** This post is about goat labour! If it grosses you out, don’t read it!
There will also be photos of the birth. Nothing too crazy, but still, I’m just giving the disclaimer!**
This has been a busy few days around here!
All in a matter of one day, we had five precious, adorable kittens born as a surprise to us and a baby goat was kidded a few hours later! With chicks and baby ducklings, kittens and now a kid, it feels like animal baby world around here! I will be posting pictures of the sweet kitties soon, but first – our first goat birthing story!
We have been on goat-kidding watch for a few weeks with two pregnant does happily chewing the cud around the yard. Each morning, we would pray we wouldn’t miss it and that the baby would be healthy. I’ve never had a goat give birth before and was tired of reading too much information about the entire thing. Experience is the best teacher, I say.
But yesterday, as I was hanging the laundry, I heard a funny cry from the small barn (which Abby just finished in time for baby goat season! Yay!). {Sidenote, animal owners, isn’t is amazing how you can you tell your animals apart by their calls? I’m surprised to find out we can tell which goat is crying , even if we are inside.} I knew right away it was Firefly – our pregnant doe who generally never makes a sound and is usually quiet, timid and somewhat shy.
I dropped the laundry basket and ran as fast as I could towards the barn, calling for Lacey and the girls … we all ran in an excited burst of energy just in time to reach the barn doors to see momma goat pushing out and her wee kid … he was half way out, his little head was laying there on the straw and momma was just being as calm as ever. All of us, including Lacey’s best friend, stood together and watched in absolute awe. Lyla kept saying, “Mommmmmyyyyy …. shouldn’t you HELP her?!” but there really was nothing to be done but watch as the momma goat, ever so calmly, pushed her little kid out into the world … {last year, this same goat kidded but the baby died, so we were a bit anxious to see this kid come out alive.} Firefly did amazing. She needed no help, so we all just stood back and watched with excitement and a few questions from some of the girls …
It was an amazing lesson on life for the girls – to see a baby animal being born, to see the umbilical cord attached, to see the momma goat cleaning up her kid, to see it was not as gross or gory or bloody as they thought it would be … it was fantastic!
In fact, the entire thing was beautiful. We couldn’t stop laughing and smiling and ohhh-ing over the sweet baby goat lying there on the fresh straw.
Lacey announced the sex – it’s a boy, she said, as she peeked under the legs to confirm …
I was unsure whether or not I should be the one to cut the umbilical cord (all the information I read said to cut it and so forth, etc.) so I waited to see what momma goat would do… after what seemed like 10 minutes or so, I decided to go back to the house to get some string to tie off the cord. Just as I left the barn, the girls called out and told me momma goat cut it herself. Perfect! Even better! (I was not looking forward to that part.) Nature taking over!
We stayed and watched the baby and momma for as long as possible … it was just such a wonderful experience for everyone to see this new life for our little farm … to see the momma taking care of her baby … to see the precious baby goat looking adorable and so cute even just minutes after birth …
Later when everyone left the barn to give momma some quiet time, Lacey and I returned to make sure the baby goat was drinking. We helped him find the udder and get momma and baby started together. It was so special to have a daughter who loved this adventure as much as I did. Later, she said, “Mommy, this has been the best day of my life!!!”
Totally worth it!
The girls first named him Little Cloud but later changed his name to Moses. He’s precious and healthy and so adorable.
We are so glad that we did not go anywhere that day and were able to experience watching such a fabulous birth on our little farm.
Perhaps it seems silly to be so delighted over an animal being born- maybe it’s something that requires you to be there in person to see the magic and miracle of it all. Maybe it’s because it was our first time seeing something like this. Either way, it was a fabulous day! And topped with the fact that kittens had just been born that morning, we had quite the adventurous day!
I will be posting pictures of the kitties soon … they are so cute …
Thanks for sharing in our joy of new life here at the Gauthier home!
by Gigi
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