"Still Selling Some Of Us?" by Charlotte

Charlotte again!!

In response to the last post - I'm am so proud of Velvet for finally mustering up some courage to tell the whole world her wonderful news!! How exciting!
Alright. This is huge news. Our goat mothers are still planning on selling some of us!!! Oh my, oh my, oh my, and OH MY!!! Thankfully it's not me I have to worry about...BUT MY SON. Yes, my little Bradley!!!!! He's just too young to leave his mother - I'm not ready to let him go! I suppose I'll just have to get some advice from Velvet - she's seen a lot of her babies go before. Maybe she has some special secret.
It sounds like nothing is official yet - they are just waiting for the next auction to occur and hoping that some family will come around who wants some playful goats. We will miss them all!! Oh how sad.

Velvet's Announcement

Okay. I just read Charlotte's last post, and I had to say something.

First of all, I am Velvet. I'm the doe that little chatter box is constantly talking about.

Yes. If you really want to know - I AM PREGNANT. AND I WILL HAVE THEM IN A FEW WEEKS. There. I was not actually trying to keep it from any one in particular - except you know who - because she always wants to scream it to the whole world without my consent. I am a more quiet doe who sometimes likes to keep things to myself - and this was one of them. But I suppose it's too obvious now as my stomach really has gotten quite big. Oh well. Now you know. There will probably be two kids, one boy and one girl - or at least that's the way it is most of the time.  NOW THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS THAT I'M GOING TO BE A MOTHER ONCE AGAIN VERY SOON. AND YOU CAN TELL EVERYONE THAT I TOLD YOU.

NO LONGER CONFIDENTIAL! by Charlotte

Well I finally did it! Yes, (this is Charlotte again), I FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT VELVET IS PREGNANT! She only thinks she's keeping these things from me, but oh I AM GOOD! Last night ALL of we eighteen goats except Velvet were in the pen waiting to be closed up by our goat mother. Now where do you think Velvet deary was? YOU GUESSED IT. Outside of the pen - EATING!
Now, if you are a goat you would probably understand this a little better. But since you are not (or at least I'm only assuming you are not), I will do my best to explain this obvious clue. When a goat is going to kid in a month or so, they tend to be very hungry. Sadly, I have no idea why - I just know that's the way it is. I am sure you must be thinking, "Why in the world do they have such a big appetite?" - I know, I know, it really sounds absurd, doesn't it? Never the less, it is the truth and just the way it goes when we beautiful does are expecting kid(s).
So, there you have it! VELVET WAS OUT IN THE DARK STILL GRAZING. That's sign enough for me. If she was trying to keep it from me (which I know she was) - her secret is no longer confidential....I AM TELLING THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!
VELVET IS GOING TO HAVE BABIES SOON!
Now I am not trying to be mean or anything to her, I just don't understand why she was so protective of that little fact...if I were her, I'd be screaming it as a ran in circles all the way around the field as all eighteen goats gazed at me dumbfounded with their mouths open wide!!! WHAT A THRILLER!!!
Let's see, how many kiddings would this be for her now? MY GOODNESS! THIS WOULD BE HER SEVENTH!!  WHAHOO VEL-VE-TA!!!

