Merry Monday – February 13, 2023

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

It was a bang of a start to last week. Two babies born within an hour of each other. Both were bucklings. A buckling is a baby boy goat. The first doe to deliver certainly let us know that she was about to give birth. She went back to the goat pen and found herself a warm safe place to give birth. At first I was afraid that the baby was breech. As with humans, breech babies are not easy to deliver and can cause many problems. After several attempts to push the baby out, I decided to assist her. I gloved up and held tight to the two slippery hooves that had made it out. I was so very grateful when I saw the nose pop out next. Whew! It was not breech after all. I kept a steady and gentle pressure, pulling as mama gave one last BIG push and whoosh!! Baby Boy was born.

Mother goat just gave birth to big billy

Nellie, the dam, knew right away what to do.  After all this was her second time around. She got busy cleaning up the baby. She worked from head to tail getting it clean and dry. It did not take long for him to get up on all four legs and start nursing. This buckling was big! I watched for more signs of another baby, but soon mama passed the afterbirth signaling that it was the end. We gave Nellie, the dam, lots of fresh hay and water. They are so grateful to get to eat and drink immediately after giving birth. I am sure it takes a lot out of them and they need to be well fed in order to produce the milk and take care of the babies. 

Baby Boer billy goat at Merry Meadows Farm

As soon as we got settled back in the routine of the day, I see another doe starting the birthing process. She had already passed the first sack of fluids and was looking for her safe place to give birth. Since she was outside of the barn area, she found a soft pile of leaves and quickly went to work.  Within four pushes out pops another baby boy! This was the first birth we have had outside of the barn yard. Soon after she met him and started cleaning him up, I scooped him up in a blanket and mama followed me to the barn. I put them in another stall area so they will be safe and not be bothered by the others. Two bucklings! We have two more does that could give birth anytime now. So we are still on baby watch.

Mother goat feeding her new born baby
Mother goat feeding her new born baby

Tuesday was a dreary day.  It was drizzling rain all day, so the goats stayed in their yard and barn and we brought in hay and feed. We are keeping a good watch on the other two mamas to be, but nothing yet. All dams and bucklings are doing well. Reba, the first born this year, seems like an old pro at this life as a goat now.  She has spent most of her day today resting under the heat lamp or in the bowl of hay. I agree with Reba, it is a good day to stay warm and rest as much as possible. I made a big pot of beans that hit the spot on a cold day. 

We also worked on the behind the scenes computer work getting things ready for the upcoming markets.  The Vendor Store is now open so that Vendors can purchase their tickets for booth spaces at any or all of our 2023 Flea to the Market events.  Goodness! Time is flying by. April 1st will be here before you know it. This year we will start off with a two day event. I have a couple of other ideas floating around in my head. I will let you know as soon as I get solid plans.

Flea to the Market at Merry Meadows last year (2022)

What a thunderstorm we had Tuesday night. I had trouble sleeping because I kept wondering how all the animals were doing. At first light, I scurried out with extra towels and the milk pail and went into the barn. There was another baby! He (yes another boy) was running around. The mother was right there with him. She had him all cleaned up. What a blessing to have the baby born and not even have to worry about it. So now we have three boys and one girl and one more mama that is due any day now. After this round births, we have a little bit of a break and then we have four more ladies that will be due.

Honey, our last goat to give birth this round.

Rain, rain, rain! I think we got over 2 inches of rain. However, Thursday was a beautiful day! Sunny all day and a chance to get a lot of the wet mud dried out. I let the mamas and the babies out in the yard together to get some sun and exercise. All the other ladies went out to graze, mainly on the hay stack! Just to get out and get some sunshine was the best medicine.  Sunday also was a beautiful weather day. I love the hints of Spring coming. Today we saw a flock of pelicans flying over and the turtles have come out of hibernation and were sunning on the bank of the pond.

Share This Post!

Merry Meadows Farm Flower Divider

Post Written By:

Uncategorized

Cornish Cross Chickens: The Choice for Pastured Poultry

Welcome to the fascinating world of Cornish Cross chickens! If you’ve ever wondered why some chicken dishes taste remarkably better than others, you’re about to discover one of the secrets—the breed of chicken. In this blog post, we’ll delve into why Cornish Cross Chickens

Read More »
Merry Meadows Farm Baby Chickens
Farm Animals

Guide to Owning Chickens

Having chickens is a fun and rewarding project. But, just like with anything else in life, you need to be prepared. With this article you’ll be a chicken master in no time!

Read More »
Farm Animals

What Are Silkie Chickens?

You may have seen a really fluffy chicken and thought “What kind of chicken is that?!” Silkie chickens are a fun little chicken breed that have many unique and interesting traits. Learn all about silkies here!

Read More »

We Have A Special Deal For You!

Sign up for a FREE account on our website and we’ll give you an exclusive 10% off your first order!

Name *
Email Address *
Password *
Confirm Password *