Yesterday evening, just before six o'clock, Eponine had her babies. When I had gotten home from school at eleven, I noticed that her sides were a bit sunken in around her tail, which I remember happened to Lilly before she had her babies. Lilly didn't end up kidding until over twelve hours later, though, so I figured it would be the same for Eponine. I wasn't especially looking forward to birthing baby goats at midnight, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. Then, around four-thirty, I noticed she was having mild contractions. Each time she had one she would go and stand with her front feet up on a brick, I assume to get the babies into position.
I checked on her every fifteen minutes or so, and nothing else seemed to be happening. Then, I went over to our neighbors' house to tell her my goat was in labor. Then, I heard Eponine call to me from our yard. It was just her normal talking, so I figured my mom had gone out and she was just saying hi. But, all the same, I went back to check on her to make sure everything was all right.
Well, it as all right, but she was lying down on the ground trying to push a baby out. As soon as she saw me she started hollering (like really hollering). After maybe thirty seconds of pushing, in which I hurriedly spread out a towel on the ground and got my stuff together, her first baby was born, a little brown boy with a white saddle. We got him dried off, and over by Eponine's head so she could lick him and dry him off. The sun was pretty much gone at this point so we were trying to make do with a lamp and a flashlight.
You can never really tell how many babies there are, especially when the goat is lying down. But pretty soon she started to push again, and soon I could see one hoof, one nose, and a pink tongue. And she had another boy! This one was brown, and super fluffy once we got him dried off.
Originally, the plan had been for her to kid in the little shed in the goat yard. Obviously, that didn't happen, but we were running out of towels and the kids were getting into the dirt. Once everyone was relatively clean and dry, we moved the babies into the shed and the clean hay, and Eponine followed them over there.
She continued to lick them, and since we had a heat lamp in there we didn't have to worry about them getting too cold. She was a very good little Mama. Then, she put her front feet up on the doorframe of the shed, and started pushing again. It had been about ten minutes since she'd had the two boys, so I figured she was just trying to expel the afterbirth. So I just payed attention to the babies in the shed until all of a sudden, another baby fell right out onto the ground!!! Thankfully, we had a bunch of green stuff growing right there so it wasn't dirt and sticks. My mom picked the baby up while I frantically searched for a clean towel. Eponine, that's not how you're supposed to do it! I said to her. We got the little one cleaned off and breathing, and then put her under the heat lamp so Eponine would lick her. She was really lethargic at first, but perked up in no time at all. And no, I don't have any pictures of when she was just born. Ain't nobody got time for that.
We didn't have any more surprises after that, thankfully. Eponine is such a good girl and took care of her babies wonderfully. They all ate some, and the fluffy brown one (who is a sight larger than the other two) even attempted some jumping. He is the most energetic of all.
The two boys.
My little girl.
I didn't decide on names last night because it really was hard to see well. Temporarily, though, I had to have something to call them. This one is Moose because, well, he looks like one. He's the biggest and strongest.
The little boy is my Bull Calf. Again, because he just looks like one.
And my little girl is Little Girl.
Sorry for the overload of fluffy goatling pictures, but I took more this morning.
Moose is now named Dain, although he'll always be my moosie.I decided to name the boys after Dwarves because of their father who I named Thorin.
The Bull Calf is Frerin. He has little goblin ears - it's so cute! They must have been bent when he was growing or something.
My little girl still doesn't have a name - I want to make sure it's perfect for her. Yes, I will be selling all of these babies, but the names still have to be perfect.
The little girl will have horns, but I'm pretty sure both of the boys are polled.
I'm so thankful kidding went well and that everyone is healthy! Oh, and prepare to be overloaded with baby goat pictures!
Blessings,
Reyna
