How to get a doe to go into labor (7 easy steps):
- Make a medical appointment
- Check on the goats; ensure they all look stable.
- Shower
- Put on a nice outfit.
- Feel cute and blow out your hair.
- Very important: Check goats one more time before leaving. At least one should have a head hanging out of her rear end.
- Cancel appointment
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All kidding aside, Pearl caught me by surprise today. She was bred to Trigger last fall for F3 kids. It was her 148th day; her udder was marginally bigger, and her ligaments were marginally softer at 7am. She seemed a little distracted, but was otherwise acting normally. A cold weather front was due to push in the following day, so I figured she would probably not kid until then, but I planned to do frequent checks just in case. At 10:30 am, there was no change. I had a medical appointment at 1pm, and figured I had plenty of time. Nope. As I was on my way to the car at 12:30, I decided to take a detour to the preggo-pen and sure enough, there was Pearl with baby number 1 trying to make an appearance. I hustled her to the kidding stall just in time to dry off buckling number 1 – a tiny, 2lb,14oz piebald boy. As soon as he was out, a brother quickly followed. This one looked just like Pearl with longer ears, and is likely polled. Next to his brother, he’s an enormous 5lbs. Since the ultrasound said to expect triplets, I checked again and right on cue was baby number 3. This one was a black girl with long frosted ears, splitting the difference at 3lbs, 14oz. She is also polled. Pearl is being an attentive (if somewhat stunned) mother; her kids are nursing easily from a well-attached soft udder with large orifices. I will be checking my reservation list after our first round of kidding this weekend is complete.