Goat Herder’s Log: Thursday 3/16/23

I apologize in advance for nothing but horrible cell phone pictures, but the weather was not going to let me use my big girl camera.  I also apologize for the long post, but it was a long day.

0600:  Temperatures around 47°F. Checked goats and felt Aphrodite was in labor even though she hadn’t moved all night.  She was talking, and I just knew.

0730:  Went out to check Aphrodite.  Situation the same.  LilyAnn is doing a lot of talking, but the outside goats are headed out to pasture.

0800: Went to check Aphrodite.  She had a doe kid with her, already mostly cleaned off.  I think Athena might be in labor.  Maybe Cutie. We’ll see.

Aphrodite and her girl

0820:  Went back out and the second kid, another doe, had just been born.

Aphrodite and her second girl

0906: Temperatures around 46°F. It started raining. Onyx, Victoria, and Melba were snuggled together in the buck room.

Melba, Victoria, and Onyx

I went out to make sure LilyAnn wasn’t going to stay in pasture to give birth (like last year).  Discovered Zora stuck in the fence. What a bratopotamus!  Freed her.  The goats all came up from pasture.

Daisy and Zora leading the herd back to the barnyard.

Penelope leading the moms’ group back up.

1000: Temperature is at 45°F. Another light round of rain is moving through.  Athena is still in labor, but no hard contractions.  As all the other girls came up from pasture, LilyAnn was already in the greenhouse by herself.  Another sign she is going to kid today.

1050: Temperature is 44° F, and the rain is falling more steadily.  Athena is still standing and talking.  LilyAnn’s contractions are stronger and more frequent.  Time to take towels to the greenhouse and keep a closer watch.

1107: Made it back to the greenhouse with towels, and she was pushing hard. Pulled LilyAnn’s girl because there was a foot folded back.  Big girl.  Pulled her boy.  All are doing well.

LilyAnn and babies

1140:  Temperature is holding at 44°F.  It’s still a steady rain.  Athena is getting louder and I think I saw her have a contraction.

Athena

Penelope is in the Love Shack.  She might be in labor. We’ll see.

Penelope

1230: Temperature holding; a pause in the rain–just sprinkles.  LilyAnn’s babies are up and doing well.  Came out of the greenhouse to the sounds of a goat screaming–rushed over and helped Penelope with her big Frodo girl.  Athena is still loudly complaining.

Another girl! My first Frodo baby.

1400: Temperatures down to 38°F and intermittent rain.  I’ve lost all control. Aphrodite is trying to kill everyone.  Hilda decided to try to kill Purl.  The temperatures are quickly dropping and a wind advisory starts at 1600 hours.  Athena is still in labor.

1530:  Aphrodite is penned.  Penelope has been moved.  Hilda and Purl’s pen has been divided in half.  The vet was here for Caroline.

Aphrodite and babies

Divided Hilda and Purl’s pen

Athena and Cutie on half the garage

1600:  LilyAnn has been moved.  I noticed a seriously entropion eye.

The other half of the garage

LilyAnn’s girl–bottom lid is seriously curled under.

1620:  Mom arrived to take LilyAnn’s doe to the vet.  Athena’s labor is increasing.

1700:  I pull Athena’s babies.  She is a lunatic pawing the ground; pawing the babies; trying to kill me as I try to keep her babies safe.  She is crazy.  The winds have picked up and it’s now snowing.

Athena and her kids

Looking out the garage window

1720:  Mom is back with the baby.  Bling in place.

She really is better; my picture is just horrible.

1800:  Temperature is 31°F; snow is falling; wind advisory. Wind chill is about 18°F. Things are finally starting to calm down.  Just a few goats left to check overnight.

A Waiting Wednesday

After our cold start to Tuesday, the temperatures warmed up.

All that snow melted

By afternoon it was really windy and about sixty degrees.  And this was the only decent day over all of spring break to give birth.

I took the sweater off Melba.

And so I waited.

LilyAnn and Penelope (in the background)

And by the end of the day, zero goats had gone into labor.

Purl (and she is not stuck)

But I did manage to trim a couple of sets of hooves.

Perdita

Caroline got more probiotics.  She is not doing well at all.

Caroline

I did some housecleaning.

I picked up all the cardboard Salem has shredded.

I did some more knitting.  And of course, I wrote this blog post.

I didn’t have pink in the right weight, so the next one is camouflage.

And the sun set.

SOOC sunset

And I waited and hoped that someone would go into labor before the rain and cold came on Thursday.

Not Spring Break Weather

My first girl is due today–Onyx.  That means she could have had her baby a couple of days earlier, so I started going out in the evening and before bed.  Sometimes, when it’s spring break babies it’s nice enough for them to just hang out in the barnyard.  Not this year.

snow on Thursday

After the snow and rain and snow on Thursday, we did see some melting on Friday, but the nights were cold.

Then there was more snow in the forecast for Saturday, followed by more cold.

That means I kept trying to shut Onyx in the buck room and the little pen south of the garage.  I had her mom, Victoria in there with her for company.  She kept jumping the fence and ditching her mom.

Headed out to check Onyx Thursday evening

Finally, on Thursday afternoon, I shut her in the buck room–no open door to the outside. I also decided it would let me turn on the heat lamp and warm it up if she had her kid(s) when we were down to 11°F.

Onyx and Victoria (sorry for the really bad cell phone picture)

Well…The snow finally arrived just after noon.

Purl in the Love Shack

And I’m still waiting on Onyx to have her kids.

Onyx with a full udder on Saturday morning

But she’s inside where it’s nice and warm!