ALAS! MY SON! MY SON!! - written and told by THE BEAUTIFUL CHARLOTTE

Okay. This is THE BEAUTIFUL CHARLOTTE once again!! Hello, thank you, thank you, and thank you!! I am here to simply tell you a horrific story of mine that occurred last night.
Here it is,  please have a tissue box close by - you'll need it - or I know I will.
Last night, my goat mothers walked down to our goat house to close us all up. Our main goat mother seemed to be in a BIG hurry like it was black Friday (correction: it was black outside, but it wasn't Friday). Soon after running quite a few feet she reached our goat house (yes, all nineteen of us have finally moved back in to OUR house after the loud feathery birds have grown up). Because she was in a hurry, she made all the ducks and geese go a little bit into hysterics as she picked up the blocks covering our door and dropped them quickly into the mud. Opening the door, she counted us as fast as she could...turns out there were only six of us. Well, she yells to the other goat mother (she is constantly looking at the stars) and heads for the loafing shed where she finds everyone else - including MY BRADLEY!! I was in the goat house and realized MY BABY was missing!!!!! I had no idea where he was! And then, hark! I heard his sweet little peep of a bleat from afar! Yes, my son was still alive....only I couldn't see him in the black of the night - but I HEARD HIM. My heart was about to stop, my whole body was close to fainting in the dirty mud - I'm very glad I didn't!!! (note: this is where you begin using your tissues.). 
THEN ALAS!!!!!! MY SON!! MY SON!! Our goat mother began carrying him to me with great care as he bleated and bleated for his mother...ME OF COURSE. Our departure was almost through! She gently set him on the ground as he hastened towards me - hungry as a bear! DONE. FINISHED. We were no longer a part....WE WERE UNITED ONCE AGAIN. VICTORY!!
Okay. That was the really good part of my heartwrenching story. But this is the end. Our goat mothers were able to move all the goats from the loafing shed back into the goat house. I finally figured out why they were in such a hurry - it was going to storm. Right before they got the last 2-4 goats in the pen.....BOOM!! RAIN. All of us started running around in hysterics trying to find shelter - "EVERYONE! IN THE GOAT HOUSE! IN THE GOAT HOUSE!". I heard my sweet Cookie tell us.  So that's what we did. Me and my Bradley were together sitting on the floor of the house as we listened to the pitter patter of the rain drops - as long as I had my Bradley, I would be alright! (and as long as Bradley had me, HE would be alright - after all, I am his main food source you know!). 
                                                                          THE END.

Discussion Of The Latest News On The Lovely Goat Farm - By Charlotte (the most beautiful goat in the world.)

Hello, I'm Charlotte. I guess you probably want to know what I look like before I begin discussing the latest news of my fellow goaties. Be sure to notice that I AM BEAUTIFUL. That's always the most important fact about myself.

Now yes, I do know what you are most likely thinking at this very moment..."WOW! She's got large ears!". Well if that is what you're thinking, then...maybe they are to you...but to me...THEY ARE GORGEOUS! NO other goat I know has ears like mine, so that's why their sooooo special!

Okay, before I give you a run down, let me give you a brief biography of myself. Trust me, I'll make it snappy.

First, I was born on February 10, 2009 to my mother, Valorie. My father is Pete. When I was little, I loved to jump around like a little dear, and I liked to eat my breakfast, lunch, or dinner from another mother goat, Cassidy, sometimes. She was the mommy of Arthur, a VERY good friend of mine at the time - not so much anymore of course. Anyway, I also loved to climb and play around with my goat mothers and goat father. It was the life! Anyway, as you can tell, I grew up. This past February was my very first birthday - I feel so old! Especially when I had my first baby on April 10, 2010. It was a little boy with very handsome features - he got his looks from me of course! He's a lovely little thing and ALWAYS wants to eat! Now I know how my mother must have felt when I constantly wanted food.

Anway, that's my short little biography - much too condenced, but enough to serve it's purpose at this moment. My goodness, I good tell you THOUSANDS of stories about my life of one year and  five months...it's amazing what can happen to you in such a short time.

The update. Well...............................................................................................................oh yeah. Starlene is now beginning to get her womanly features as she is now...oh let's see here...three months old - but trust me, she still has a LONG way to go. Bradley, my sweet little son is now 2 months old. And like I said, he is EXTREMELY handsome. I have no doubt in my mind that HE is the most handsome little goatie fellow I've ever seen! And I am NOT biased, I just have very good opinions. I know you would agree with me the very moment you got a good look at my baby boy.

