Sweetened's 2016 kidding thread

[Latestarter]

Whatever the births and whatever their sex, I hope ALL are care free deliveries and healthy kids! So glad to have you back sharing Sweetened! Waiting on updates and pics

 

[bloonskiller911]

the suspense would kill me, do you have any sort of time frame for them?!?!!?!?

 

[Sweetened]

the suspense would kill me, do you have any sort of time frame for them?!?!!?!?

Anytime from january 10th to end of February.

 

[Ferguson K]

You sound like us this year. I gave up and turned the boys out around the end of August / early September. Some of the does didn't take the first time, and may have rebred in October.

 

[goats&moregoats]

This is going to be one busy thread come birthing time. I am not even going to guess. LOL, Last year I thought my biggest was going to give me a litter, she had triplets and delivered last. My smallest gave me twins & delivered first. The third who I thought would give me trips gave me quads. LOL, my DD called me. Her first time being at a delivery alone...lol..."they just keep coming Mom!"

Hoping for healthy kids & does for you.

 

[Sweetened]

Reminds me of Gladys last year. I wasnt even sure she was pregnant until she started bagging up. Then I thought 1 only. No way in hell she was big enough for more.had to help her, pulled a buckling, spent a good few minutes trying to get him breathing. Thoight I saw a breath, gave him to Hubby and said: better just dub- whaaaat the hell! she had another one coming so i grabbed a towel, she was out, shift her over a bit to get her off the wet and BAM there was a third!

 

[goatgurl]

good to see you back Sweetened. I'm like goats&moregoats I'm not even going to guess. they all look like they are going to explode. its just a matter of when. you are going to have your hands full when they do.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Following here too! Like the others said, I'm not gonna guess how many. We have had does that didn't even look preggers pop out triplets OR a doe that looks like she has 10 in there pop out 1 kid I think goats live to make me crazy....But I like it that way I have some does due next month, I can really feel those kids kicking!

I love kidding season but I'm a nervous wreck too.

So excited for you. Although with the temps you have, I would be bringing them in the house. No way I could tolerate sitting out in the cold.

Are you going to bottle feed this year? I bottle and/or trough fed around 20 kids last year and loved it. I will be doing it again this year, but I am going to make a rack to hold the bottles so I can feed about 10 at a time. I looked at the bucket feeders, but I would really like to know how much milk each kid is getting. Can't do that with a bucket or trough Its really nice that, starting on the day they kid the does get milked 2x a day until you dry them off.

I see all the does were disbudded or naturally polled. Are you going to disbud this year?

Wishing you a smooth and uneventful kidding season! I can't wait to see the kids! Nigi kids are so adorable. I bet its going to be strange for you to have 2-5 pound kids born. After dealing with the big goats, and then seeing a tiny little ND kid takes some getting used to.

 

[Sweetened]

I will avoid bottle feeding at nearly all costs. I have a waiting list for bottle babies. I have just never had luck with bottlefed ones, they seem weaker than everything else. With my 5 month old, i also dont want to be milking twice a day for the same reason. Oh yeah, and it can get bugger all cold this time of year, though el nino/global warming has given us mild weather so far.

All these does have been disbudded, poorly i might add. They may or may not have actually been polled, the lady I bought them from disbudded eeeeverything at two days, wasnt interested in guessing who was polled. Gardenia and daisy are the only ones without scurrs, everyone else except simon, who i got from another breeder and is horned, has scurs. I will NOT disbud. Just way too mamy bad experieces for me here. I have it in my sellers agreement on my website that disbudding is done at buyers expense and is no refu dable if they back out. Its just not for me. My dexter heifer and young bull are also horned. My old cow was dehorned and it didnt go well, now she has a horn thatll grow into her head, so meh.

 

[Ferguson K]

All of mine have horns. Some of them know how to use them, I have one doe that will hook a bucket out of my hand with her horns. However, I have heard enough horror stories that I'm afraid to dehorn my herd. I know I should for safety reasons, but, I'm a softy...