Video Nigerian Dwarf Goat Kids Playing

Does it get any cuter than this!? I set up these logs for the little ones to play on and they sure do love it! They are only 2 weeks old and just full of energy! I love the sound of their little hoofs on the logs and the walkway.  

My Niece Laken

Here is my niece Laken. She is SO ridiculously photogenic! I love taking pictures of her. 

She has also recently decided that when she grows up, she wants to "have a farm like Aunt Abby". 

Who wants to snuggle a baby goat!! I DO I DO!!

Addie couldn't be happier!! She adores all these new little babies!

 I have to make sure to keep the goat barn cleaned out with fresh hay quite regularly...not necessarily for my goats, but for my kids! They are constantly climbing in there to hold the babies!

Henry has named this little guy "Zoomer"...wish we could keep little Zoomer, but he will be going to another home soon. Now I completely understand why people end up with a ton of goats...you just want to keep them ALL!!

Its like a Kitten...you just want to hold and snuggle them all the time!!

Now, if you knew this little boy, this picture would be ALL THE MORE precious!!! He is all boy, full of energy and very intense...He is Grant! When he held this little goat it made my heart melt. He snuggled it close and was so sweet! Of course that didnt last long and he was off running with Henry in no time! But my goodness, does it get any more precious than this!!??!

 And his dear sister Taylor!

Peaches had her babies!!! 1 Doeling and 1 Buckling April 17, 2012

 I seriously dont think there is a more precious goat than my little Peachy Peach. I just love how sweet and affectionate she is...as well as being a fabulous milker and excellent mommy!

Last tuesday Peach was acting mighty uncomfortable and I knew she was quickly approaching the birth of her babies. I talk to our breeder who told me that is she is showing all the signs of labor then I could go ahead and give her "Magic Goat formula" (1 part molasses, 1 part oil, 2 parts corn syrup)...the sugar gives a boost to the system as well as the added energy to go into labor. After giving her the formula it was only a few hours and she was hunkered down in the barn ready to deliver her babies. 

Now let me add here how drastically different Peaches and Poppy are during birth...Poppy sure wants everyone and I mean everyone in the world to know that she is in pain and about to give birth. Then there is Peach, just so extremely quiet! She only cried out a few times and that was in the moments she was pushing out the babies. I sat with her just about all weekend to make sure I was there to help her if there were any complications. After the events of last year I didnt want her to be all alone and end up loosing one of her babies. So finally the moment was here...as were some of our friends who were intensely excited to see their first goat birth!!

 Peach did great!! The first baby to come out was a little white and black female with blue eyes! This baby was by no means small!! I was so shocked at how big she was and within a few seconds that tiny little baby was up walking around...seconds!! She is so extremely strong! She was heading for milk from mommy before Peach even had a chance to push out baby #2! Within 5 minutes her second baby was here and it was a precious little tri-colored blue eyed male!

 I have never seen such a precious bond between an animal and her babies! Peach just LOVES these 2 little goats! And Ill be honest, I just about cried too! Shes had her babies almost a week and hasnt let them out of her sight! Whereas Poppy makes an escape and hides every chance she can get...but she also has 4 babies runnin after her for milk and Peach only has the 2. 

My friend Rebecca took the above birthing pictures and she did a FABULOUS job! She took some amazing/shocking but VERY impressive pictures of the actual birth...I wont post those on the blog though ;)

Here they are!!!! This picture was taken the morning after they were born...just SO soft and adorable!

This little buckling was sold immediately! A family snatched him up right away to be there startup herds service buck. 

 He has absolutely beautiful coloration and just a precious temperament...like his mamma!

 Then there is this gorgeous doeling!! She is so wonderful! I love her coloration and her cute pink nose...not to mention she has blue eyes and is polled (no horns and will never grow horns). 

I couldnt be happier for my little Peachy Peach!