Anyway, no mother is going to be kidding any time soon. Velvet might kid in a couple months...she just won't tell me. Just the other day I asked her, "Oh Velvet, when are you due?" - and yes, I said it in the sweetest way. And wouldn't you know it? This is what she said, "None of your business." I should have known. She's never liked me in the past, so why did I think she would like me now? Who knows. I was just asking.

Spencer has grown a lot since he has come out here to live with us. My goat mother says he's my little brother, which makes ME his big sister - but somehow I just don't believe her. He would drink out of this weird bottle like thing for a really long time - which is just not the way you eat. Even my mother told me once, "Who is that odd fellow? And what is that thing he keeps eating out of?".  Now.....if he really was my little brother, than we would both have the same mommy...but as far as I know - she has no idea who he even is! Of course, by now he fits in pretty well. He does get a lot of attention from that goat mother of ours.

The last piece of information from my fellow goaties is this. Our goat mothers and goat fathers were planning on selling Gennavieve, Annaliese, Cocoa, Hosea, Brownie, Starlene, and maybe Cookie. But as you can see...that hasn't happened yet, or I would have told you in the first sentence of this discussion. I can't tell you the reason, because I don't know it myself. All I can say is that all of the goats of which I listed are THANKFUL!!!! I'm really glad they weren't going to sell me - I would put up a fight they would remember! But don't tell them that of course, we don't want to give them any ideas you know.

So this concludes my ever to short discussion of the latest "goings-on" at my lovely farm of which all nineteen of us reside with pride and loyalty.

THANK YOU.

Oh yes, and always remember this...."Charlotte IS beautiful." (me of course!)

The Goat House Thieves

Hello there. It's me, Cookie, once again! I'M BAAAACK! Well you'll just never believe me when I tell you this. Those little yellow and brown feather balls...oh excuse me, ducklings, have kicked us out of our goat house! Yes, I know, can you just believe it?! It's what I always say, at least now anyway, "We're being kicked out by those birds!" What a horrible thing to think of! Birds of all things! Well I just never thought I'd see the day. This is how it happened....oh and of course it's not because all nineteen of us have gotten into some trouble. News flash: WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING INTO TROUBLE. But not this time....yet.
Well those birds were growing bigger every day...I guess I never knew those things grew at all, they always looked so tiny compared to me. But apparently to the humans they were, because I thought I heard them saying one time..."those birds can barely fit in that cage at night anymore, they are just too big."  Once again, I have no idea WHERE they are getting that big part of the sentence because like I said...they are small to me. I'M JUST SAYIN'. Any who, the humans decided it was time for them to have a larger place to reside. And just where do you think they chose those birds to be...THAT'S RIGHT! The goat house. Or should I say...our goat house. Our house to sleep in at night. Our house!! Forgive me, if I had feathers like them, they would most certainly be VERY ruffled at this moment. But I don't. I wonder why? How do they get those feathers of their's? I'll have to ask them sometime. I might look good in feathers. A new look, a new me, a totally new goat! Although since I had feathers I might not be considered a goat any more. Maybe they would have to give me a new name like, goat bird or bird goat...OR MAYBE...OH! There I go again with the detailed brain of mine! Back to my story.
So the next thing I knew, I was staring at the faces of those ducklings IN the goat house pen (which is, if you are not smart enough to realize, where the goat house is). They waddled around like nothing was different. I heard one say to his clumsy friend...even though to me, they're ALL clumsy..."Wow! What a great place for us to stay, huh, Derald? I feel like I'm living in a castle! ...what...what is a castle, Derald?..." I won't get into the rest of his conversation...it's quite boring. Just something ducks like to talk about I suppose. But the castle part just really got my attention! Yes, you probably do feel like you're living in a castle Donald, Crackers, or whoever you are...it looks like a castle to you because you are small. That's why you shouldn't be there in the first place. But of course I know it's not the duckling's fault...I'm not that mean. It's the humans that had the veracity to do something so horrid to their sweet, innocent...well sometimes we're guilty, but we are goats...what more can you expect? Making trouble seems to be my strength. Don't tell anyone that of course.
Well this incident doesn't make any sense to the little brain of mine. Maybe I'll learn the reason someday....I won't blame anyone - yet. I still would like our goat house back though. NOW I'm huddled with eighteen other goats in the little loafing shed. One thing for certain...WE SURE KEEP NICE AND WARM! Someday I'll understand this.

