Bottle babies ~Layla's twins

Meet Layla's Twins.  The doeling is on the left and the buckling is on the right.  We decided to bottle feed these guys since we won't be keeping them.  We are hoping to sell them as bottle babies.  What that means is that tonight they are in the house and have been getting colostrum (first milk) that we milked from their Momma about every two hours.  Luckily most baby goats sleep all night so we don't have to get up and feed them.  Tomorrow we will feed them 4-5 times during the day,  the next day 4 times a day for about a week then three times a day for a month or so before we drop it to twice a day.  We are hoping that we won't have them that long though.

Our kids were at college when Layla decided it was time so my husband was forced into action.  He did great helping me dry the babies and introducing them to their Momma.

The little buckling had quite a bit of fluid in his lungs and Pat had to help me hang him upside down to drain it out.  For a little bit I didn't know if he was going to make it.






We disbud the babies anywhere between 2 days old and 2 weeks old.  It still amazes me that there is such a difference in the bucks horn buds and the does.  The little bucks come out with horn buds that need to be burnt off in the first few days and the little girls horns are tiny and not really ready to be burnt until a week or better.  We learned early on that it is better to do them earlier than later, especially if you don't want scurs.  This is not a fun job but it goes quick and the babies are nursing their Momma's or bottles in just a few minutes and have forgotten what just occurred.

Rosies twins are busy romping around the barnyard and bouncing off the walls of the barn.  It is so much fun to watch them play.

Funny thing happened with Rosie and Peppa (our big Alpine herd queen) the day after she gave birth.  Seems Peppa picked a fight with Rosie and they bashed heads for 20 minutes.  Peppa lost the caps off her horns and was all bloody before she decided to give up.  Rosie is the boss now......it is so funny to see Peppa slinking about the barnyard in fear.  One good thing that has come of it is that Dora (the low goat on the totem pole) now gets to eat hay and hang out in the barn without any issues from Peppa.  You go Rosie girl, you rock!