All The Babies Are Gone

It's been a crazy here since my last postings and I have a bunch to post to catch back up.

First is that ALL of the baby goats have gone to their new homes.  The last of them left at the end of June.

  

Our friends had just arrived from out of state for a week long vacation and with all of the excitement of them arriving I wasn't able to get pictures of the babies before they left.

 So here is two old ones.

Priscilla laying with her babies Carter, Chloe & Cole

Windy and her baby, Claire

Chloe was the first to go.

Sweet Chloe

Chloe went to a wonderful family who was looking to start their own herd.  They were interested in Nubian's because they would like to milk them and make cheese, ice cream and such from the goat's milk like we do.

I've talked to the owner's daughter and Chloe is doing really well at her new home. 

 Chloe's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Lady.

Cole was the next to leave.

Gorgeous Cole

Cole got to stay a little longer than normal because his new owner had a trip planned and she wanted him to stay here while she was away.

Cole will just love his new home.  His new owners are wonderful people and really love goats.  She already has an established herd and was looking for a new buck for her girls.  She is also partial to spots like me and just thought Cole was a handsome boy.

Cole with have a herd of 8 girls all to himself.  I can't wait to see the babies he will produce.

Cole's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Brad Paisley.

Carter was the next to leave.

Sweet Carter

We were so lucky to find a home for Carter.  I was getting worried that we would not find him a new home.  Carter's new home also has an established herd.  They have 1 buck and 3 does. 

The reason why they decided on Carter is because they loved his red color but mostly because he is registered.  Their current buck is not and his current does are.  This way he will be able to register any future kids he has with Carter as the buck.  I look forward to seeing was Carter produces for kids and will be staying in touch with his new owners. 

Carter's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Dakota.

Claire also got to go to her new home WITH Carter!!

Baby Claire

The family that got Carter was also the family that wanted Claire.

They really fell in love with her and sent along a deposit before she was even 4 weeks old.

She will join Carter, another buck and the other 3 girls he already has at his home.

He loved her name so it will stay the same.

Claire's registered name is Russell's Ridge Claire.

I just want to say that this has been an unforgettable first experience.  I have fallen in love with all of my goat's but I never thought I could fall so deeply in love with the baby goats.  Being present while the mama's grew heavy with their babies and being able to feel them move before they were even born was unbelievable.

Being able to watch these babies be born and help both the mama's and the babies with entering into this world was amazing and I am so glad we didn't miss it.

Watching them stand and nurse for the first time. Go outside into the fresh grass and run was a sight to see.  I was in awe how much these little babies trusted and loved us from the beginning.  I am very sad to see them go and I wish I could keep them all.  Knowing I can't, I hope that I have made the best decisions for all of the babies with their new homes.

I will never forget these first 4 little babies that stole my heart. I'm sure I will think of them often and hope they are doing well.

Claire is 10 Weeks Old

Baby Claire

Well she's not really a baby anymore, she can barely fit in my lap.  I have called her Baby Claire since she was born and the name just stuck.

Claire is doing really well, super big.  She eats grain mostly from the creep feeder in the morning and evening when the big goats are eating their grain.  It's funny, as soon as the big goats start coming out to the milking stands she runs into the creep feeder and starts eating her grain.

I'm really enjoying my time with Claire since she will be going to her new home soon.  I am really going to miss this little girl.

Here are some other cute pictures I took while spending some time with her in the pasture the other day.

Claire peeking around my back

Claire relaxing sitting with me

Claire playing on her bucket



Claire is 9 Weeks Old

Claire with Bruschi

Claire is 9 weeks old now.  As you can see in the picture above she has everyone wrapped around her little hoof.  No seriously, all the adults love her.  Windy her mom takes great care of her.  But Whimsey, Windy's sister loves to take care of Claire too.  Claire loves her auntie Whimsey and loves to cuddle with her.  Priscilla also shared with Windy watching the babies when they were all together.  Maddy & Bruschi like to get little Claire to play with them.  It amazes me that they know to be gentle with her.

Claire is the only baby in the big pasture now that Chloe has gone to her new home, so we kinda let her do what she wants.  Claire wanted to come out to the milking area during feeding time the other day and she kept trying to get auntie Whimsey's food.  I ended up giving her some grain in her own bucket and she nibbled on it a bit.

She is doing really well eating grain.  She has grain in the creep feeder for her to eat whenever she wants during the day and then at night we put a bucket of grain in the pen with her for her to eat if she wants.

Claire & Whimsey at feeding time

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but Claire is sold.  As a matter of fact she has been sold for quite awhile now.  She will be going to a new home that already has 3 other does, girls.  Also Carter will be going to the same home too.  They will be separated because they are too little to breed but I'm glad that they will be going to the same home together.  Claire and Carter will be going to their new home in 2 weeks.

Gorgeous Claire



Claire is 8 Weeks Old.

Claire with mama Windy

Claire is doing super.  She has become best buddies with Chloe since moving the boys over into the buck pen.

Claire is big enough now to share her mama's milk with me so she is put in a pen with Chloe overnight so I can milk Windy in the morning.

Claire & Chloe waiting to get out of the pen in the morning

There is not too much to update on so here are some cute pictures of Claire.

Claire stretching to be able to reach to nurse because she is so big now

Claire hanging out with mama in the pasture

Claire hanging with her buddy Chloe

Claire is 7 Weeks Old!!