Cookie's First Debut

Hello everyone! Uh...my name is Cookie. I'm a goat. This is me.

Okay, now that you know what I look like. Let's get a little more detailed. Yes, yes, I'm ashamed of it, but yes...most of my life is spent on this mettle like thing - the humans call it a chain, but I prefer calling it my "life purpose"..."chain" sounds too dreadful! There's just something I have never understood about humans, and I'm sure you'd agree with me eventually. Humans don't understand that goats DO like the grass better on the other side of the fence. It's a NO BRAINER! I mean, don't they have eyes? Can't they see that it IS greener than what I'm looking at below my beard...well that's just always puzzled me. The purpose of me bringing up this fact, is that earlier today I decided I wanted to get into the fence area where those clumsy little feathery, yellow and brown - well the humans call them "ducklings", but I would rather call them....what would I call them?.............well, that's beside the point. As I was saying, I wanted to get into the "ducklings" fenced area of grass...oh of course not to hurt them! I wouldn't want to go near those odd itty bitty feather balls....I wanted the grass.  Yes, it was greener. PLAIN AS DAY, GREENER. Anyone could see it if they really looked hard enough. But they don't...so why do I even try? I don't know. I just like to talk I suppose.....where was I? Oh yes, so one of my "goat mothers" is standing in there, she opens the gate...and I found my cue! I waltzed right in and started eating that grass. THAT GRASS WAS THE BEST GRASS I HAD EVER TASTED IN MY WHOLE LIFE! (which happens to be 1...2, 3, ...4,5,...oh bummer, I lost count. Well probably 4 or 5 years, or is it 6 or 7, maybe I'm only 1! Oh goodness I don't even know my own age! I guess I'll just have to check the goat book of records, surely it'll be in there...)

Anyhow, I was chewing and savoring and chewing and savoring AND chewing and SAVORING that grass until I felt those dreaded hands on my horns...MY HORNS! Yes, my goat mother was pulling me out of that fenced area...I always hate it when I get caught. It's not like I was hurting those little "ducklings". Although, when I looked up at them, they were all huddled in one big bundle hiding in the corner. I don't know what they were afraid of. It's not like I'm much bigger then them (at least when I measured my self a few years ago I wasn't. Hmmm. Could I have grown that much bigger? NO......well, then again...). Oh I'm getting lost in my train of thought again. Please excuse my long pauses, I like to think about EVERYTHING in great detail. I'm a detailed kind of goat. You know one time.....Oh! There I go again! Okay. Back to my horrid story. I fought those hands like they were a couple of sticks...but she won in the end. I was taken out, never to return again - at least when they're watching! When they are not...THEN I will reunite with that delectable, precious, green grass I ever so loved with all my heart as I ate and ate for those too few seconds! I WILL RETURN MY BELOVED GRASS THAT IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE NO MATTER WHAT THE HUMANS CAN DO TO ME!

...Oh this was beautiful! Excuse me for a moment......I must shed a few tears...

