Magic Marker Minis

[Magic Marker Minis]

I hate getting up early!

Had a friend of a friend ask us, back in November, if we could do a petting zoo for their work(International Wildlife Museum). We said yes. Thought Kari would go and I stay at the house.

She started a new job and(guess what) she had to work today. Top if off, I tryed to borrow a two horse trailer and a truck from my neighbors. We have a 20 ft stock trailer that is being used as shelter for the goats(didn't want to pull it out, plus it's over-kill). I got the trailer, but they needed both their vehicles. Which meant, I had to get up at 4 am to take Kari to work. Top it off, I have to leave the animals at the petting zoo for an hour(12 pm-1 pm) to go pick Kari up. Petting zoo is from 10 am to 4 pm. I'm taking three miniatures(10 yr old buckskin pinto gelding-Ozzie, 2 1/2 yr old blk tovero filly-Feather, and a coming 2 yr old blk pinto colt), a 6 mon. old blackbelly lamb, a 3 mon old Nigerian doeling, my Nigerian with twins, my mini Rex rabbit, and my Pittbull-cross(only because her kennel is being used). I may take the Alpine doe with a single. Theirs enough room, if I have to separate the colt from the filly. KC hasn't figured out he is a boy yet. He won't get over 29". He is right now about 27", in need of a hoof trim.

So, now it's 5:45 am and dark outside. Don't want to feed this early(normally 7 am) and can't go lay back down.

The two Lamancha's still are cooking their babies. The older one was due this week. She is very big, thinking twins(maybe triplets). Her daughter is only having a single. It was warm enough last night to leave them out. We bring them in the house if it's too cold at night.

Design(317 days) is moving foreward. The ridges(in earlier pictures) are now hard in the morning. They go soft after a few hours of turn out. Looks like she will wait until March. Glad she is not really close, because no one will be home.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Well, Kari has been home for the last 4 days.

The petting zoo was a success, especially with the tiny Nigerian babies. Even my dog was getting a lot of attention.

Sunday, we went and picked up our friends 6 pregnant Lamancha's(they are not due until March). Boy, did we get a suprise on Wednesday. I went out to feed and saw that one of the Lamancha's was getting ready to kid. Got her in the horse trailer and she kidded two doelings at around 11 am. Called the owner(she is still in Washington) and she was freaking out(she knew when she put them in with the bucks and they weren't due until March). Told her another one had been very vocal all morning, she said she was close.(We had dived the trailer between our goats and the Lamancha's)With another goat possibly close, we decided to give the Lamancha's the whole trailer(It was very windy and we expecting a storm in). While I was getting the trailer taken care of, I took a peek at the Lamancha's(and what do you know), a totally different doe was starting to kid. I pulled that doe and the other one in the trailer. At around 1 pm, we had a doeling and a buckling(total of 4 babies, with one more doe to go). Owner told us that the final doe has had twins every time. At around 3 pm, she delivered two tiny doelings(I was worried she had them early), No, she layed down and had another doeling. We now have 7 baby Lamancha's(6 girls and 1 boy) and they are all strong and healthy. It actually snowed in Tucson yesterday, so I had to put the other three lamancha's in the trailer. They are being kind and waiting.

Also had three more kittens. I'll get pictures of the babies and mares later, when it warms up. The ridges on both sides of Design's(322 days) bag don't soften any more. They stay hard and she is a little looser in the private area. Shadow's(303 days) bag is droopier, but has nothing in it. I really hop they hold out until it is drier and warmer.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Here's pictures of Design(322 days) and Shadow(303 days).

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Here's pictures of it snowing and the lamancha babies getting their first look outside of the trailer. One of the pictures is six of the seven babies in a lamancha pile-up, the seventh one is leaving.

 

[countrymini]

Those lamancha are the cutest! Wonder if you can get them in Australia.....

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Well, the babies keep coming.

Another one of the six(friends) just had a doeling and a buckling. Taking care of them, so far. Let them nurse.

It looks like a second one is starting to have contractions, so may have more before the end of the day. that would leave one more.

THEY weren't due until next month, but the move has triggered them.

Mean while our two Lamancha's due any day now, are still very pregnant.

These two babies make a grand total of 9 babies(7 doelings and two bucklings).

The way it's been going, I wouldn't be suprised if Design didn't wait until March. Feb. must be birth month for me.

Will get pictures when unfolded and dry.

Reason why I say they are taking care of them, is that the owners warned ue they wouldn't take care of their babies. Only one would last year, the rest walked away. Wouldn't even clean them off. So far, all the does are raising their babies.

 

[Eagle]

You will have to move them out of the trailer and into the Arc soon

 

[paintponylvr]

Too cute! I'm doing research on goats, want to learn more. I love all the pics - THANKS. Glad that all the girls' are taking care of their own babies this year. Do the goats switch off and care for other goats' babies if the original mom doesn't? Like a nursemare?

Hopefully the mares wait a while for you.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

No, they know which babies are there's. There is one exception. The doe that had triplets was cleaning the doeling from the other doe, while in labor. She is letting that doeling nurse(she thinks it's hers), as well as her three. Will probably pull two of the triplets and bottle feed. The triplets are not gaining much weight because the doe is feeding four. The other doe will not allow any of the triplets to nurse off her.