Poppy had her babies!!!! Cuteness ALERT!! 3 Bucklings and 2 Doelings April 14, 2012

It has been quite an eventful weekend here! Poppy was due on Friday and Peaches was due on Saturday. We have been on high alert since last week to make sure everyone has everything they need prior to the goat babies arrival! Saturday morning Poppy started showing signs of labor (extremely affectionate, very uncomfortable, not eating very much, and I'll spare you the details that were taking place "down there"). She is getting closer and closer...as is the tornado! Yes, we were under a tornado watch from a tornado that was coming up through Oklahoma...and we do not have a basement! We prepared an area in the garage for Poppy and her babies and a separate area for Peaches and her babies (should they come that night as well). Finally, Poppy went into active labor and WOW is she loud! She sure doesn't mess around though...when its baby time she hunkers down and pops out the babies! Might I also add that she is a VERY fertile little lady! She had 5...I repeat FIVE babies! However, one baby did not make it...it was quite sad, but there is much joy from the 4 that are still here with us. 

Oh they are too cute! Poppy was doing great but one little baby was still kind of struggling (little Dot Dot). She wasn't jumping up like the others and was so small that she wasn't getting in for the milk and for Poppy's attention. We started getting the kids loaded up to head over to some friends basement and kept running back out to bring Dot Dot back over to Poppy. Well, we had to go and couldn't wait any longer. After we all got safe and sound in the basement and the threat of tornado was still a little ways off, Bryan ran back home (barely a few blocks away) to do one final check of the babies, and Dot Dot was standing up and was over with the rest of the babies...now back to shelter just in time. The tornado came disturbingly close...a little over a mile from our house. I've heard reports that it was up to 1 mile wide when it came through our area.

Once the threat of tornado was gone, we came on out of the basement and headed home...finding a rescue crew barricading off the road down the street due to tornado damage as well as an insane amount of rain rushing down the streets. Getting back home we found all 4 babies safe and sound snuggled up with their momma. By this point I thought for sure Peach would be having her babies soon...but not yet...she took her jolly time and held those babies in a few days more (that story will be posted next!)

Let me introduce you to Poppy's 4 babies...

Here are her two little blue Eyed Bucklings...

Then we have this precious little tri-colored doeling!

And last...but Definitely not least...we have this little blue eyed adorably precious doeling. My kids have named her "Dot Dot" and she is oh so tiny.

Ah Peachy Peach

"Ah Peachy Peach"...this is what we say to her quite often! This precious little goat just melts my heart. Peaches is just so quiet and loving and she sure was loving getting her pictures taken!

Both of our girls are just about to have their babies! Poppy is due this Friday and Peaches is due on Sunday!! Woo hoo we will have baby goats running around before we know it! Not to mention the goat milk that will soon follow!

My Precious Little City Goats!

These two girls are so delightful! Poppy is very strong willed and "opinionated" while Peaches is just a precious and loving little lady who doesn't really get too worked up about anything. 

Poppy is always on patrol through the yard to have her say in the way things are done - 

 - Peaches is hanging out on the back porch. This is one of their favorite places to hang out!

Yep, here she is again examining things. Im mean really, doesnt she just look like she is about to tell someone off!! 

 - While Peaches hangs out in the goat barn safe and sounds. 

We sure have been busy!!

Spring is here and we are trying to get our backyard ready! We have a nice large backyard and can grow thousands of pounds of produce, but for some reason we can not grow grass!! We just cant do it...it just dies! SO, we are trying it once again!! We bought 12 tons of nice compost and had it delivered (which of course a large pile of dirt is strictly for climbing and sliding!)

Then Bryan decided that we needed to rid the back yard of a few trees!

Now to pick up the tree! Which of course is the most fun part for Henry and Addie!! (dont worry everyone...they are fastened in quite tightly!)

Oh and while we are at it we might as well get a shed delivered! This shed was at my grandpas house and they didnt need it anymore and it was basically going to get thrown away...so we had it moved here to be our new milking barn and a place to store all our animal feed and hay :)

 How awesome is this little machine!!

 Ummm ya its a tight fit!!! The shed is 10'4" and the opening on our side gate (WITH the gate and hinges taken off) is 10'5"...but this guy sure wasnt scared to try! 

 Yep, that tight!

PULL BRYAN PULL!!! 

Ok, now lets trim some more trees!

Dont look kids...daddy and Mr Paul arent being very safe.  

Now lets rearrange the yard while we are at it...chicken coop is moved to the back to make room for our new shed :)

Now to leveling out the yard again and spreading the compost evenly.  

Oh boy...what a weekend! We have ALOT more work to do but this is a good start ;) Ill definitely keep you posted on our progress! But now we are under a ton of rainfall so it is quite the mud pit back there!! But we are EXCITED!!!!