In Remembrance Of Stardust, Kara, And Starlight

Today is the two year anniversary since the horrendous goat masacre on our farm. April 19 ever since has been a date I dread. Around 2-3 am in the morning a dog came and attacked our goats...killing three. One immediately was killed, another was being killed, and the other was immensely injured - dying later that day. Stardust, Kara, and Starlight were the poor victums of this dog. What makes it even worse, we were outside witnessing some of this.
Here's how it happened:
We were all asleep. I was about half awake, until I all of a sudden heard a lot of barking and and our goats screaming at the top of their lungs. My heart stopped and I froze for a few seconds in my bed just listening to those aweful sounds coming fom outside. When my senses came to me, I woke my sister up, and together we went and got our dad. Heading out there was the worst part. The dog was on top of Cookie, our buck..thankfully, however, my dad got down there in time to scare him off. And then the dog went and got a hold of Kara, my doe...I couldn't see it happen - but I could hear it. And in some cases...the sounds are worse then the images seen. She screamed in pain the whole time we were down there...there was nothing we could do. Then, my sister found Starlight lying on the ground, suffering. She was badly injured - probably broken her neck or lungs. Stardust was the goat I wanted to find though...she was the first baby goat we had ever raised since birth on our farm - I just couldn't loose her! Sadly, however, my flashlight led me to her still, motionless body on the ground. She was dead. That's pretty much when my emotions came to me, and I cried my heart out. I loved Stardust - AND Kara AND Starlight...and they were all three no longer in existence. That night I went to sleep still hearing the cries of our suffering, helpless Kara. In the morning, my dad found her in the creek area of our woods, dead.
I will never forget that night. It was the worst nightmare I have ever had in my life. What's worse...it really happened. Cookie only lost part of one of his ears and suffered with a hurt leg for a while, but soon was healed and back to his old self. Stardust left two orphaned twins to us after her death...Joey and Jeffrey got on fine afterwards and grew to be very fine fellows. All the other goats that were not injured, but had witnessed the event, were in a shock afterwards...but eventually recovered.
As I am sure you know, our goats since then have grown in abundance. But no goat could replace Stardust, Kara, and Starlight and the memories we made with those amazing creatures God gave to us!
Stardust, Kara, and Starlight:
You will forever be remembered, forever missed, and forever be cherished in our memories.

Lost And Found Bradley

Bradley is an adorable little chum! We have not EVER had a baby like Bradley, let me tell you - or a mother like Charlotte either. Let me explain. A couple days ago, Bradley was let out into the orchard with his mommy and the other goats. Our fingers were crossed that he would stay with his mother and not get lost. Well, he didn't. So that night, when we were closing our 19 goats, you can only imagine the horror that swept over our faces when we realized the little fellow was missing. We searched high and low - in the dark of all times! And we just could not find him...it was almost like I was reliving the goat masacre (when a dog came and killed our three does, only not quite as bad). My whole body was going limp and my heart was aching to find our Bradley. After a few minutes of searching my older sister cried out, "I found him!" - to my GREAT relief! And where do you suppose the little boy was of all places? Bradley was found laying in a dog house in our lagoon area! Why do you ask? Well this is the funny, innocent part. My younger brother earlier in the day had put him in the dog house thinking that that would be a nicer place for him to lay down and rest while his mommy and the others graze. Well poor Bradley really took it to heart...and STAYED THERE ALL DAY. I guess he thought, "Well, I've been put here for a reason..so I guess I'm not supposed to leave until my mommy comes to get me." with pure innocence. But see here's the catch...his "mommy" didn't know where he was. So Bradley is sitting here in the dog house thinking his mommy has put him here, while his mother is oblivious to where in the world her son could be! It was just a big mix up.
So we took Bradley in our arms coddling him all the way up to his mother who gave him her motherly attention the moment he was set on the ground. Whew! I was so glad he was alright!
And then another time, probably the next day, the same thing happened again! We found he was gone, went frantically searching, only this time he was behind the gas cabinet which sits behind the loafing shed...what in the world is that kind of a place to rest, Charlotte dear? She obviously brought her "little dear" to the cabinet and told him to stay put...but why behind the gas cabinet? Oh well, she's a new mother - what can I say?

Welcoming Bradley...

