The first goat kid of the year: Sweetheart!

💝

💖 On Valentine's Day, Sweetheart was born.💖

(type is red because she was born on Valentine's Day.  Duh)

GUESS WHO KIDDED?....

Suprise surprise!! Starburst kidded at 8:00 P.M., February 14, Valentine's Day, and Sweetheart was brought into the world....

On Valentine's Day I noticed around 9:00 A.M. that Starburst had "goo", the opaque discharge they get before kidding.  All day we had her in Minty's stall and watched her.  Then, that night we moved her back out to the pasture as the other nannies had to go to bed (the other nannies are huge, so we thought that they would kid first).  I went inside around 5:30pm.  Dad and Dock were out working in the shop, Mom and I were inside. 

  For three hours I played my violin, and then Mom mentioned that I should check the goats before bed.  I threw on a hoodie, grabbed a flashlight, and went outside into the starry night (it was around 8:00 by this time).  As I was passing Starburst's stall, I heard a grunt.  But this wasn't just any grunt.  This was the specific grunt that the nannies make when they are pushing out a kid.  I knew instantly that she was kidding.  I looked into the shed (she was smart enough to go into the shed to kid instead of out in the pasture in the snow) and I saw the kid's hooves and mouth were presenting ready to come out with a few more pushes.

  I ran to the house, flew open the front door and hollered at Mom.  "She's kidding!"  

Mom instantly closed the door and I ran back to Starburst in my nightgown and hoodie.  For what seemed an eternity but was only a couple minutes I waited.  Mom had to change into her chore clothes, but arrived with towels and iodine to dip the kid's naval in so that it wouldn't get infected.  I ran inside and dressed in snow clothes, than ran back out.  Within 30 seconds of me coming back the kid slid out of Starburst.  We swiftly dried her off and then moved Minty into the pasture and Starburst into Minty's stall where the heat-lamp was.  We were not expecting Starburst to kid until the first of March as that was the second exposure to Frosty where we saw her get bred!

  She was soon dry and sucking Starburst vigorously.  I inspected the kid.  She was indeed a doeling, but the most exciting thing to me was her color!  She is the color of Frosty!

She is like a cou blanc, however where the frosted back like on Frosty would be, it is a mingled tan and silver, with tan on her eyebrows. I'm not quite sure what color she is.  She is so dainty, and beautiful.  And fluffy!  I've never seen a fluffier kid- except Frosty!  Anyways, I'm in love with her.

Because she was born on Valentine's Day,  I've named her Sweetheart.  I've also named her this because a sweetheart is a candy, and I want to name all of Starburst's kids candy names (because a starburst is a candy).  

Now they have been moved today into the old bunny/rabbit barn, where Puddins is bedded in order for us to separate Sweetheart from Starburst during most of the day as Starburst is going to dam raise her and she is doing a good job!  We want to make sure that for the first week or so, Starburst won't lose her bond with Sweetheart, but that Sweetheart can only nurse 3 times a day until the chapped udder gets healed and her milk comes in.  This is the reason why usually young first time mothers will reject their kids as the udders are tender and sore.

💕Sweetheart💕

Nursing vigorously.

Starburst "kissing" Sweetheart

Starburst, as proud as a mother can be.

And me, with Sweetheart.  She is so beautiful😍.  I simply cannot stop kissing her!💋

   We wait for the other 4 to deliver as they are hours away- most likely by the end of this Weekend.  So stay tuned as more baby goat posts will be coming within the next 48 hours! 

 I've crossed my fingers.  Who will kid next? 🐐