# Waiting for Ruby and Walk Off



## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

I have two lovely does due soon, and I'm so antsy, waiting for them to give birth! Both are bred to PGCH Playmate Pygmy's Hot Topic, who always has some gorgeous kids. His kid count is now at 32, so I'm hoping this will boost it a bit before the next batch at the end of the summer.

First up is Ruby, a FF. She's the lighter grey agouti on the right. I'm hoping for some little does out of her - she looks to be carrying twins, so I have my fingers crossed tightly that I'm right. Her earliest possible due date is March 9th. Her dam kidded with triplet does recently, with no problems, so I'm hoping she's inherited the same ease of kidding and natural mothering instincts 

The girl on the left is Walk Off, an experienced doe. She kidded 3 times with twins, and has never lost a kid. I'm hoping for some cute boys out of her - I bred her to keep Ruby company and show her the ropes. She tends to have smaller, hardier kids that develop a lot slower and don't get huge when they're adults. Her earliest possible due date is March 9th as well, but I saw breeding that would indicate closer to the 16th.

Both seem to be enjoying the baby pen... there's lots of food, and special treats when I leave for school and get home. I can't go into the barn without having to push them out of the way - they _know_ where the grain comes from, and think if they trip me, I'll spill everywhere (it doesn't work so well)


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## Zzpygmies (Oct 31, 2014)

Very cute! Thinking pink for you!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Tomorrow is day 140 - I've had FF's go sooner, so I'm keeping an extra close eye on Ruby. Hopefully she's waiting until they babies are ready, and will go on day 149 (a saturday) or day 150. I'm sure with my first-timer luck she'll go in the middle of the night on day 145, with an enormous single buck. BUT I'm hopeful she'll wait, and have some twin does  (Or a buck and a doe that aren't freemartins!)


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Good luck


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

I swear they're both playing with me. Last night, Ruby was super sunken in, and had a droplet of goo; but there were no babies. I just went out and checked them; she's getting soft ligs, but is acting entirely normal and doesn't have any goop. My new estimate for her kidding is this Sunday - it's supposed to rain. Walk Off is FINALLY getting a bag (I was getting a little worried about her), and is pinking up, but isn't showing signs of going this week[end].


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

How are your girls doing ?
Oh , and how's Mark ? He's certainly the cutest little guy


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

The girls are getting big. Marky Mark is doing super well! He sneaks in with them to eat grain and doesn't leave :laugh: He got in trouble at the last show for being too fat... oops...


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

It's amazing how agile they get when you bring out the chips. The caramel in the back right is Spicy, due April 10th. Addie is also living in the baby pen, but was sneaking up behind me. She's due March 19th.


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

They're still holding out, most likely waiting for me to be away at a play with my friends this friday. Little Ruby's bag is getting bigger, and Walk Off's udder is growing. Maybe they'll kid the same day!


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Well I'm going to *officially* add Addie to this thread. The girls seem determined to wait until the show this weekend, which is when Addie is due, so I guess I'm bringing all of my kidding supplies with me. (Box of rags, kidding supply box, medicine, heat lamps, bottle baby supplies, etc....) Addie looks like she's having triplets or quads. I'm certain Walk Off and Ruby are waiting for me to be off my guard, which with them this pregnant is practically never, so maybe they'll be pregnant forever :laugh:


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

janecb said:


> It's amazing how agile they get when you bring out the chips. The caramel in the back right is Spicy, due April 10th. Addie is also living in the baby pen, but was sneaking up behind me. She's due March 19th.


This picture is adorable ! They looks sort of shocked and surprised in this picture , especially Spicy , lol.. ( She's gorgeous BTW ) 
Like someone told them you ran out of grain or something&#8230;&#8230;.
"Sorry guys , Mom ran out of grain and we won't be getting anymore anytime soon" :shocked::lol: 
They are all beautiful


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

They're a bunch of brats 

Walk Off has been separating all day, although she still failed the grain test. Her udders are quite pink, though, so if not tonight, then tomorrow


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

LOL , but you love them 
Looking forward to those babies !


