It's twin DOELINGS!

[manygoatsnmore]

With everyone getting an abundance of bucks this year and the doe kids being scarce, I was absolutely thrilled to watch our Nubian first freshener give birth to 2 doelings in rapid succession. She pushed the second one out right behind the first; in fact, the 2nd baby landed on top of her sister!

Mom has zero interest in the kids, just looked at them like she couldn't figure out where they came from. She did hop right up on the milking stand and stood beautifully for her first milking. We are hand raising the kids anyway, on heat treated colostrum and pasteurized milk, so I'm just as glad she didn't fret about having the kids removed.

Both sisters are healthy and hungry, had their first colostrum and are in the kid pen learning how to buck and dance. This makes 3 does to one buck for us. Next doe is our old Alpine around the 26th!

[Patt]

Yay for you! And her! We had one doeling and 2 bucks this year so I guess we're about average.

[Meg Z]

A hearty congratulations from some who had ALL boys and is jealous as heck!

Meg

[rainedaze]

Congratulations on your doelings!! I myself had (2) sets of twin doelings this year with one doe to go. I am going to cross my fingers for three-in-three. Can I get that lucky? Good luck on your next kidding.

Heather

[Debi]

I wound up with 33 kids - 17 bucklings, 16 doelings. Only 2 had single births (the two that sneaked off and hid while we were giving vaccinations and BoSe shots), the rest were triplets and twins. Hopefully, the 3 month old bucks will do good at the sale in a few weeks. I heard meat prices are still up and should stay up until after July 4th. It's always a crapshoot.

It's such a hoot watching all the little ones racing and bouncing around. It's also a lot of work with worming, vaccinations, the monthly cocci treatments, etc. And this insufferable heat we're having just knocks the stuffing out of me. Can anyone say "heat stroke"?

Debi
Kaufman TX

[trixiwick]

I am soooo jealous! MegZ, I am in the same boat as you - FIVE boys this years and no girls. :no:

Interesting that your doe didn't want to mother them, but it works out fine if you want to bottle-raise them. My alpha doe makes me laugh she's so protective of her kids for the first few days (from other goats, not people). I keep wanting to get her lovely behavior on videotape - charging other goats (trampling her kids if necessary) and going, "Bllllllaaaaahhhh! Mwwwwaaaaah!" at the top of her lungs.

You (and rainedaze) - lucky, lucky, lucky! Ah well, maybe next year!

[Emily Anne]

Out of 11 kids this year, eight of them were bucks, and one doeling was to pay for stud fee, not fare And of course the bucks are the prettiest I'm glad a few of y'all were blessed with some girls

[manygoatsnmore]

Yeah, I felt kinda guilty even posting that we had 3 out of 4 doelings this year. I've been reading about the buck surplus this year!

I read an article on pack goats last year in Dairy Goat Journal. The folks in the article bred for bucks (for pack wethers) by breeding early in the heat cycle. They said early heat for bucks, late in the heat cycle for does, and roughly 50/50 for mid cycle matings.

My first doe to kid (twin buck and doe kids) was an accidental mating, so I am not sure whether it was early, late, or what. The Nubian that just had twin does was fairly late in her heat, and my Alpine doe due in 2 weeks was definitely bred very late in the heat. In fact, the buck's owner and I had to play rodeo to get her to stand and we didn't think she had actually been bred. It wasn't until about 3 weeks ago when her udder started to fill that I was sure she was bred. She'd passed the pooch test, so I had suspected she might be, but wasn't convinced. Had to mail off a letter with the stud fee so I can get the service memo! :haha: Anyway, in a few weeks I'll be able to see if that theory holds true...stay tuned.

[debitaber]

congrats. and glad to see that you are doing CAE preventive, on your babies. that is great.