Uncomfortable Pregnant Girl(s)

My girls are all looking a bit more uncomfortable these days. It's really gotten warm here in MN. Well, warm for MN, anyway. It's 60 degrees, and the girls are still wearing warm winter coats. They're shedding now, but it seems they'd like to be shedding faster. :) It doesn't help that they've got little heaters inside keeping them warmer, and they're big and uncomfortable looking. Cupcake (white) is looking like a basketball with a head when she lays down, and she's breathing heavily. Her kid(s) are really moving a lot today. I can say for sure (I think) that she's pregnant now. :) I never want to say anything "for sure" when it comes to goats. They seem to be out to prove their caretakers wrong about most things. Gotta love 'em!

New Pics of the girls, and waiting...

This waiting is just too much for a farmgirl! ;)


Starlight



Japanzy



Cupcake



Cute Cupcake



Japanzy always worried about her stomach :)

We should have 2 months to go until we can expect our first kids to arrive. I don't know if I can stand the suspense.

Twiddling My Thumbs

I haven't posted anything here because I haven't anything to post, really. I'm in the world of waiting and watching. Waiting to find out if the girls are actually pregnant. Waiting to see/feel movement of kids. Waiting to see udders filling. Waiting to (hopefully not) see signs of heat.
So far, all looks good. The girls were with the bucks from December 1 to 23. I haven't seen any signs of heat in any of them. I also don't see any sure signs of pregnancy, FOR SURE. I keep feeling for kids, hoping to FOR SURE feel something that feels like a kid. I keep touching udders, hoping for a swelling there that would indicate that we're gearing up to feed kids.
I'm a bit over the top, I know, but this is my first time, and I'm just super excited, as well as super thirsty for that good milk that we've been waiting so long for. We did get a taste of it with Cupcake, our FF doe last year. It really wet our appetites! Getting goats, and then actually getting to the point of milking, is a long term goal that takes a lot of patience. I'm not big on patience, so...I'm twiddling my thumbs...


The stuff we're waiting for. This is from Cupcake last September.


But while I'm twiddling, I'm loving every minute of having these dear little goats. I'm so far wonderfully happy with our choice of breeds. They're so much fun for all of us. The kids enjoy them, and they're safe for all of us to be around.


our littles with the does

An Introduction to the Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat

Nigerian Dwarf goats are a dairy breed with roots in West Africa. They come in a huge variety of colors and coat patterns that do not breed true. This means that any combination of colors will not reliably produce offspring of those colors, eye color included (though blue eyes are said to be dominant).
According to ADGA and AGS breed standards, does should be between 17 and 22.5 inches at the withers, and bucks no taller than 23.5 inches. There are no coat colors excluded, though a curly coat is not acceptable.
The milk production average for the Nigerian that I see written most often is a quart a day over a 305 day lactation. This could me much more or slightly less, however, depending on genetics as well as how many freshenings (times giving birth and making milk) the doe has had, and how many kids she supports at the beginning of her lactation. First freshening udders are generally not as capacious or productive as second, and third is usually even better.
Their milk is rich and sweet, with the highest butter fat content of all the milking breeds. This makes the Nigerian an excellent choice if you are interested in milk for cheese or soap making, and it is absolutely delicious. Most of our friends and relatives who try our Nigerian milk for the first time compare the sweet, creamy, rich flavor to half and half.
These little goats are extremely easy keepers, requiring only hay and loose minerals if not in production. If a doe is in late pregnancy or lactating, anywhere from one to four cups of a quality grain mix containing around 16 percent protein (depending on browse availability and quality) is needed daily.
If you're trying to decide on livestock for your homestead, or a new pet, these little goats are definitely deserving of a second look!