# Delivering Kids (The Birth Kind of Delivery)



## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Hello Everyone,

Our Pack-Gal Penny is due with her first kid/kids in 6 days. She is looking great and we have her in a separate kidding pen now with lots of good food, bedding, water, and minerals. This will be our first goat delivery and we're pretty excited but want to make sure we aren't missing anything. Any advice from you veterans would be appreciated. She's a 20-month-old Oberhasli.

Josh and Joy


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

I have not had kids in years.
If it was me. I would go to websites
that Sweet Mama and I mentioned in the
sick goat topic. 
There is articles on kidding there.


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks ryorkies, I didn't find the thread you mentioned but the Fiasco Farms info was very helpful. I think we're on track. Although, if it keeps raining here (North Oregon Coast), Penny may need to deliver in a life raft! Josh and Joy


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Check the tennessee meat goats site also.


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks Sweetgoatmama,

Two healthy doelings arrived the 21st. Pretty easy delivery, though we're glad we were there for it to clear airways, etc. We really like the girls and we're pretty tempted to keep them. 

Here they are with my wife:


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

Congrats duffontap! They are gorgeous!! Two doe kids is a great first kidding too.  
My best advice to newbies is always, be there!!! Nothing can go so badly wrong when you're there, and you can know what happened if something does go wrong. Especially if the doe is a first timer, it can be very important for a human helper to clear the nose, as the mums sometimes don't know what to do or even notice it has been born for several minutes. We clean the noses and mouths of all the kids, and sometimes still while they're partly inside their mums if they aren't coming out quick. Other than that, comforting the mum, having towels and feed sacks ready, and often pulling the babies if they are huge or the mum is too tired. One little first timer was so exhausted that she she was laying down, (it was also 3:00am) and only pushed out half of the kid - his back legs were still in for fifteen minutes while I totally dried the rest of him for her! She only got up to lick him after about half an hour, and did the same thing with the twin! :roll:  
All the best with them! And I reckon you'll end up keeping at least one.  :lol: 
Cheers,
Cazz


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Aw... so cute! Thanks for sharing! I can't wait till we're set up for goats and can start having goatlings (as Phil calls them).


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks Cazz and Nanno!

Adding a doe was the best decision we've made. Anticipating kids was really fun and I'm looking forward to all the goat milk, although I'm not sure my wife will ever drink it.  

Josh


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

ahhhhhh! Now I want babies. Darn you, for sharing.


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

ryorkies said:


> ahhhhhh! Now I want babies. Darn you, for sharing.


  What's stopping you??!


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

> What's stopping you??!


Trying to use my brain not my heart. But I think I am
losing the battle with all the baby photos. I have a 
free breeding coming for my nigie.


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

Nanno said:


> I can't wait till we're set up for goats and can start having goatlings (as Phil calls them).


I was like, "What?" When I read that, as in Australia, a 'goatling' is a female unkidded goat between the ages of 12 and 24 months. There are doe kids and buck kids, which are for goats under 12 months, doelings/goatlings and bucklings (12-24 months) and then does and bucks.  I reckon a goatling should mean a doe or buck between the ages of 12 and 24 months, and that doeling should be used instead of goatling for a female 'yearling', but in official Australian terms they just have doe and buck kids, goatlings and bucklings, and does and bucks. :| 
(BTW, a lamb is a sheep below 12 months, and then you have a yearling ewe, wether or ram, then a two-year old, and so on, and there are also other terms like weaner, hogget etc.)



duffontap said:


> Anticipating kids was really fun and I'm looking forward to all the goat milk, although I'm not sure my wife will ever drink it.


I wonder why? It is delicious! And way more healthy than cows' milk, tastes almost identical, and very nice.  Healthy goats produce milk that nobody can fault for it's taste, and, especially unpastureized, it is Really yum. I drink about 2 litres or more a day at the moment.  
Cheers,
Cazz


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Cazz said:


> I wonder why? It is delicious! And way more healthy than cows' milk, tastes almost identical, and very nice.  Healthy goats produce milk that nobody can fault for it's taste, and, especially unpastureized, it is Really yum. I drink about 2 litres or more a day at the moment.
> Cheers,
> Cazz


I really like it as well; I can taste the difference but it's really good. Joy is very sensitive to taste and she thinks it's terrible. I would say it's 87% mental, but what's the cure for that?


