# Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bets!)



## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

Well, one doe down and seven to go. Next up is my older gal, Sherry who turns 9 in May. I have a doe kid from her by Little Dipper Big R Spender, so I won't be retaining any this year. I may breed her to a really nice outside buck next year hoping for one last doe kid from her. It all depends on her udder this season. Her full-sister from the same litter has the most stunning, giant udder on her.

I bought her bred last spring and she didn't have a very big udder when she freshened. HOWEVER, she did give me a single and she had had nothing but quads up to that point. She also had a rough hair coat and seemed under-weight when I bought her. She is looking great this year. Fat, sassy, and with a shiny and soft coat. She is definitely carrying more than one kid and I'm hoping she goes back to quads for me. Her sister with the stunning udder has had nothing but quads and quints but for one year when she took a break to have a single. I hope Sherry follows the pattern.

She was with the buck for three days in a good heat. If she took the first day in, day 145 would be the 21st of March. That is the earliest date I am expecting kids and is 17 days away. It seems like it is coming up so fast! I need to take some more pictures of her now and see what guess you guys have for number of kids. You'll have to keep in mind that her poor belly is permanently stretched from having quads so many times so she is always kind of sags side to side in the mid-section.










BRB Kakoakis x Roc N Ewe JM Sugar Shack

Buck: 








Kehilan CA Final Stand
Mystiques BN Blue Cache x Ponders End DG Picadilly

Blue eyes are possible. Expecting solid buckskin and chamoise kids from this cross.

I will try and get some photos if my husband will put up with hanging around the barn a few extra minutes today. Maybe if I buy him lunch he will sit and eat it while I shave her udder. I would REALLY like to cross her on Traci's (from Bellafire) buck, Fireworks, next season but we will see what we can work out.

Oh, and reservations ARE being taken. I think I will ask $250 a piece on doe kids, not offering bucks from this breeding and wethers will be $50-75 depending on if they have blue eyes or not.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie!*

Hope you get the kids you want!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie!*

Thanks! I went out and took some pictures yesterday and then promptly left the camera at the barn. So here is what I snapped:

Udder:










She didn't have this much of an udder last year at this point at all. Tifa only had a little more than this only three days out and filled a huge udder. So I'm hopeful for a great fill. She has the most ridiculously hairy udder I have ever seen. It took forever just to shave it to this point. I swear she is a yak, not a goat.










A very unflattering photo of her conformation (the one in the first post is most representative of her), but it shows her depth of belly. I also noticed in all the photos of her eating the grain I dumped that she never uses her mouth to pick up grain. She licks all of her food up.










And a "wide-load" view. She definitely carries out to the right. She still has 2-3 weeks to go so I expect a size increase. I'm not thinking quads though...my gut feeling is triplets, :kidred: :kidred: :kidblue:

Anyone care to make some bets? I am a graphic design artist. First person to post with the answer closest to the correct one gets their choice of either a free logo design or a free pencil portrait of one of their pets (goat, horse or dog preferably. I don't do well with cat hair and pencil drawing. Lol.) Bet on the number and gender of kids and birth date.


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## TinyHoovesRanch (Jan 16, 2010)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

Im going to say triplets. 2 bucks, 1 doe


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

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Lookin good.... :thumb:


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Sherry is SO BIG! Her udder is quite a bit bigger and that belly has doubled in size from these last photos. We have 9 days until 145 IF she took the first day of heat. I can feel two distinct kids and they feel big. I wouldn't be surprised if she had nothing but twins. Last year she gave me a single and looked big enough to hold triplets, but then she didn't "deflate" after kidding. She just has such a saggy belly! And last year's kid was big. Of course I couldn't feel baby Fae at all until only about a week before she was born, and then I could only feel soft kicks. So maybe there is more than two if I can feel them so easily.

She is the ONLY doe I have missed giving birth aside from my very first goat. Her ligs were very soft the night before, but not gone, and her udder was only maybe half full. Came out the next morning and there was a baby, dry and jumping about. She is tricky, so crossing my fingers I don't miss it! Of course it helps I know her due date rather than being given a three month time frame that she was with a buck. Lol.

Getting excited! And I'm not even keeping any of these kids!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

I need to take new photos of Sherry's udder, but I will probably just wait until kidding is imminent. Her udder is quite a bit larger than the last photos taken. And she is just gigantic looking...Poor girl! She is enjoying her private dining session in the kidding stall, however. I always like to get them used to the stall in that manner every evening and then only lock them up inside once their ligs are MIA.

Now my problem is timing! I just was offered a new job, and training starts the 26th. I will need to be there from 8-4 Mon-Fri that entire week. Day 145 is the 21st, and that would be an ideal day. But I'm not holding my breath. If she goes by day 149 that would be alright as well, I just foresee her deciding to wait until day 150 or beyond and kid in the middle of my training. I have a person who can watch her, but won't know what to do should she start kidding while I'm gone. She is just kind of a "watchman" for me, so she can alert me to come down.

Sorry to rant, but I'm really nervous about potentially not being able to be there! This is an at home job where I will be answering phones through my computer, so my other though it that if she doesn't kid by Sunday I will bring her from the barn at my dad's place to my place up here on the mountain and put her in my extra pen so I can step out and check on her from time to time. I'm sure it will go fine, just fretting and getting myself worked up.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

I will pray... that all will be OK.... :thumb: :hug: ray:


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## jberter (Jan 21, 2010)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

wishing a safe delivery for your older girl,, :hug: also putting in a bet of 4 in there,,  2 boys & 2 girls,,, and a couple with blue eyes to,, if thats what you want... ha..


