What a Week!

It started with rain, cold and Mouse, and ended with a total of 10 new goat kids! Number eleven was born Saturday.

Several of "the girls" had been quite huge for some time - here even Munchie is beginning to wonder just how many kids Adelle is carrying.

But neither she nor Angel (who was also as wide as she is tall) had their babies right away. The first was Chocolate Kiss, who had a lovely little black and white reverse-badger-faced doe, a carbon copy of her grandmother Mazie, who died last winter.

Chocolate Kiss and Kiss Me Kate

Then, Kiss's mom, Daisy, had a very handsome black and tan buck kid - showing a HUGE presence, even at one day of age:

Daisy and the Duke

Angel finally gave out with one, just one! But the kid, is more than lovely enough to make up in quality what her mother lacked in quantity. Angelique is a beautiful, soft caramel color with blue eyes!

Angel and Angelique

Margarita was next with - finally! - a set of twins! Maria is a beautiful tri-color with frosted ears, while Miguel is jet black with frosted ears.

Pygora Margarita with Miguel and Maria

But her kids are little devils. We have two big "circular brooms" (from a street sweeper) for the goats to scratch themselves on. These are huge affairs, weighing several hundred pounds each, and are great for self-grooming. The hollow cores, however, make excellent if unfortunate hiding places for naughty kids. Poor Margarita spends half her day looking for the little demons, while they sit, snug as bugs in a rug, and watch her frantic searching.

The big brush -- and half of what's hidden inside.

Finally, FINALLY, Adelle went into labor. It was a day-long affair, culminating in a wet pile of TRIPLETS just as it grew dark. We wondered if she had one more, because - even though they were good sized - she still seemed quite large. But hubby opined that she would stop at three because there weren't any more colors.

One white, one tan, one bi-color dark chocolate and tan, and all does.

Adelle is going to be our nominee for mother of the year. Although this is her first time kidding, she jumped right in and is the best possible mother, nursing and nurturing her brood with amazing attention.

Phoebe is going to be nominated for surprise mother of the year. We didn't even know she was pregnant until she showed up with a new little white kid! He seems to have some slight disability with a rear leg, but is bounding and bleating with the best of them.

The does take turns "babysitting" at dinner time - first Margarita, then maiden cashmere doe Dorrie:

Phoebe and her kid on the left.

If you look closely you can count nine of the ten kids at dinner time: Mouse is still a house goat.

Shearing Goats

Saturday dawned with a beautiful cool breeze, though it was predicted to be in the 90's by mid-afternoon. We drove off to farmers' market with some dread about returning home to 4 more hours of shearing in the hot sun. But - thanks to fingers and toes crossed - things went remarkably smoothly.

Some bystanders

Fred showed up about the same time as a bit of shade began to creep under the big tree just outside of the goat pen, and it continued to grow each hour, so we had some respite from the heat. Plus, I can't help but think that the goatie girls were deLIGHTED to be shorn of their 6-month fleeces.

Daisy waiting with Eddy and Poppy


Munchie only had 4 months' fleece - she was born in April

Of course, there are always a few characters in the group. Can't you just tell that these girls are not going to be cooperative?

Chocolate Kiss and Margarita give us the stink-eye ...


... while Maddy and Angel (note that tummy!) practically wait in line.


If anything, Angel seems quite eager to get on with it!

Hubby and I penned the goats, then brought them one at a time for their "spa treatments." Each got a shearing, a foot trim (Fred did the front and I did the back feet while Michael swept and bagged fleece), a quick check up, and a spray of Permectrin. (Try as we might, lice continue to plague many of the girls.)

Of the dozen we sheared, most seemed quite happy, maybe grateful, even if exposed in an unflattering way:

Daisy is calm and relaxed, even though embarrassingly exposed, while Angel is patient as ever.

We discovered that most, if not all, seem to be growing nice, big bellies, so we could have kids as early as the end of September. Eddy, the little buck, was sheared, trimmed and sprayed, then escorted - grudgingly - back to the boys pasture, having done his job well and with obvious success.

A fine time was had by all, and it only took a little over three hours. The hot tub was up to temp by the time we were done, so after chores I made myself a wine spritzer and retired to my own "spa treatment."

Now I get to play with (skirt, pick, sort, weigh and price) a dozen lovely new fleeces.

Munchie's lovely little baby fleece