 

[Eagle]

Silly girls

you would think she had enough with 3!

 

[lexischase]

Oh my you have a LOT going on. The kids are all adorable, and I am glad the momma's are helping you out by caring for the kids!

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Well, last night about 5:50-6 pm, the second to last doe delivered one doeling and 1 buckling. That left only one doe to kid. I put her in the trailer with the other two new moms. We pulled the other babies and brought them in the house. Too cold out and the trailer was too full. Checked on the does in the trailer this morning, while returning babies to their moms. I am going to bottle feed the smallest two of the triplets. Mom can't keep up with them and the other two she lets nurse. Everybody in the trailer was good, so started feeding. Went to the trailer to grain and the last doe had a baby(doeling). She didn't show me any signs she was that close or even in labor. Stayed and she had another doeling. She is taking care of both of them.

I had to go out with four different colors of yarn and make necklaces for some of the babies. Five babies, from three different does, look alike.

My friend daughter(still in Washington and the owner) now has 13 babies out of 6 does. 10 doelings and 3 bucklings.

They were not due until March. Where as, mine(due this month), are still cooking their babies. I'm running out of Feb.

Will get pictures later, I haven't even been able to send pictures to the owner.

 

[eagles ring farm]

you have been busy. They are all so cute

 

[Eagle]

CONGRATULATIONS

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Well, we may have mini-Lamancha's by the end of the day. Looks like of of our does is in labor.

Here's pictures of Design(328 days). I didn't take a picture from behind because with her wooly and white coat it's hard to see the position of baby. Her butt is getting looser and she stays by herself more. Needs to hold out a few more days. Nighttime temps will be in the mid to high 40's and the daytime temps are on the rise. I say she is a little V'd(compared to earlier pictures), but Kari doesn't think so.

Shadow(309 days), no changes, just huge. I think it's a colt because she never got this big with her two fillies(same sire for all three).

Miss Te(298 days) Here's the story on her. We bred her to our smokey grullo(homozygous black and splash) stallion once. He was a little thin, so we decided not to breed her to him again. We were going to wait the 45 days and breed her to another stallion. When we first got her, she was very hard to catch. She was at the end of her heat cycle and we were trying to catch her. She went over by a weak spot in the fence that had my silver smokey black stallion. He went through and covered her twice(she was kicking him, but that didn't stop him). DNA testing I know! If she was covered by the second stallion she is about 290 days.

I'll get pictures of the other three mares later, there is no changes on them. Just fat!

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Oh love reading all about your little goats. We took a year off of breeding goats and then bought 2 minis.. well... not knowingly, we bought a pregnant mini and so here we are..any day now waiting for that new little arrival. I was having such a hard time not having any goats bred this year but am glad now that we didnt. Goat kidding season is so much work for us. We have the very large Boer breed and they seem to triplet out every year.. big healthy babies. I have never yet had to have a bottle baby because I work so hard on making sure the mammas WILL feed ALL their babies and by golly even if I have to tie a goat up... she will nurse her babies.. all three of them.. so it is a lot of work here for me for the first few days after a Doe kids but usually they decide to take all three, but if a new doe doesnt like to nurse a baby.. she gets in trouble with me and I make her nurse the baby. Some like to have bottle babies.. (not me so I go the extra length to not have bottle babies). So glad you have so much new excitement of new life blooming at your place. Your horse looks to be right behind our Mini in foaling times. This will be so much fun for new comers to visit your home.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

I'm only bottle feeding two of our friends baby goats. Their mom was nursing them a little, but her mom was nursing them and her triplets. The triplets were not gaining weight, so we pulled the twins. We just milk their mom. Funny thing is, the owner told us only one of the six does(that were pregnant) would take care of their kids. They couldn't get any of the does to take care of their babies last year. We were able to get all the does to take care of their babies. Even ones not there's.

We are bottle feeding our mini-Alpines because one was reserved to a neighbor(blue eyed buckling). Her kids wanted to bottle feed. He will be brought over this afternoon to be banded. His brother is being banned today also because he has been sold, as well as my brown-eyed Nigerian doeling. The Nigerian was being nursed by mom, but we pulled her so the new owners could take her.

At 11:30(AZ time), we had a blue-eyed mini-Lamancha doeling. The younger Lamancha kidded. Her mom is huge, so she needs to pop soon. She can barely walk, just waddles. Mom was due before daughter, but the goats around here are writing their own book.

Here's pictures, still unfolding and a little wet.

 

[Eagle]

aahhhhhhhh Adorable. Congratulations again LOL

 

[AnnaC]

What adorable little piggies - many congratulations!!

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Design is at 330 days, Shadow is at 311 days, and Miss Te is at 300 days.

I'll get pictures tomorrow. Our last goat(Lamancha) has finally decided to kid today, so busy watching her.

Design is a little looser in her private area and her milk bar is a little fuller, but she is still in a holding pattern. Shadow and Miss Te are the same. Shadow usually starts bagging up 1-2 weeks before she foals, if there is no trigger. If Design foals before her, watch out. Not ready to foaling in 60 seconds. She also doesn't get a huge bag until a few hours before delivery or right after.