Halloween Day dawned bright and sunny for Heidi’s due date. She was right on target last year, and looked to be headed that way this year too. She had been patiently waiting these last few days, and looked much like a beached (but content) white whale chewing her cud in the shade of the hackberry tree. She spent much of this morning the same way, gradually ending up standing in the shade of the barn. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Snubian | Saanubian’
Moon’s Doeling ~ 2010
Woo hoo! We did it! Our first official full-blooded dairy goat doe kid. With seven out of seven being born as bucklings this past Winter and Spring, I wondered when our first doeling would arrive. In fact, I have actually heard from a goat-friend this year that some bucks can be known for throwing high percentages of either buck or doe kids. Holy milk buckets! We have had a good ratio from Jack with the Spanish and Boer nannies though, so I wasn’t too worried. (more…)
Oiva Joulupukki
One side of my family hails from Finland, and it is fun to note that Scandinavian Christmas traditions still carry a Yule Buck from ages past. The Yule Buck (or Joulupukki in Finnish) is one of the oldest symbols of the Winter season, in part because Capricorn is the first moon of the new year. The Yule Buck is represented in modern times as bundles of straw braided and tied together to make ornaments. Some stories of Santa Claus reflect him riding a billy goat, or driving a sleigh pulled by goats instead of reindeer. In Finland, Santa is actually known as Joulupukki by name. (more…)
Heidi’s Buckling ~ 2009
As the sun started to go down on a warm winter’s day, Heidi became restless and did not go inside with the other goats. Moon had delivered her kid earlier in the day, and she and Heidi shared the same due date. It looked as though Heidi would be only a few hours behind. (more…)
Moon’s Buckling ~ 2009
Don’t you just love a girl who’s right on time? Sunday morning broke with the same grey chilly weather that we have been having so far in December. It was not long though, before the sun began to shine and it turned into a beautiful warm day. What luck! This is the day that the calendar says is the due date for Moon and Heidi to have their kids. The typical gestation for a goat is 150 to 155 days. (more…)
Sugarplum Dairies
It was only about ten days after getting the two new girls settled in that Annie’s belly and udder had grown to enormous proportions and it was evident that she would soon be giving birth. I had a hunch on the morning that I helped JW load the two steers to take them to the auction barn, and fretted about it the whole way there and back. Naturally, it had turned chilly that morning, and the skies were drizzling off and on. Sure enough, when we pulled into the driveway, Annie did not poke her head around the corner of her shed to greet us. I jumped out of the truck and ran to see a big beautiful baby girl standing to have her first milk. (more…)
