Welcome Theresa!

Again this year our brown-and-white spotted Nigerian Dwarf doe, Cocoa, presented us with a doeling as a fait accompli. What is different this year is that her offspring is solid colored for the most part. The little tan kid has mottled white ears and a couple of specks on her side rather like the spots seen on young deer (although, unlike a deer, I doubt that hers will disappear as she ages).

A singleton from our largest Nigerian Dwarf doe, this little blue-eyed doeling is larger and heavier than the kids Jennifer bore earlier this week. Indeed her size rivals that of the fainter doe Gwen's doeling, Mary, at birth. (This year I have been welcoming kids into the world without subjecting them to being weighed and measured, so all comparisons are subject to my shortcomings as an estimator.) With the arrival of Tony earlier this week, named for our kind and helpful neighbor, there was no question but that this gal would be named Theresa, for our other sweet and generous neighbor.

Little Theresa is solid and large, thanks to her singleton status in the womb. She's energetic, too, like Little Mary (Gwen's whirling dervish born in January). Although she arrived a bit late for our neighbor Theresa's birthday, she and the little buckling Tony made it here just in time for Valentine's Day. And she's smart, very smart, like her mother. This evening as I was settling the Nigerian Dwarf does and their kids into the barn for another night of temperatures in the 20's, the decision of where to settle Cocoa and Theresa was made by the hours-old doeling. When I stepped into the barn, there was Theresa standing directly before the heat lamp, soaking up its warmth and deriving strength from it. Thus, I decided to leave the new family on the open-to-the-pasture side with the female alpacas and the fainter family.

We are gratified to have this lovely little doeling as a part of our herd. She will thrive like Mary has, without giving us cause for concern. Welcome, Theresa!