I can't keep track

[steff bugielski]

I have, as of last night, 21 kids all born since Feb 1st. Most of them look the same. I am down to measuring the diameter of the star on the heads. Last few years they spread out the delivery enough so size helped me. I've got two identical, not sisters. The only difference is one has slightly darker dorsal strip.
Then yesterday I had two does deliver all kids look alike. 4 black with frosted ears.
How do you all remember who's kid belongs to who. I am considering spray paint, well maybe nail polish.
Now if DD could find the cord for the camera I could post pics.
My barn is full of babies

[waygr00vy]

Wow, you have been busy!! Don't they have those little paper collars like they put on puppies and kittens at the animal shelters?I thought I saw something similar in one of the catalogs. You can color coordinate and write numbers or however you want to do it. I have never had that many kids at one time, and especially not that many that look alike, so haven't ever had that problem!

[BlueHeronFarm]

Yeah-- paper collars. We have not yet had enough born at the same time to worry about that yet....and we got a lot of color last year, so they were easy to tell apart Wow.

The other thing I do is take photos on their first day and match up notes from birthing that I take to get tattoo order established. That helps.

Finally, we try to get the ones we're not keeping out to their new homes ASAP.

Sounds like you are BUSY. Enjoy them while they are small and dorky.

[goatkid]

My friend uses those colored leg bands made for cattle with the velcro. She cuts them in half and marks them with the dam's name and makes little collars for the kids. As soon as they are large enough, she tattoos the doelings. This year, she's bought ear tags with numbers for the wethers and bucklings. This way, she can not only identify who the kids belong to, but be able to tell who the market goats are at a glance. She raises both dairy and Boer goats.

[steff bugielski]

I thought I would post some pics of some of the look-a-likes.





Yes they are all different goats. Now do you see my dilemma.

[Sweet Goats]

WOW, I am glad to hear that I am not alone. I have 8 black, COAL BLACK babies, I have a really hard time and they are all about the some size also. I just let the go the mom, and that is how I know. I have goats with horns, so NO TAG at all for us.
I have to say those are some ADORABLE babies.

[dkdairygoats]

Try the ID bands from Hoegger Supply. I've been using them for years, even though Alpines usually are different colors. I put date of birth, dam name, tattoo number, and birth weight on them. That way I know what order they were born in, who they are from, how they are growing, and how old they are all in a glance when they are 8 wks old.

[Eunice]

I work at a sheep ranch during lambing and they use paint. They number consecutive lambings - right side number is a single, rump is twins and left side is triplets. The ewes are painted the same as her lambs. The local feed store sells cans of livestock paint and the number set is life that for branding, maybe three inches high. It lasts for about 3-4 months.

[goatkid]

Cute babies. With those long Nubie ears, you can tattoo them at a fairly young age.