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Evertime i look at that picture i crack up , i just can't help it :ROFL:
Spice's face is hysterical , it looks as if she's gasping :shocked::lol:
I gotta say it again , i LOVE her coloring


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Trickyroo said:


> Evertime i look at that picture i crack up , i just can't help it :ROFL:
> Spice's face is hysterical , it looks as if she's gasping :shocked::lol:
> I gotta say it again , i LOVE her coloring


Thank you  She's my only dark caramel, so she stands out from my other does. She's also very (borderline aggressively) unfriendly unless I have chips or grain - you can't tell from the picture, though!


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

So they haven't kidded yet, and I'm leaving for a show tomorrow morning. I'd already planned on bringing Addie, so I moved the gate in the back of the trailer to make an impromptu pen for all three girls (which is quite spacious). I also packed all the puppy pens, some heat lamps, and ALL of the kidding supplies in preparation. Maybe having three heavily pregnant/due goats at the show will make it three times as much fun?


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

You would never know Spice wasnt a friendly girl by that picture !
Oh my goodness , i couldnt handle all that stress , i commend you on planning your trip to the show bringing all your due ladies along ! 
Good luck to you with the show and with all your pregnant ladies going along for the ride ! I just can't imagine it , all that would be so way beyond my capabilities and stress level , lol..
Again , good luck to you !


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

To everyone who thinks pygmies and dwarves go early: these girls are determined to prove you wrong. They are on the latest possible day 152, one is most likely 153. I got them both ultra sounded at the show, and the babies are fine - moving around, and have heartbeats. They're just taking their time.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

So how did you do at the show ?


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

They did pretty well - no big ribbons, but my junior does both won their classes, and all of my seniors made the cut to top five - one won her class  My wether was amazing during his class, and made the cut because of his behavior - the judge said she thought he was a stuffed animal, not a live goat! Now the next big event is kidding... if only they would get on with it.


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Ruby lost her mucus plug and has had a couple strings of goo! :dance:arty:


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Ruby refused to stay in the kidding stall with a camera (go figure) and is now running laps of the baby pen. Every time she gets goo, she rubs it on Walk Off or the fence. No nesting or lying down; she's talking to her belly, though. I'm thinking she'll just pop them out while she's moving; checking her ever 15-20 mins. Hopefully she'll slow down soon so I can get her back in the stall.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Woo hoo :woohoo: You go Ruby , give momma some pretty doelings 
And maybe stop rubbing your goo off on Walk Off….:lol:


Congratulations , sounds like you did well at your show arty group:

Let me guess , was the "stuffed animal" Marky Mark ?  

Good luck kidding ! Keep us posted


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Walk Off kidded out of the blue with a big single buck kid. I wasn't home and he didn't make it... not sure why 

Ruby is entering active labor. I saved Walk Offs placenta in case I need to graft a kid on to her.

And the 'stuffed goat' was my yearling wether, Pepperoni, who was a butt during showmanship and made me lose both days. But once he got it out of his system he was a perfect little angel. Go figure.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

So sorry for the loss of the buckling....hope this one gives you twin does


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Ruby had twin boys! First one has a ton of white, so is definitely a wether, but the second one looks like the sire, who is very fancy. I may keep him a buck, depending on how he looks once he's actually walking


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

janecb said:


> Walk Off kidded out of the blue with a big single buck kid. I wasn't home and he didn't make it... not sure why
> 
> Ruby is entering active labor. I saved Walk Offs placenta in case I need to graft a kid on to her.
> 
> And the 'stuffed goat' was my yearling wether, Pepperoni, who was a butt during showmanship and made me lose both days. But once he got it out of his system he was a perfect little angel. Go figure.


Im very sorry you lost the buckling :hug: 
How's Walk Off doing today ? Poor thing 
Yay for Ruby ! So glad everyone is happy and healthy ! They both sound really handsome ! When you get a chance , post some pictures 

Hows Ruby and her boys doing ?

Sorry Pepperoni was a bad boy in the beginning , but at least he redeemed himself later on  Still gotta love them , lol.


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

I taught him 'shake' like a dog, and he likes to show off during showmanship. And he LOVES people, so he jumps on the judges thinking they have chips. 

I considered grafting one of Ruby's boys on to Walk Off, but decided against it, since Ruby is a fantastic mother, and both boys are doing very well. She got them up to eat every few hours, and has forgotten the stress of kidding. I'm sad about the buckling, but he most likely would've been a wether, and I needed a breeding buck out of this sire. With pygmies, you win some, you lose some.