I was laying in my bed lazily...just resting on a nice Saturday morning...and then boom! My younger sister and little brother come running into our room declaring triumphantly, "Charlotte had her baby!!"! Then of course I get out of bed immediately, as does my older sister, put my work clothes on and my hair up...and out the door we go! I race down with excitement and find an adorable baby boy laying down in the goat house...he stole my heart right away. He is all white with the sides of his face a dark, rich chocolate brown. He is built really firm and strong - like his father Pete. I love him already!

For a while though, we thought Charlotte was rejecting him. Every time he'd try to nurse, she would buck him away as if she did not know it was HER little boy. She'd just walk right past him with no thought like, "Oh yeah, that's my baby!". I was beginning to think we might have to welcome him into the house too! But thankfully after she ate a little bit, Charlotte nursed him, talked to him, cleaned him...just like a new mother. It was such a relief to see that she was taking care of her son. :)

Well, this is number 11 for 2010...welcome home Bradley! :)

April Fools Day, Charlotte?

Charlotte is getting even closer! Her udder has filled up, her stomach has dropped, her vulva is becoming swollen, and she's getting much softer and loose back there...all the signs seem to be showing. Wouldn't it be hilarious if she kidded on April Fools Day? To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised! :)

Happy Birthday Gracie Dear!

Yesterday was our sweet Gracie's first birthday! What a wonderful addition she has been to our herd of 18 goats! Gracie is more of a quiet kind of doe...doesn't ask for anything (at least in goat language I mean!)...I think that's mainly because her momma, Essie, does all the speaking for her. :)
On March 28 Gracie came into the world on our farm. She was a darling! Then about a week later she came down with a really bad eye infection...making us think she was either blind or going to be blind. Taking her to the vet, we found out that by using this medicine she had a 50/50 chance of seeing to it's fullest again. We used it with hopes of success, and a couple weeks later her eyes began clearing up and then finally she could see! What a relief that was to me! Her eye sight was a story of a miracle and I'm very thankful to God that he healed her eyes! Since then she has grown in grace and poise. Sometimes her and her mother give us laughs by there ignorance of their surroundings...but I think it's just because they are both content and not in any hurry, which I suppose is a good thing. I love Gracie so much and am so thankful that she's a part of our herd! Happy birthday sweetie!

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Gracie! Happy birthday to you! (and many more!!)   :) 

GOAT NEWS

Now the goats have figured out ANOTHER way to get into our North Field. Apparently the fence that we humans are supposed to go through to that field needs to be fixed a little too. Just the other day I was watching them slide right through at the bottom, and a lot of them were even climbing the fence making it lean in, and then they'd jump right over! And of course most of our really small goats were getting right through the holes of the other fences. As you can tell, these fences were not made to keep goats in! We're going to fix that problem soon however.
Charlotte is still getting soft on her ligaments and has an udder that's growing slowly but surely. Something tells me she's going to wait until the very beginning of April to kid...that's just my gut feeling. But sometimes I'm wrong. So I'm just going to sit back and watch the show not knowing what to expect!
Spencer is also doing wonderful! Our little boy (more like very BIG boy now) is growing and becoming a handsome buck. Apparently he's figured out how to eat grain to our great delight! He's also eating a lot of grass as we're only giving him a bottle and a half of his milk in the morning. The thing that has put us in a little bit of a "fix" is that Spencer has not learned to drink water from the trough. So yes, we bring him that too. You'd think by now he would have learned after watching the other goats drink it, but he has not - which is kind of worrying me. Because in my opinion...I don't want to have to bring water in a bottle to that cute boy for the rest of his life! It's time for him to grow up and do things on his own. And he has done very well - the water is the only problem we have at this moment. I think we're planning on castrating him pretty soon, but we are still debating it. I'll post when something's official.
So that's all the goat news...all 18 goats (including little Starlene!) are doing fabulous!

