Udder Update

I am pretty please with all three does' udders and milk production, and yesterday I took some pictures.  We milk twice a day and weigh each doe's milk individually, so we know what they are producing.  Once our machine milker gets here (I have really bad hands/wrists, and with soon to be 4 in milk, my hands are dying milking them all), I may pour off each doe separately to be weighed, or may do it all together, by my husband will continue hand milking at least a couple times a week, so we know who is doing what still.

Amber freshened first, and was doing at least 2lbs per day (there are about 8 lbs in a gallon, so about a quart/day) from the start.  Yesterday, she did 3lbs in a 24hr period (2 milkings)!

Here is her udder at 14 hours in milk, 2 weeks fresh yesterday morning:

And yesterday evening, about 10hours milk, 2 weeks fresh (so the next milking):

Peekaboo kidded two days after Amber, and her production this year is surpassing what she did last year (this is her 4th freshening).  She started out at just under 2lbs/day, and by 3 days fresh was over 2lbs/day.  Now she is at about 2.75lbs/day.  Her teats are good sized, have nice open orifices, and great udder texture making her quite nice to milk.

Here she is yesterday morning, 13 days fresh, 14hours milk:

Peekaboo last night (the next milking), 13 days fresh, 10 hours milk:

Lindy freshened on 3/10, with a single buckling for her first freshening.  I am very, very impressed with FF udder!  I had read/heard so much about tiny udders and very little milk from first fresheners, that I wasn't expecting much.  She sure has surprised me!  By 2 days fresh, she was giving over 2lbs/day, and is now giving about 2.5lbs/day.  She is by far my most easily milked doe, with great teat placement, large teats, wide open orifices and great texture!  I am so excited to see how the rest of her lactation goes, and to see what she does next year in her second freshening!

Lindy however, does not like to pose nicely for pictures, but this should give a good idea at least. Here she is at 11 days fresh, 14 hours milk (please ignore the bad trim job):

This is the next milking, 11 days fresh, 10 hours in milk.  The pictures are a bit blurry, but show the overall shape of her udder.

Alibi is not due until 4/8/2012, so we are expecting babies sometime after 4/4 (all the other delivered 3-4 days before their due date).  Her udder is coming along as well.

Peekaboo's Twins-3/9/2012

Peekaboo kidded twins at 3am March 9th.  It was a long night waiting her out, but we did it and the birth went well.  The buckling was first, at 5lbs 3oz; he was a big guy!  Doeling followed a few minutes later at 4lbs 2oz.  Both are doing very well, and are hanging out with the other kids in the kid pen.  Everyone is getting the hang of the bottle and moms are recovering well.

Here is the buckling (Brown eyes) (1st picture is last night, and hour after birth; the rest are from today):

And doeling (blue eyes) (again, 1st picture from one hour after birth, the rest are from today)

The doeling will probably be retained, the buckling is available.

Girls Photo Update

I went out and took some pictures of the girls today, to show their progress.  They are doing well and getting big!

First up, Lindy!  Lindy is due either 2/29, or 3/4-3/16.  At this point...your guess is as good as mine.  Her udder is coming along nicely for a first freshener, but her ligaments are still really firm, so she may have a while yet.  i think she will have one, but could surprise us with two (she just isn't very wide).

Next up is Amber, who is due 3/4-3/16.  She is getting quite big; I am starting to wonder if she will give us triplets?  Her ligaments are softening and her udder is coming along really nicely.  It would not surprise me if she goes in the next couple days (a few days early is common with Nigerian Dwarfs).

Next is Peekaboo, also due between 3/4-3/16.  Her udder is looking good, ligs are a bit soft.  She looks about like she did last year with twins, so we are guessing two from her this time too. (Sorry for the one pooping pictures, however it shows her udder better than the others I took).

Finally, Ali.  Ali is due either 3-4-3/16, or 4/8.  We have felt kicking baby(ies) and she is getting a nice little udder.  She does still have a ways to go yet, so I am thinking either the end of the March window, or her April date.  No guess yet on how many.

And that's the RainySunday Ranch photo update for today!  Maybe babies soon!

Peekaboo 2012

Peekaboo (Northern Fork Bog Peekaboo) was introduced last year when we brought her home.  She was purchased bred and kidded twin bucklings for us on Memorial Day 2011.  This year, she is bred to our buck, Sunday, and is due between March 4-16, 2012, but if she goes less than 150 days, we could be looking at 2/29.  Last year she had great udder texture, but didn't stay in milk as long as I would like, so I am excited to see if she improves this year.  She looks/feels about like she did last year, so I am hoping for at least twins again from her.  Here is her pedigree again (she is ADGA registered):


Sire: AGS MBF Kimbers Buck O Gunner
       Sire's Sire: AGS Woodhaven Farms Buck Owens
       Sire's Dam: AGS MBF Kimber
Dam: Frasers Eclipse
       Dam's Sire: AGS Tupence Matrix
       Dam's Dam: AGS Foxmeadows Luna


Last Year's Udder:

Funny Face:

*I have no idea why this is formating weird, but I can't fix it, so, at least you can read it.  Ugh, technology.

Kid Games

Peekaboo's babies are here!  Twin bucklings were born on Memorial Day (5/30/2011).  They are both black and white like their Daddy, Lily Creek JS Bo.  Their names are Hopscotch (born first, weighing about 4 lbs) and Tag You're It (born about 10 minutes after his brother and weighing 3lbs 3oz).  They are both super cute and doing great on the bottle (taking just about 9oz/bottle, 3 times a day).

Peekaboo is milking well also!  She has great udder texture and good rear attachment.  She is milking about 2.25 lbs per day, which is good for only 2 weeks fresh.  And she is great on the stand!

So far, we plan to keep both boys until weaning (3mos), then sell one, either intact or as a wether, and keep the other for breeding.  We will be getting another buckling from a local breeder who is about the same age to be our other breeding buck.  So, considering I planned to wait to get a buck for at least a few years (and was okay with never having one), 3 months into this, we plan to have two...sigh, this is addictive.

Now for pictures:

Meet Peekaboo

Peekaboo (ADGA registered: Northern Fork Bog Peekaboo) is the most recent addition to our Nigerian Dwarf herd.  She is a beautiful tricolor doe with frosted ears and muzzle and is quite sweet.  She came to us already bred to Lily Creek Farm JS Bo.  She is due the first two weeks in June and we are very excited to see her kid(s)!  We have our fingers crossed for at least one doeling!

So far, Peekaboo spends her time in the goat pen in her own kidding stall, as our herd queen is a bit ruthless and really like butting the other girls in the side (not good when the one being butted is very pregnant!).  They do get to spend the daytime hours in the pasture together, where Peek has room to get away if she needs to.  I assume they will work it out after Peek has kidded and is in the main pen with the others.

Peekaboo is a sweet doe, but still a bit shy.  She is easy to catch and willingly walks on lead to and from the pasture each morning and night.  Tomorrow, she starts her milk stand training, as we will be milking her as soon as she kids.  She will also be getting her "kidding hair cut/shave" this week so we can keep track of her progress a bit easier (as well as keep her clean after she kids).  Should be interesting to see how she does with the clippers!

Later this week we will start taking udder progress pictures, to see how she grows and changes as those babies get closer!

Northern Fork Bog Peekaboo Pedigree:

Sire: AGS MBF Kimbers Buck O Gunner
       Sire's Sire: AGS Woodhaven Farms Buck Owens
       Sire's Dam: AGS MBF Kimber
Dam: Frasers Eclipse
       Dam's Sire: AGS Tupence Matrix
       Dam's Dam: AGS Foxmeadows Luna