Poor Walk Off is running around calling for babies... she has a few more days with the pregnant goats before I move her back in with the herd. She's never lost any kids. I put her in a stall while Ruby was kidding, and she was aggressively nesting and trying to make a baby that wasn't there come. It was like she thought if she went through all of the motions, a baby would be there  I'm going to give her some time off, and then rebreed her to the same buck. She's had kids with him before, and they were beautiful. 

Let me hunt for some good pictures of them really quickly...


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Sorry there are so many pictures ...

The lighter guy is Edgar, the black one is Achi. My favorite picture is the third, where Edgar is trying to nurse off of Achi's ear, and Achi just looks so done with him :laugh:


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awww , they are cuties ! Ruby looks so proud of herself and her babies , so sweet !

Poor Walk Off , maybe Ruby wouldn't mind giving one of her babies to her ?
My heart breaks for her , that is so sad


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

She's so sad, running around looking for her baby  But I hate splitting up twins when they're already bonded to each other and their dam. If she's still calling when Addie kids, I may give her one of her babies, especially since Addie looks like she has a litter.


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## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

sorry you lost one - cute pix


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

janecb said:


> She's so sad, running around looking for her baby  But I hate splitting up twins when they're already bonded to each other and their dam. If she's still calling when Addie kids, I may give her one of her babies, especially since Addie looks like she has a litter.


Aww  How long before Addie kids ? Why I'm asking is if its still a while away , Walk Off may not have discharge to help graft the kid to her&#8230;.

If you did graft one of the twins to her and once they bond , you could always let the two mothers and babies together again


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Addie isn't due for 2 days at the earliest. I ended up milking Walk Off out and putting her back with the herd. It helped calm her down. Edgar, one of the babies, tried to approach her... but she didn't want him. She didn't even sniff or talk, just head butted... She also doesn't have much/any discharge anymore. She'll get a nice long break from kidding before I rebreed her. 

The good news is the boys got to explore outside for a few minutes while I cleaned the barn and were bouncing around


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Sounds like Walk Off is doing better , thats good  
Good luck with Addie ! Hoping for doelings for you


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Addie has goo! arty: It's a few days early, but I'll keep a close eye on them. She's had twins and 2 sets of triplets, and she's HUGE. My guess is 3+. (Hopefully with a dark caramel buck somewhere in there - I don't need does desperately for once!) Then Spicy can have a some does and I'll be set! 

Both boys are doing fabulously, bouncing around and scaring poor Ruby out of her wits. She's such a good mama


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awesome sauce :dancedgi: You go Addie :wahoo:


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

I'm so excited for these babies. I don't own the sire, but he's a half brother to my PGCH (same sire, who was a PGCH MCH who sadly passed away earlier this year). Addie is doing lots of talking, and lying down a ton. Not a lot of goo yet, but I'll move her into the stall under the camera soon. I forgot she was a talker... but she's Pepperoni's dam, and I love her to bits, so I suppose I can deal with sitting out there with her whining :laugh:


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Talking to me... She's making laps around the kidding barn and breathing heavily now. Looks like I have a long day ahead of me...


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

She's thinking about nesting now... Luckily she's smart enough to go under the overhang, which is in the sun and out of the wind! Maybe she'll kid before this afternoon!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awww poor Addie ! Hope she gives you what you want 
Im sure you will be by her side for the long run , they have us tied around their little hooves , don't they ?


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Her first baby is a little caramel buck! Definitely 1 more, possibly 2 or 3. He's 2.2 lbs; the other boys were 3.1 and 3.2, just for perspective...


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Second baby is (finally) a doe! She has a bellyband in both sides too  2.8 lbs


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Congrats! arty:


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Addie resting... The babies are a bit droopy because they just ate and wanted to rest as well  Addie is such a good mama. She got them both dried off very quickly. The while time Ruby was yelling at Addie's babies through the pens; she wanted ALL the babies :laugh:

They're definitely a few days early; their hooves are very soft and teeth aren't fully emerged. But I gave dex right away, as well as BoSe and vitamin B. They definitely are not as early as my LAST preemie; they were both standing, walking around, and nursing.


