New Arrivals (Part 4)
The kids keep on coming ...................... on Saturday 13 Jul 2013 whilst Heather and I were out buying hay and other assorted food stuffs for the animals Lik-Lik, one of our toggie/nubian cross does decided it was a fine time to have a little buck. As we were coming back down the drive-way Heather slowed the ute and made the comment that one of the kids had hooked onto Lik Lik. I said “nah – it must be Numbawan (her twin) as Lik Lik wouldn’t allow a random kid to latch hold and besides she wouldn’t have any milk.................”. Heather said ‘no it’s Lik Lik because there is Numbawan over there”.
Long story short we rushed down to where Lik Lik was feeding (it appears she gave birth and didn’t stop grazing the whole time) and tending to a little buck that appeared to be about an hour or so old. It was marvellous that such a little doe could have such a trouble free birth. We still three more does to kid, all Saanen does, and from our calculations they should be any day now ...........................
On Monday 15 July Heather and a family friend from a nearby goat stud went out to Kingaroy to pick up three sheep to live at Em Nau. They are Damara/Dorper/ Wiltipoll cross ewes. The damara and dorper and wiltipoll are all self shedding sheep breeds (hence no need to shear them) that are mainly breed for meat. We plan to keep these three as the core stock animals and breed from them next year for our own meat supply of lamb. We have given them names already - Cafe, Carmel and Dot. I must put in hear they are all a coffee colour. Dot got her name because there is a white mark on the end of her tail.
It is an experience trying to handle sheep after working with goats. The goats are far more “affectionate” and will come up for a pat or cuddle when you go into their yard whereas the sheep will run a mile if you get to close to their personal space. I will attempt to “tame/train” them over the next few weeks/months so they are not so flighty.
Fast forward to 31 Jul and one of the does, Dixie, had a little doe today. She is pure white with a little undercoat colour that she would have picked up from the Nubian buck daddy. We have decided to call her Sing-Sing (Pidgin English for music). For a while it was going to be Whistling (as in Dixie) but Sing-Sing won out so as to keep in line with the theme of the Pidgin English names for the kids.
On Monday 05 August 2013 Serena, one of our Saanen does finally had her kids, one doe and one buck. I say finally as she seems to have been in kid forever and she was the size of a bus – in fact she used to make that reversing beep when she was walking so that the other goats knew she was moving at the hay feeder. We plan to name the doe but at the moment we haven’t thought of anything suitable ...... and the buck will not get a name.
The doe has a blacky/grey splotch on her face and seems to be the stronger of the two. The buck although a little weaker is bigger and is coming along well after being bottle feed.
We only have one more to kid now and that is Delilah and that should be any day now .........
UPDATE: 07 Aug 13
Delilah had a strapping buck today. It was absolutely huge compared to the others that have been born – so much so it was out jumping around with the others less than half a day of being born – this is in contrast to the buck and doe born to Serena who still like to sleep most of the day......
In : Goats
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