Fixing Holes And Waiting On Charlotte

Boy! Over the course of  three days my sister and I have been fixing holes and fences that the goats keep getting through to the North Field. So far we've done a pretty fabulous job - I think. Take note that I only "think" we did, because well...you just never know what those goats are going to do next. We could have missed something, I PRAY that we didn't - but there is always a possibility. So that's what we've been up to lately...fixing holes so that our goats won't get into the wrong fields. Lovely. But the fresh air has been nice, so it hasn't been that bad. :)
Charlotte's udder has gotten even bigger...we may have a late March baby(s) instead of an April baby(s) like I thought. If she's anything like her mother...we just won't know until it happens. So I'm sitting here waiting with a little bit of hesitance and little bit of excitement. I really want this one to be healthy.

When Will They Ever Learn?

Okay, so today we finally let our goats into our Orchard field...and guess what? THEY GOT OUT. Yes, those little naughty goats figured out how to slip into the North Field and then into our neighbor's field...when will they ever learn? The only naughty culprits I know of at this moment are Essie, Gracie, Valorie, Charlotte, and Arthur...there could be more...however they might have gone back to where they were supposed to be BEFORE I went out to move them. If they did, they are quite the clever ones. And what I find even funnier, Gracie and Essie were the first two to leave the neighbor's field...on their own will. I guess they're not as dumn as I thought.:) :) :)...

After I got them all out of the wrong fields I went to see Starlene and her mommy, and wouldn't you know it! Starlene was STANDING on top of her mother as she was laying down in the grass! Starly is so little and practically weightless that it didn't seem to bother Annaliese one bit...you just never know what those goats will come up with next! :)

Charlotte Showing Signs

Charlotte's udder is finally forming! Looks like we'll probably have an April baby(s) from her...I hope this one lives. I just try not to think about how many babies we've lost...it's just too heartbreaking. I'm praying that we will have NO more deaths, and that all the other babies we have this year of 2010 will be healthy and strong.

Gennavieve's Kidding :(

Sadly yesterday Gennavieve had her baby - March 9...EXACTLY what I predicted! I'm sure you're wondering why I said sadly. Well it's because it was another unhealthy baby girl. She could barely keep herself up...she died. I just don't understand why we've had a lot of babies just too weak or unhealthy to survive. It doesn't make sense. But it's obviously the Lord's will and I'm accepting it. It sure would have been nice to have two baby girl cousins running around playing together though! :(

Starly And Momma Annaliese

Well Starlene is doing just fabulous! She's walking around ALL the time, loves to explore by the way - but doesn't like to be too far away from her momma. If she is, then she gives off this loud alarm for her mom to come! She's nursing almost constantly...it seem like it's every five minutes! She'll suck on one teat for three seconds and then move to the other teat for three seconds and then repeat...baby goats can be so entertaining! She has not learned the little goat dance yet, but I'm hoping she will soon - it's always fun to see! And Miss Annaliese is doing a beautiful job raising her sweet doeling. I can tell she feels a little left out as she's not with the other 16 goats...but she will  be in a couple days. Other than that, she seems to be perfectly happy with her new little companion. She's a good mommy, just like her mother, Velvet.
Normally with each baby goat born on this farm we give them a nick-name. So Starlene's nick-name is Starly. Isn't that cute? Here's her baby information:
 Starlene: March 4, 2010  - About 11pm - Dad: Pete - Mom: Annaliese   Female