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

Congrats! They are all adorable


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

So small


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Aww so precious  congratulations and well done Addie :stars:


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Every time my goats kid I fall in love again :lovey: 

The little caramel guy is a sweetheart, and his sister is a chunker. She's definitely a keeper! I can't get over how happy I am Addie finally had a daughter. I was beginning to think she would only have mismarked wethers her whole life, which isn't awful, but her pedigree is *stupendous* 

Back to the point... both babies are much perkier, and have pooped/peed. They understand the concept of nursing, but Eli (the caramel) thinks the udder is under Addie's armpits, while Gen (the doe) sprawls out like a flattened frog when she nurses... they'll get there eventually.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Thats great you finally got your little girl , and Addie must be proud as heck to show her off to you 

I can't get over the size they are , so small but oh so big on cuteness 
Its funny how in the beginning , they think the udder is located in the front of the milk truck , lol… but yep , they eventually get it , lol..

Flattened frog….:ROFL: too cute ! Cute names , btw 

Enjoy them , even at that size , they grow up to fast


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

Well next up is Spicy. I had a panic attack while checking the babies because I thought she lost her mucus plug... it was just a piece of undercoat fluff stuck to her butt. The only goat I could catch to keep her company was Mark who is ironically her last baby, although she doesn't know. They DESPISE each other, but the similarity between them is hilarious :lol:

The babies full names are CB Pygmies Shared Belief (Eli) and CB Pygmies Genuine Risk (Gen). My family makes me give them barn names based on their show names because it's 'too complicated' to remember them otherwise. 

I do have a concern about them. Both have pooped and peed; however, the boy has been pooping (what seems like) nonstop. Is this a problem? He's still eating and has a full tummy; the poop is still the black sticky poop as well.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Ow wow, that is funny with the fluff , lol.. I had a similar experience when my Olive who is jet black had a piece stuck to her chin , it was a long piece and from a distance it looked like she was foaming at the mouth ! I nearly died !
I got over that fence like no ones business and checked her , scared the fluff right off her actually , lol…

You came up with some awesome names ! Nice going 
Im not sure about the pooping , but someone else will come on and have something to offer about that….


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

I pulled him to bottle feed since he's so weak. Wasn't able to nurse. So now he's sitting on my lap warming up; I'll get some milk from Addie and spelt wean him over to whole milk.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Sounds like you have a bottle baby  Sorry he wasnt able to nurse , but at least you have him now and he will hopefully improve … glad he is warming up and doing better , no better place then his other mommas lap


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

So he was definitely crashing this morning. Laying on his side, not wanting food, labored breathing. Gave another 1/8 cc dex (my last preemie had the undeveloped lung yawn for 4 days and it terrified me). I had a flash of brilliance and realized he was showing early FKS symptoms, so I immediately gave him c&d antitoxin. It's been 3 1/2 hours and he's perked way up! Pacing his puppy pen yelling at me for attention (and food). He was super dehydrated, so I gave him some lactated ringer SQ. I have to go let him out because he's rubbing his face along the puppy pen mesh, screaming at me, but I'll get some pictures later! 

(Also, sister is doing very well outside, very shiny and round belly, thinking about bouncing)


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Congrats on the babies. I'm so glad you figured out what was wrong with your little guy!


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

If you'd told me 5 years ago I'd be overjoyed at a baby goat pooping all over me, I would've thought you were crazy, but here I am! He's a sweetheart; he wanted to sleep, but he would only fall asleep while on my lap. He has very little interest in the bottle, but I'm going to let him expel the rest of the icky milk from his belly before pushing it on him. These little pygmies are incredibly stubborn about taking the bottle; if only they could be born knowing how to nurse off of their dams AND from the bottle. It'd make life easier for us humans


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## janecb (Sep 23, 2014)

This little guy is such a sweetheart. He stood up and made a BIG stretch to let me know he was hungry. After trying to scream at me while having the bottle in his mouth, he figured out that he could nurse from it. He ate a good amount before I stopped him (don't want his tummy to get icky again) and put him back in the puppy pen. Then I ran out to check Little Sister (the other kid from his set of twins, 'Gen' doesn't fit her) and the other babies while his heating pad warmed up. Came back in, switched the heating pads out, and he crawled right onto the makeshift bed to sleep. His pen is close to my bed so I can keep an eye on him, and his little head is poking up out of the towels just looking at me


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Your taking great care of him  I don't know how you don't resist scooping the little guy up and sleeping with him , lolol… He sounds sooo precious


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Nice job catching the FKS :thumb: Glad he is doing well


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