Five Days And Counting

Our goofy girl, Dot

The excitement is building, dear reader. We are counting down to baby season. Dot, our goofy, personable, herd clown, is set to deliver in five days. Dottie Girl is quite the character. The Bibbed Wonder often refers to her as Dip Sh** because she is always up to something. If we are in a stall, guess who is the first to jump up and check out what is going on with a goofy goat grin? It's Dot. Nibbling fingers, tugging on shirts, pants, and coats to get your attention; it's Dot. Snuggling with Jack only to tire of him and nip his tail: Dot. Being the first in line to get scratches: again, Dot.

Dot is our black-and-white spotted beauty. She is one of the few spotted females in our herd. As fancy as she appears, she usually has plain babies. When Dot was a first time milker, her boobies were so tiny it pained us to milk her. We literally squeezed her boobies with only our thumb and pointer finger. I can't lie, I hated milking Dot that first year. The second year wasn't much better. As she matured, her teats grew bigger, and she became easier to milk. Thank goodness.

Today, Dot is one of our favorites and a prominent figure in the herd hierarchy. If I had to guess, I would say Dot is in the top five spots of herd leadership. She is not a leader, but ranks in importance with the other girls. Dot is a great mom, a pleasure on the milk stand, and has a sweet, goofy disposition. She is a delight to have around.

We are currently taking bets on how many babies she will have. She is almost as big as a barn. I am hoping for only two healthy-sized babes. The Bibbed Wonder says she will have quads. The Bean thinks she will have triplets. I am praying for twins. Anything over two is too taxing on the mamas, and we end up with at least one bottle baby. Don't get me wrong, I love a bottle baby. However, it is always best for little ones to be raised by their mama in their natural setting. As long as everyone is healthy, I am happy.

April 7th will kick off kidding season. I believe at least one goat is due every day after that for a week. It will be a busy week for sure. It looks like the weather will be good, although a bit chillier than I had hoped. It would be nice if the temperatures stayed in the 60s for kidding season, but anything above freezing is a win. The barn is bedded down with a thick layer of fresh, clean bedding so everyone will be warm and comfortable. The Bibbed Wonder has the stalls cleaned and bedded down so mama and the babies can bond. Our nursery is ready, and we are now waiting for the babies to arrive.

If you are inclined, please send some good thoughts for a healthy, easy kidding season. Keep your fingers crossed that everyone delivers twins and not quads. I will keep you posted on the girls' delivery status. Be prepared for photo overloads on social media. There is nothing cuter than baby goats! On this blustery spring day, stay safe, be smart, keep up to date on the kidding season on social media, and keep washing your hands.