This waiting is for the birds

[dosthouhavemilk]

Two months behind! We finally got the cows cooperating with calving at the right time...only to have no kids to feed all the milk to. Thankfully we sold a springing heifer and a bred heifer. The springing heifer delivered a beautiful heifer out of our late Jersey bull...go figure...we've had four bull calves out of the beef cross bull here including out of two of our five purebred Jerseys....

Anyways, Azalea, a second freshening three year old is at day 150 today. She is our only Alazne daughter. He was Hoanbu breeding on both sides. She is a red roan like her dam, Legacy, and her dam before her.
She is also carrying our first MudBlood kid.


He is sired by a Blissberry buck.

The waiting is driving me insane! I wanna see spots! I'm hoping for twins but not likely. If she has a single buck, I don't know what I will do. I will want to keep it intact since it could help create breeding groups for sale with doeling from the herd due to outcross on Alazne, but hate to dam raise them.
Oh well. Maybe I will get lucky and she will have a beautiful doeling to keep.
The does start kidding in earnest in another 10 days. I tried settling some others but they did not take.

Good thing I have plenty to keep me busy.
Oh yes and we finally have serious snow and winter. Go figure.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Hope you have beautiful babies soon! With ton's of spots & twin doelings at that! I'll keep sending doeling vibes your way!

[Kits&Kids]

Beautful buck!!mine have the same peachie colored spots on black background.I vill poast some pics of them tomorrow for comparison when my dd comes home.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Finally! Azalea finally got down to business before work on the 15th. Delivered a pretty buckling-



Next came a beautiful small doeling. Clearly big brother was getting all the nutrients-

Moonspotting of the grey and black variety for now, which generally turns cream as they age if I understand correctly. Wish it didn't!


While Azalea was in early labor I glanced back and did not like what I saw from Talia. I had her due the 10th of March but also knew she had a prior breeding to MudBlood. She had "the look" about her. Baby belly dropped, tail awry, udder fuller, though nowhere near what I expect from her. I have missed the last two triplet kiddings from her, though not from lack of effort. She insists on kidding without anyone around. Won't let the kids nurse, but will happily clean them up. Turns out her first breeding had her due on the 11th, so she was already at day 154. I could feel the head up and in position.

But I had to go to work, so I called dad a few times to find out what she had...nothing. After I got home from work 6+ hours later, I got my barn clothes back on and headed down. Did not like what I saw. Lots of discharge, no nothing showing. This is a coming 6 year old doe, who is well seasoned. So I checked. Felt a jaw...crap. Went fishing for a front leg and got it. Normally that is enough, especially in our mature does. Front leg and nose arrive. I poke the tongue to be sure the kid is alive still (no telling how long she has been having issues). Tongue moves, good. Get the head and one leg out and then things get ugly..The shoulder will not come through! The kid is thrashing like a dying fish on a line. I hate seeing those!

We all three work on it and I get her open enough and enough of the proper pressure on the kid to get it out. Baby has some trouble at first but with aggressive rubbing she starts breathing. In less then three minutes she is already trying to stand and nurse. I wait and check for the others I expected and nothing. That is it...a single doeling...but my goodness, what a beautiful doeling!





So it looks fairly promising so far for spots this season from my two spotted bucklings.

[April]

They're all gorgeous!

[CaliannG]

Oh what gorgeous ....

* TWACK! *

..... kids! They are adorable!

~I am lovin' this helmet!~