Kidding season 2015- done. Sigh.

Yesterday at about 1 pm our last pregnant doe kidded. Esmeralda, our purebred Nubian, kidded twins: a doeling and buckling. This year was quite an experience compared to last year.

Our kidding season this year started with tragedy when, in February, Darla kidded while I was at work and both her bucklings died. But later that same month, a weak buckling I nearly killed at my neighbor's doe's kidding, came home with us (to die we thought) and Darla adopted him as her own! So although she lost her babies, she has been feeding and tending to this little guy we named Champ.

On March 30th Daylight (one of Darla's does from 2014) had her first kidding. She gave us two beautiful, identical doelings: Luna and Star.

Just five days later, on Good Friday, her sister Daisy gave us twins too: a doeling and a buckling. The doeling we have named Lightning Struck Lily. "Lily's" brother is already reserved as a wether and has been dubbed "Chuey" by his new own. He will go to live with his new family the last weekend in May.

We had a 10 day lull in the kidding action and then yesterday it was Esmeralda's turn. Esmeralda did well although I did have to assist in pulling the first doeling as she was really struggling to push her head out. The buckling that came after the doeling was breech with one hoof presenting. I was able to pull him also. He gave us a scare as he was not breathing at all at birth. After some vigorous stimulation and a little "swinging" (which I had read is done in some cases with lambs that are breech to assist in draining the fluid from their lungs) he perked up and is doing fine. He's a really big guy and very handsome and although he comes from a good bloodline and might make a good herd sire, we will not be keeping him. His sister stays.

We decided to go with theme names for the kids this year. Daylight's prodigy will have some celestial body name or the like- hence Luna and Star. Daisy's prodigy will have some floral or plant name- hence Lily. And Esmeralda's prodigy will have Disney character names. (Esmeralda is a lead character in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.) So Esmeralda's kids got Fa Mulan for the doeling and Mushu for the buckling from the movie Mulan.

I now have 12 goats and am officially the crazy goat lady :) But before I become certifiable we will be thinning the herd.

In June and July Daisy and Daylight will be for sale. Their mom Darla will stay at Lil' Toad Ranch for her lifetime as she was our first doe and has taught us everything we know, not to mention we love her milk! We expect her daughters and granddaughters to produce the large amounts of delicious butterfat milk we get from Darla and know they will make a great addition, bringing delicious Nubian dairy to anyone's homestead, family farm, suburban ranch or the like.

Daylight and Daisy both kidded very well and have great maternal instincts, caring for their kids naturally. They both have nice temperments and are trained to the milkstand. They're beautiful does and in excellent health with all current vaccines and negative lab results for CAE, CL, Johne's, Brucella and Brucellosis.

We will also be selling one of Daylight's daughters. Not sure which one yet. Daisy's buckling is already reserved and we will keep her daughter Lily. Esmeralda's buckling is also for sale and can go either as a herdsire or as a wether.

If you're interested in purchasing any of our sweet Nubians here at Lil' Toad Ranch please contact Sheila via our contact page.

Live birth facinates me! But although I have learned a lot and have enjoyed (despite the tragedies) this year's kiddings, I am ready to be done! 7 goat babies, 3 first fresheners, 1 second freshener and a wether is more than enough. We look forward to reducing the size of our herd and providing others with a healthy, happy Nubian dairy goat!