Claire hanging with Bruschi

Claire is 7 weeks old now and doing great.  She is a big girl so we decided it was time to separate her from her mom at night so I can milk mom, Windy in the morning.  She is in the pen at night with Chloe and she is doing wonderful so far.  I haven't even heard her cry once.  Claire is also a very quiet Nubian like her mom.

The big news is we have found a new home for Claire.  She will be going to her new home the beginning of July after she finishes all of her worming and shots.  This was another reason why we are separating her from mom at night so we can start to wean her and have her eating grain real well by the time she goes to her new home.  She is already eating hay and pasture real good.

Claire having sharing some hay with the calves

Claire standing to get hay, they always think it tastes better at the top

Claire has become best buddies with Chloe since we have moved Cole & Carter over to the buck pen.  They go off into the pasture with the big goats and they love to run and play.

Sweet Claire

Claire taking a nap in the afternoon sunshine

Claire is 6 Weeks Old

Claire turned 6 weeks old this past weekend and is doing great.

Claire being her cute self

She is as big as the other babies we have because she still gets all of her mama's milk. 

Claire's pretty face

I still can't believe I haven't had any interest in Claire for a new home.  That's okay though, Jamie and I have decided that the girls will just stay with us and we will breed them when they are old enough.  We will then decide if we want to keep them further or maybe try to sell them while they are in milk.

Claire coming to say hello



Claire is 5 Weeks Old.

Claire, 5 weeks old

Isn't she just beautiful?  Claire is getting so big. She just hangs out with everyone and follows the other babies where ever they go. 

Claire hanging with Cole

You know what is funny, Priscilla and Windy take turns watching each other's babies. Sometimes you will see all four babies with Priscilla and Windy will be off someone and vice versa. I think it's so cute that they share watching the kids and give each other a break.

Claire hanging out with the big kids, she's as big as them though :)

Claire loves eating pasture but really hasn't started eating any grain yet, which is fine because she is still young. She does nibble on the alfalfa hay but usually when I put the hay in the barn in the morning time that is her nap time. She just curls up in the corner while her mama eats.

Claire, I just love her.

How could anyone resist this face :)

We did have one mishap with Claire.  I didn't do her disbudding correctly, which of course I feel guilty about. Once her caps which are what cover the area that is healing from the disbudding came off she still had little horn nubs.

I called my vet and asked her what we could do and she said to bring her in and she would take a look at her.

The vet decided to pop off her little nubs with a very sharp scalpel and then redisbud the horn area again.  Little Claire screamed so hard that I was practically crying but I knew it had to be done.  If your a parent, its kinda like when you take your young baby to the Dr.s to get a shot.  They don't know its coming but you do.  She took it like a trooper of course and her new disbudding is healing well.

Claire with Auntie Whimsey

I have put Claire up on the local Internet classified ads and have not had any calls on her yet.  Which of course I think is crazy, who would not want to have this beautiful doeling.  Anyways she will be staying here until I can find her a good home and possibly she may be staying here anyway.  Since losing Abby I would really like to keep one of my girls but I haven't made my final decision if I am and if I did who would be staying.  We will wait and see what happens.

Check back next week and see how she is doing.

Baby Claire Turns 4 Weeks Old

Baby Claire in the creep feeder, isn't she too cute?

Little miss Claire is getting so big.  She is getting all of her mama's milk since she doesn't have any siblings.  She sure does like to eat too.  Claire never leaves any milk for me.  That's okay though, she is still little and needs her mama's milk more than I do to grow big and strong.

Claire nursing from mama, Windy

Here are some great pictures of her.

Claire

Sweet Claire's face

Claire hanging out with her buddy Chloe

Baby Claire up close, she is so curious about the camera

Claire Turns 3 Weeks Old

Claire playing queen of the bucket

Claire is 3 weeks old this week and is doing fabulous!!!  Claire weighs 19lbs and is growing quickly, of course it helps that she is a single kid and gets all of her mama's milk.

She goes off into the pasture everyday with all the other goats. Claire LOVES to play with Priscilla's babies now that she keeps up so good.  She has formed a special bond with Cole and they love to hang out together.

Hailey holding Claire

As you can see above she is almost to big for Hailey to hold now but Hailey still gives her lovings whether Claire wants them or not. :)  Claire has what we call the jumping beans in her.  She will be standing there nice and then all of a sudden she does a little jump and turn.  It's so cute.

Claire also isn't afraid of anything.  She loves Matilda and thinks Chelsea is a new friend when she comes into the pasture and visits.

Claire checking out Chelsea

Claire's disbudding is healing very well as is the tattooing on her ears.

Claire's disbudded head

Here are two last pictures of sweet Claire.

Full body picture of Claire

Sweet Claire's face, I love how long her ears are and how they turn up



Claire Turns 2 Weeks Old

Claire getting a drink of water

Claire turned 2 weeks old over the weekend.  She is doing wonderful.  She wasn't very happy with us on Saturday as we disbudded and tattooed her.  It was my first time and it went very well.  She did cry and scream but we got through and she was acting fine within the hour.

Claire goes out into the pasture everyday and loves to play with Priscilla's babies.

Her and Cole have become great friends and love to play together.

It's really cute too, Priscilla and Windy seem to take turns watching the babies.  Sometimes you will see all the babies together with only 1 mother and the other mother is off in the pasture somewhere and then later on you will see all the babies with the other mother.  I think it is sweet that they are sharing mommy duties.

Here are some pictures of Claire at 2 weeks old

Claire with Cole

Claire hanging out with Cole

Claire relaxing

Cole & Claire playing on the bucket

Claire sleeping in the baby box

Claire & Cole playing on the bucket

Proud mama Windy