A New Hope, A New Beginning

Annie became a mother yesterday night around 11pm! Most of my family had been in our living room watching TV while my younger siblings were asleep. All of a sudden my younger sister came in and said she thought Annaliese was having her baby out there because she was bleating really loudly in pain. So up I went off the couch, grabbed my coat and boots - also a flashlight...and finally headed down with running feet. Yes, it was Annaliese. Her bleat is very unmistakable. I walked into the goat house and there she was laying down with the baby's head just peeking out. I had come just in time. Immediately I went to her, patted her head and began helping her by pulling the baby when she pushed. It was very big, so there's almost no way she could have been able to birth it without assistance. Within maybe five long minutes she gave one last huge push and out slid the baby's head, neck, stomach, and then legs - all in one piece of course! I'm sure Anna was breathing relief as she just sat there for a couple seconds. At first the baby didn't seem to move very much, so I thought it could possibly be a stillborn. I moved her around a little, trying to get all the sack goop off of her face - and she moved! SHE WAS ALIVE. What a relief that was to me I'm sure you'd know if you have read previous posts of mine. So I started cleaning her off with some paper towels, but at the same time leaving some stuff for mommy to get herself so she knows it's her baby. I showed Annaliese her beautiful baby she had just birthed. The poor mother didn't seem extremely interested for the first few minutes, probably because she was still in shock from all the pain she had just gone through. But after a little while I made her get up and start being a mommy - by licking off her first baby GIRL. Yes, it was another little doeling...I always get really excited when they are girls. :)
She is a beautiful creamy, white patched, and black striped baby girl whom I almost immediately named Starlene. Thankfully the others agreed on it, because I was pretty set on it! :) Starlene possesses VERY long legs and a VERY loud, consistent bleat. The legs are fine, and I guess the bleat will have to do as well! :)
So that's how it all began, but the other hour we spent down there was not so much fun. For some reason we COULD NOT get Starlene to get the teat. She was surely looking for it - quite a bit actually. And sometimes she might have been just an inch away from it, but no. NO TEAT. I would work with her and my sister would work with her...but nothing. After a long while, me and my sister finally gave up and hoped for better results in the morning - after all it wasn't that far off anyway! :)
With the beautiful sunlight shining in the window this morning promising a good day I slipped out of bed, got ready to go outside and began heading to the goats. When I got to the goat house pen I was only praying and hoping that Starlene would still be alright - after loosing seven babies, this goatmother has a right to be a little panicky! I walked in and there the little darling was - laying down very comfortably in the hay with Annaliese looking up at me with sweet eyes. She was okay!! But the real test was...could she get to the teat yet? So I watched in anticipation. Not long I saw Starlene getting ready to go find her food and just a minute later I heard the smacking of the lips against the teat...SHE WAS EATING!! HALLELUJAH!! That's when all my worries about her vanished. She is a healthy, strong, beautiful doeling who knows how to eat. That's all I've ever wanted this year with each baby we've had. But it just wasn't meant to be. Winter is over, Spring with all it's glorious promises has come! Starlene has arrived! She's brought HOPE AND A NEW BEGINNING FOR US ALL.

Katrina's Evangeline

Well I've got some more really sad news. Katrina had a baby girl on March 1, 2010. She was a beautiful  white doeling, however she was so tiny and I believe slightly premature. I have been so sick lately that I couldn't do much for her. She was having trouble walking and I wasn't sure if she'd be able to reach the teat. But my mom told me I needed to go inside, I wasn't feeling very well. So the next day she was still there, but weaker. We finally brought her in because it was cold and she hadn't eaten anything yet. So we wrapped her up and fed her a little milk. But we DID NOT want to totally take her away from her mom because we DID NOT want to bottle feed another baby in the house. So once we thought she was strong enough, we moved her back with her mom until her next feeding time. Sadly though, that night my younger sister and mom went down to check on her only to find that she was dieing. She died just a couple minutes later. While she was still alive I had named her Evangeline. I thought it fit her pretty well. But as nature would have it - for the seventh time this year - she died.
Evangeline was a very weak doeling to begin with. It's nobody's fault...this is just what happens sometimes. Although this year it seems to be happening ALL the time. But I'm trying not to complain. These seven babies we have lost within two months just were not meant to live. It was just God's will, of which I accept.
So I'm thanking the Lord all the more for our BIG Spencer!! He sure has been a blessing and I will never forget how he was the only one out of the first eight babies we've had born this year, to live!