Starlight Kids

Starlight's new kids: Harriett Ann (L) and Liam. (R).

Starlight brought her litter of two into the world a couple of days ago. The kids look just like her, so I assume that Skyler, the young man from whom I purchased Starlight, was correct in assessing that the buck who bred her was most likely a dairy buck. After a couple of days of musing, we've named the pair Harriett Ann (for the doeling) and Liam (for the buckling). Liam is a lucky little goat, by having full dairy blood he's bought himself a life on the farm (as opposed to a date with someone's barbeque).

All white with pink skin, the only way I can tell them apart at this point is to pick them up and check the sex; however, Liam is proving to be rather gregarious, and it's a good guess that if a little white kid is chewing on my t-shirt or pants' leg that the goat is probably Liam. Starlight was very efficient, delivering and cleaning up after her kids while I was out; we were relieved that she had no difficulties.

As usual, the kids gravitated to the heat lamp we had left on in the stall, knowing right where they could bed down comfortably. Yesterday I moved the new family into a pasture with the alpacas because our bigger goats still pick on Starlight, and she has enough to deal with without having to worry about ornery goats. Since they're the newest and littlest, they got the heat lamp in their new stall. The air is not bitingly cold at all now, but I still prefer to give them the option of additional heat until each kid can better regulate his or her own body temperature.

Starlight is a very conscientious dam, attentive and alert yet relaxed enough to tolerate my interference with her new offspring. Welcome kids!