Kidding Season!

March is the start of kidding season here on the ranch.   The average Nigerian gestation is 145 days and I have three does that are due within hours of each other and should probably kid in about two weeks.

However, Mame's ligaments are already softening,  she is demanding maternity massages and has a history of kidding on day 142.   Maple is already more dialated than she was when she first started pushing last year on day 140!  And Choc-o-latte who is developing a very nice first freshening udder, has been losing her plug for several weeks now just like her dam did.  Oh yeah and her dam kidded the fisrt time on day 140 as well.  So you can bet we will be watching all three of them quite closely!

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In other news Rita is holding her lacation spelndidly!  She is 333 days in milk and still giving us about a half quart (1.1lbs) of rich creamy milk on once a day milking.  That may not seem like a lot, but a typical lacation is 305 days.  And I have been milking her just once a day for several weeks now trying to get her dried off.

Rita and her daughter Itty Bitty are due in June and will be our over winter milking goats.  Taking the place of Rita's dam Millie who was traded for the buck Tahoma Cadence last fall.   I was worried about not having a winter milking goat, but Rita has done a fine job and I'm sure will do even better next year with the later freshening date.

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