So. Fat.
Rose is due to have her first babies on March 4th. I’m thinking she will kid sooner than that, don’t you? Every day her udder looks more developed, fills just a bit more. This isn’t MY first time attending goat deliveries, but sometimes first-time mama goats can have trouble, and I’m nervous.
Rose’s two sisters, Rain and Nomad, are also due sometime in March. Baby goats live in our kitchen for the first few days of their lives, so I’m getting towels and mops ready. Shoes in the kitchen will be a MUST. Also, coffee. And of course cameras.
Goat photos are hard to take. Goats are incurably curious and friendly, and a camera is super super fascinating to them. All the ones I took today went like this:
Distract.
Run away, turn, shoot.
Check, while being pestered, to see if I got anything worth posting.
Delete.
Distract again.
Now you know why that first photo is blurry. I have take what I can get, with goats.
Also, one of our Indian Runner ducks is sitting on eggs. They are due to start hatching tomorrow. She thought she’d hidden them pretty well when she left the nest briefly to get a drink. Not too bad really; I think there are about a dozen eggs hidden here.
I can’t stop myself from checking several times a day, and I’m sure I’m driving mama duck crazy. But last year I had a duck abandon the nest two days before they were due to hatch, and another let the eggs hatch and then ignored the babies. Most of them died before I could save them. So again, I’m nervous. I’ve had a few success stories, but Indian Runners aren’t known for their great parenting skills.
Stay tuned! I’m hoping for good news soon.
Also, these goats are ADGA registered, show-quality goats. Next post will have more information on pedigree and our plans for these babies.