Surprise!!!!

It was a weekend of surprises. On Saturday we had a surprise bridal shower for Phoebe, and then out of the blue we had our first little goat kid enter the world. I was just feeling comfortable saying that the goat ladies were pregnant, but I thought they still had a ways to go. Sunday morning we finally had the time and ability to continue with the build of the billy shelter. We have just had way too much snow and then the resulting mud to get to it. Even though we had a couple of inches of snow Saturday night (they didn't even predict we were getting snow, go figure), the sun was melting it away very fast. We had just separated the billy from the does in anticipation of his new pen, and Annabelle was isolating herself inside the chicken coop. The coop doubles as their indoor shelter, located inside the horse barn. The only other inhabitant is Horatio, the lone and looney rooster. Usually Annabelle is the belle of the ball; sticking her nose in everything that is going on. I was able to comb the loose cashmere off Lancelot the billy without her nibbling at my hair and being a general nuissance. I said, half jokingly, to the hubby that maybe she is in labor. A little later, while I was grocery shopping, I get a phone call: "I THINK A GOAT IS HAVING A BABY!!" I jumped the line at the checkout register and sped home to find a little white bundle of joy already up on her feet.



You can see the proud Papa Lancelot in the background and the horses being very interested in what was going on. You can also see the cup I used to dip the umbilical stump with iodine. The little kid is a girl, and she seems very spunky. We had a minor issue with gtting her to latch on to the milk bar, but it looks like she has it down by now. I had hoped for 2 or 3 kids, but I'll take a healthy singleton any day. She isn't very big, which is very good for a singleton. Sometimes they can get so big that they have a hard time being born.



Annabelle is a very good mom, especially since it is her first time. She will have her hands full with this little firecracker. The kid is bucking and running around, and poor Annabelle is having to do her best keeping up with her. Now we need to find a suitable name. That usually takes some time. I will keep you posted.