Goat-O-Rama Kids of 2017

[Nanno]

Phil and I often walk as the day begins to cool during the glow of evening light.  
   


With eighteen goats, we can rightfully claim to have a proper herd now! 
   

The goats enjoy the view as much as Phil and I do. 
   

Rocky says, "Babies stink!"
   

Babies also want up! 
   

"Are you sure you want up, Lightning?" 
   

Of course he wants up! Ears taste just like potato chips!   
   

[Nanno]

I love my beautiful Tigerlily. She seems to be thriving lately and is making way too much milk! 
   

Can you count all eighteen goats? 
   

Finally, a bad photo of our new girls, Nauti and TinCup! They're sweet, sweet girls and should add some really nice things to our herd, not least of which is better udders. They are currently on the thin side because they are such high milk producers, but they should fill out nicely once they dry off. They're yearlings and should be very big girls once they're done growing.  
   

We call this the baby goat rock. I wonder why? 
   

Flying babies!!
   
   

[DownUnder Gal]

Those are good looking new does Nanno. Can you post some more pics? And how the "kids" have grown! I'm so glad you've found great homes for them It still looks very green there even though you've had such warm weather.

[Nanno]

I finally got some photos of our new Alpine does, Tin and Nauti, this afternoon! It's been raining nearly every night at walk time, so many of our walks have either had to be cancelled or cut short as we try to get everyone under shelter before we all get fried by lightning. But today I finally brought the camera! We still got rained on a little, but not too bad. 

The two girls are doing great. They've established their places in the herd and aren't being kicked out of shelters when it rains. They consistently follow the troop around the property to browse, and they've formed a bond with Tigerlily in particular. Nauti is on the left and TinCup is on the right.  
   

The girls adore Phil. He pets them and talks to them every morning when I milk, and he spoils them with treats the rest of the time. 
   

Tin and Pluto share a moment. The girls were terrified of our dogs at first, but it didn't take them long to adjust. 
   

Nauti needs to gain some more weight! She's a hard worker and has been putting every ounce of extra fat into the milk pail. I cut her back to once a day milking and hopefully that will help a lot. 
   

TinCup is delighted to be up to her ears in eatables. 
   

I've been feeding the girls a little supplemental alfalfa in the evenings before I let everyone else into the pen. They seem to appreciate it. Sometimes I let the babies in there with them. The girls are both wonderful with the kids. Nauti has been helping Nubbin by nursing a couple of the triplets every morning when I put her on the stanchion. As long as I supervise to make sure they're being gentle, she doesn't kick at them. 
   
   

Hi Tin!!
   

[Nanno]

Run Nubblets!!!
   

Look at those matching banded legs standing all in a row in the trough! 
   

Sox is fast becoming a very handsome young man. 
   

Westin says, "I'm handsome too!" 
   

I think they're both handsome. 
   

S-t-r-e-t-c-h Westin!
   

[Nanno]

Our siblings are going to be quite distraught when I separate the brothers into the boys' pen in the next week or so. I was hoping to have begun weaning them already, but the constant rain has made me hesitant to put anyone in a situation where they might be chased out of shelter. The boys are starting to get fresh with the older ladies, but they are so far maintaining a fairly innocent love for their sisters so it's probably safe to keep them together a bit longer.   
   

Sanibel looks so much like her pappa! 
   

What's with the pouty lip? 
   

Little Coral has the most innocent face of any goat I've ever met. What makes it even sweeter is that it's actually genuine! She's a truly adorable little goat--not mischievous or bossy or even greedy. It might be too much to wish that she stays that way, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.  
   

Westin's markings are getting more and more striking. It's a pity his black martingale will likely disappear once he's wethered.  
   

[IdahoNancy]

Those are the prettiest goats you have had. I love them all.

[GoldenTreePackGoats]

I like his markings, is it typical for their markings to change once wethered?

[Nanno]

Thanks Nancy!

Whether a wether changes when wethered depends on his color to start. Bucks have darker, more prominent black markings along the shoulders and back. These will fade and get narrower if he's wethered, and some of them may disappear altogether. Finn and our old boy Pac-Man had very wide, prominent black martingales on their shoulders when they were bucks, but these disappeared entirely after they were wethered. I believe Pac-Man's dorsal strip disappeared as well. Many wethers keep their dark dorsal stripe but it is narrower and often not quite as deep black as it would be if he stayed a buck.

[Taffy]

I hadn't realized the black markings faded. I hope Westin's are an exception! They're gorgeous. I'll have to check Pac-Man's markings next time I'm at their house.