Prof. Sam Lawler
Still no baby goats - really hoping today is the day (because tomorrow is all day Zoom meetings)
The plus side of having to go out to the barn at 2am to check on pregnant goats is that there were faint auroras (which actually must have been pretty bright just to compete with the nearly-fully moon), and I heard 2 great horned owls calling back and forth to each other.
Prof. Sam Lawler
I'm reasonably sure the mama goat is *finally* in labour! I'm going to go sit in the barn with my tablet and read a neutrino PhD thesis while keeping her company and making sure everything goes smoothly.
Prof. Sam Lawler
THIS IS NOT A DRILL: WE HAVE BABY GOATS!!!
Oh my gosh they're so cute
Prof. Sam Lawler
Still no babies.
But I did get to watch the llama and the livestock guardian dog having an extremely chill disagreement about whether this hay bale is a comfy watchtower or a delicious snack.
Prof. Sam Lawler
STILL no babies! I was so sure she was going to have them last night I turned on the heat lamp for her. Only to find a very comfortable, very pregnant goat, basking under the heat lamp when I checked on her at 2am and 6am (man I am tired...) Last year one of my goats was 5 days late and all the babies had severe nutritional problems, which I worked really hard to not have this year...ugh farming is hard.
Anyway...the baby chicks are doing great! (Definitely in their "awkward stage" though)
Prof. Sam Lawler
...still no baby goats. But it's actually been kind of nice to force myself to go outside and check on the very pregnant one every hour or so during all these meetings!
Prof. Sam Lawler
augh still no baby goats. Probably will have them at 2am.
Prof. Sam Lawler
Still no babies! That poor mama goat is huge and her udder is so big it is painful to look at.
Starting to get a bit worried, but she's not quite late enough for it to be likely there are any problems (also there are no vets at all anywhere around here who work on goats, so I'm on my own whatever happens ☹️ )
Prof. Sam Lawler
Still no baby goats.
But the livestock guardian dog found THE BEST spot in the whole yard to guard from. What a good dog!
Prof. Sam Lawler
Guess what? Still no baby goats.
Prof. Sam Lawler
No baby goats yet, but it's nice to see all the animals enjoying the warm sun. That goat in the middle of the picture using the other goat as a pillow might be the most blissfully comfortable creature in the world.
Prof. Sam Lawler
...still no baby goats
Prof. Sam Lawler
Mama is doing an amazing job of cleaning them and feeding them already. Impressive work, mama!
I am extremely happy it's not 2am or -25C out. Yay!
Prof. Sam Lawler
Babies and mama are looking great (the mama passed the placenta with no trouble, yay).
They will get spoiled with a heat lamp tonight (even though it's not even getting below freezing tonight), and tomorrow night I think they'll be just fine with snuggle-warmth.
I think I can safely sleep through the night tonight without a 2am barn check, but I have 2 more goats due in the next few days, so I'll make sure to fully enjoy my uninterrupted night's sleep tonight
Prof. Sam Lawler
Started my morning off right with baby goat snuggles
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