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

When we first got goats my husband informed me he would drink that stuff because it "might be dangerous." Well, I made a big batch of tapioca pudding and left it in the fridge but told him not to eat it. Well, since that's one of his favorites he quit that nonsense pretty fast. Properly processed goat milk shouldn't taste like anything but good sweet milk. If it doesn't you need a different goat or the goat needs a different diet.


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

sweetgoatmama said:


> When we first got goats my husband informed me he would drink that stuff because it "might be dangerous." Well, I made a big batch of tapioca pudding and left it in the fridge but told him not to eat it. Well, since that's one of his favorites he quit that nonsense pretty fast. Properly processed goat milk shouldn't taste like anything but good sweet milk. If it doesn't you need a different goat or the goat needs a different diet.


Considering that Penny kidded 9 days ago, I suppose her milk might still have a little colostrum flavor or something. We feed her wet c.o.b., and the best 2nd cutting orchard grass and alfalfa we can get. I have only milked a very little bit out of her to keep her from getting engorged until her kids need all that she's producing.

Last night my 4-year-old woke up at 1am and asked for milk so I gave her some very fresh, chilled goat milk. She drank a little and told me she didn't like the taste, then took a few more sips and gave me a dramatic 'Uggggggh!'

I chill the milk immediately and don't let it sit in the fridge too long before being used. Not sure what else I can do, but again, I think it tastes great.

JD


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

> I chill the milk immediately and don't let it sit in the fridge too long before being used. Not sure what else I can do, but again, I think it tastes great.


Growing up milking cows. We always left the lid off the
milk til it was cold. Then we put the lid on the gallon.
That way the warm smells are not sealed in the jar.
You might try it.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Try sneaking a cup into a quart of cow's milk and then more and more till it's switched over. Unless there is something wrong with the milk they will notice less.

You can also chill the milk by keeping clean pop bottles full of ice in the freezer and putting one or two in the milk right after you milk.


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks for the help Radena and Carolyn! I'll update when we're really in the milk--especially if I can get my wife drinking it.  JD


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

Hi JD,
We find there is a difference between the goats milk and bought cows milk, mainly in the fact that our goats' milk is creamier and tastes full and alive, whereas the cows' milk tastes thin, almost artificial, and quite 'dead'.  
Our goats' milk tastes really bad if we don't have a Copper/Cobalt block, and also has a bad taste if they get too much lucerne hay, or if they are getting lots of garlic or have mastitis. Some sub-clinical mastitis can only be tasted by some of the people in our family - some of us can't tell the difference and others say yuck! 
All of our family really like the goats' milk, especially my 2 year old, 4 year old, and also 6 and 7 year old sisters. And me.  
Cheers,
Cazz


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Copper/cobalt block? Is that just a general mineral block that contains copper and cobalt? I do think I should do a mastitis test--just to eliminate that possibility. Thanks for the help! JD


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## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Cazz--I checked and made sure we have copper and cobalt in our block. I'm going to take her in to the vet for her annual on Monday and have him run a mastitis test on the milk. 

Lucerne hay--this is just another name for alfalfa isn't it? I've always heard that alfalfa is good for production and gives milk a sweet taste. I'll keep that in mind for experimentation for sure. JD


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

Hi again duffontap,
We had copper and cobalt in a multi-mineral block as well, but that wasn't eough on it's own. We had to have a plain copper/cobalt block in addition to that. 

Yes, lucerne is (from my findings) the same thing as alfalfa. We also feed lucerne and haven't had a problem for a while - it is only when they over-indulge on it, like when they have all they want to eat of just lucerne and nothing else or they break into the hay shed and pig out on the lucerne, that a strong 'goaty' taste is apparent. It does help with production, but we find the best thing for making the milk sweet is willow leaves - they love them, and the milk as very sweet when they have access to heaps of willow.
The only other thing that causes a 'taste' after the first few days, (which is all or part colostrum and doesn't have a very nice taste) is mastitis, in one form or another. All the best with your tests.  There is a type of mastitis though that will not show up on a test but will give the milk a bad taste, this can only be treated successfully with garlic in my experience. (and the milk tastes VERY strongly of garlic while the treatment lasts! :lol: ) 
Cheers,
Cazz


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