it all goes smoothly.

Oreo is the youngest she is only two.
Her due date is more towards February.