Josephia (Mixed Nubian Goat)
Information
- Breed: Mixed Nubian Goat
- Sex: Female
- Age: 7 months, 17 days old
- Dam: Aida
- Sire: Emmett
- ID: 5b2566cc18
- Offspring: 0
- Litters: 0
- Breeder: Timberwyck Farm
- Owner: Timberwyck Farm
- Birth defects: Folded right ear
- Polled: No
- Eye color: Blue
- Coat color: Mottled
- Ears: Long
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Our currently unnamed "mini-nubian" doeling was born to Aida on October 3, 2011. We weren't really even sure Aida was pregnant. So aside from Emma's observation that Aida's utters were larger than she remembered a few days ago, we had no warning.
Upon entering the stable, Colin found her on her side, laboring. Not sure if she was ill, he tried to pick her up. Instead of grunts of pain, her grunts seemed more like she was doing work. She also clearly did not want to get up.
A physical examination revealed a sack protruding about five inches from her vulva. Colin ran to the house to get Emma and Sam and the three decided Aida was definitely in labor. Noting two hooves entering the sack, we decided to take stock of the situation, refresh ourselves about interventions in case things went wrong, but to otherwise leave to her business.
After Colin got back from picking Peter up at soccer, Emma announced that Aida had given birth. We were not certain whether there were more births and so monitored Aida from time to time. At about 8:45p, Aida's afterbirth was delivered.
The baby is healthy and was up and moving quickly after birth. Nursing seemed difficult at first, but we intervened to get the baby on mom's teat for at least a first shot of colostrum, and continued to monitor both mom and doeling for health through the night.
Photos
Notes
- Jan. 10, 2012
Did the animal chores this morning again. The nigerian ladies seemed no further along, we could be waiting until February here. I also wonder if the presence of Josephia is slowing the process down.
Otherwise everyone doing well. Temperature was slightly below freezing, but warm enough that a barn coat over a fleece was too hot for chores. Snow should finally be coming at the end of this week.
Checking on the ladies when we got home, Moxie was this time doing some very, labor-like things. Specifically, standing up on her feed bowl, dropping her tail and nipping at her sides. We setup a partition wall to keep the noise of the piglets next door away from them and we’ll see.
—General