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

I want 4 does with blue eyes all around! Mwahahahaha! Now I'm being really greedy. Lol.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

Well good luck with her.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Getting close! She has dropped some in the past couple of days, looks considerably less wide and more low. Her ligaments have been bouncing back and forth like crazy. So low last night I could barely find them, and her tail head was really loose. Starting to look steep and posty. I suspect in the next 2-3 days we will have kiddos. She is in the kidding stall until they arrive.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

Maybe new kids in the morning! Yaaaa!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

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:thumbup: :hug:


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

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Anything yet???


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Not yet. Her ligaments hardened back up, last night but were soft again this morning, and just as soft this evening but definitely still there. One of the babies was rolling around on the right side. Her udder looks to have filled a bit more but not ready. I'm hoping for tomorrow. Anytime this weekend is fine, but tomorrow would be more convenient for me. Hahahaha. Look at me, scheduling her. "Sherry, you are scheduled to give birth tomorrow. Make sure to keep your appointment."


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

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How's she doing today?


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Ligaments were so soft this morning at about 8 A.M. that I could barely find them. Still the same about 11 but harder again a half hour later. Very posty, seems slightly dilated. Kids are not moving and all seem to have settled low in her belly. Biting her sides and her butt like crazy (I can't believe she can REACH her butt!) I'm thinking possibly very early labor, her ligaments just don't want to give up. Last year her ligaments felt as they did this morning probably about 10-12 hours before she kidded. We'll see, she is definitely a tricky one.

My due date countdown in my signature would be 145 if she conceived the very first day with the buck. She was only with him for three days, so she is on day 145-147 depending on which date she took. I'm really thinking 3 A.M.! Lol. Or I will stay up all night and she will go mid-morning tomorrow when I could have slept instead and got up in plenty of time to be there. I have a comfy place to sleep next to the pen, just cold at night...but preferable to dragging myself up and down the hill in the dark repeatedly

It is SO SUNNY today. It has been raining like crazy this week, and is supposed to continue tomorrow, so this is a brief reprieve. I wonder if she listened to the fact that I scheduled her for today! Lol. Every time my girls are due and I'm waiting, I always plot the day I WANT them to kid for my best convenience. And I never fail to remember an episode of Star Trek (Next Generation) where Worf (the klingon) has to help a woman deliver a baby. He has been trained to do so but is so freaked out by it and has trouble expressing emotion...so he says.."Congratulations, you are fully dilated to ten centimeters. You may now give birth." It was just so hilarious I couldn't stop laughing....but then not only am I a mild Trekkie but I am easily amused.

You just have to watch it to appreciate it:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

:laugh: :thumbup:


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Arggg...Ligaments hardened back up again. Hopefully tomorrow.


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## Terra Mia (Dec 21, 2011)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

Good luck! I sure hope that she sticks to her schedule! lol...

I discovered that the portable camping hammocks that have the base that folds out works awesome in the barn for sleepovers. It was just a fluke that we had one stored in the barn and the night Sugar kidded we slept in the barn half the night just to make sure everything else went fine.

I have 2 does that I am hoping will kid during my spring break..sure would make life a lot easier!!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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I NEED one of those! Lol. What I really need is a barn cam so I can just roll over, check the screen, and go back to sleep. Its definitely a goal to have one next season.

I stayed up with her until 1 A.M. last night. Her ligaments were so soft I could barely feel them, but I could feel them. Her udder filled more, she was pawing and getting up and down and I swore she was having contractions. But no dice. Totally normal this morning. I moved her to my house where I will be working so I can monitor her should she decide to go this week rather than this weekend. I feel silly worrying about a goat who still has a little bit of ligament left, but after last year I really don't think she lost them completely, nor did her udder strut until the kids were coming out, so she gets extra attention.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

I wish they could just tell us when they're ready! :GAAH:


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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No kidding. She has been normal all day yesterday and today. Her ligaments were decently solid this morning but pretty soft this afternoon. Her udder has filled quite a lot more but still not strutted. She loves the fact that there is some grass in her pen here, although most of my goats are pretty picky about plain ole' grass. Doesn't look like I'll get lucky. Guess she is going to kid next week when I literally have zero time to be with her. Period. She is on her own! Work from 8 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. but for Wednesday. My best friend is going to stay with her but she only knows what I have told her about drying kids and helping them nurse. She will be useless should she need assistance. Le sigh....


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Sherry's Count-Down - My Oldie! (Pics Added. Take UR Bet*

Ligs gone! For 100% sure this time.  Super steep hip. No labor signs or discharge but I expect kids by morning. Here is to BEFORE my training starts!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Buck/Doe twins between 3-5:30 A.M. I went out at 3 and set an alarm for 40 minutes...but I set it for PM. So I woke up at 5:30, ran outside and they were already there. Looked really freshly born, both wet. The doe was outside while the buck was in the shelter. Both are in the house in a box getting warm. The buck seems fine but the doe is a little weak and slow. Stupid alarm, stupid cold weather. Stupid doe birthing a kid out in the wet grass and leaving her there. Lol.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

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Yay! They are doing much better! Buck is completely normal. Doe (who was left out in the cold), is behaving normally and walking normally although her rear legs are pretty contracted (yes she has had selenium). She is sucking on my finger if I force it in her mouth but not seeking a teat. I'm sure she'll come around. My friend is watching her while I am locked to my PC doing my voice training.


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