Cocoa's Coup

Cocoa with her new kids.

We've been watching two Nigerian Dwarf does, Jennifer and Cocoa, for over a week now--trying to gauge when they'll kid. Yesterday I kept both does indoors, in the maternity stall with doors open to the air, not leaving them to roam. After the recent poultry losses to young dogs, I'm not ready to trust Biscuit with brand-new kids roaming free in the woods anytime soon.

I've been expecting Jennifer to kid first because she's gotten so big, but then again she just kept getting bigger for weeks the last time she kidded. When they were leaving the barn two mornings ago, Cocoa's bag looked full enough to accommodate new kids so I should not have been surprised to find her with kids on the ground last evening.

Cocoa's doeling is less robust than the senior twin.

Although I expected her to deliver a big singleton, as she has done twice before now, she surprised us with twins this time. The firstborn, a little buckling, is a pretty yellowy-tan and white--with wattles and blue eyes. He's strong and sure of himself, and greedy--everything a healthy kid needs to survive. The doeling is black-and-white, considerably smaller and weaker than her big brother. She has blue eyes and wattles, too, but her wattles are placed higher than I've seen before--one of these pieces of "goat jewelry" is actually attached at the base of her ear, much like an earring. The other one is lower down, but still closer to the ear than any I've seen before this.

Doe and her offspring both display "goat jewelry" or wattles.

Names are in the offing; however, we'll wait a day or two to be sure both kids will make it before making any definitive decisions.