Las Cabras Embarazadas

I don't speak Spanish.  I was actually going to title this post, "Los Goatos Pregnantes", but that turned out not to be real Spanish. 

Go figure. 

As I strive for accuracy (most of the time), I thought I'd go and translate it online for you, you know, just in case you want to say it at a party to impress your friends.  Or, if you'd like, in Italian (which I am, partly), le capre incinte.  That sounds pretty sophisticated too.  Go ahead, use it at your next party.  I think it would be a great conversation starter.  Let me know how it goes.

Anywho, los goatos es pregnantes, and it has been a real snotty-potty-head fest outside.  Woo!  I remember being pregnant.  I wasn't happy, either.  It is a time of short tempers and much more headbutting than ever before.  Lots of odd sleeping, too--in weird positions.  Goats falling asleep standing up with their heads against the doorframe, goats passing out with their heads in an empty grain bowl, and even today, Dulci stretching out in the sun on her side and plopping her head out on the ground.  That lasted all of 10 seconds, as the primary thing they've all been doing is beating each other up, so as soon as Minerva saw her--BAM!  She got her on up.  Dulci looked sorry to leave the sunny spot, though, let me tell you.

Yes, the attitude change is upon them, and it's been a wild ride.  The body changes have started to be substantial as well.  Submitted for your approval, exhibit A.

MINERVA

 Terror of the high seas, mistress of the goat yard.  It's not a great picture, and if you don't know my girls' body type (which you don't), you can't appreciate that bump.  My girls are fed a strict ration in a certain amount every day.  They are in nice condition, if not on the skinny side.  Two weeks ago, Minerva popped.  Now she's got a little baby bump where there was none.  Had I had no clue as to what else to look for (lack of heat, eating like a horse, sleeping like a zombie, crabby as hell), that would have given it away.   Well that, and the vulva.  But I'm going to spare you the vulva shots.  Let me just say, though, if you don't know if your goat's been bred, you gotta look at the rear end.  It tells the whole story.  That's all I'm going to say about that.  Unless you're all feeling feisty and want to know about goat vulvas.  Then I'll have at it.  But for now, I'll spare you.  :)

Anyway, Minerva, who is an Alpine, was bred to a moon-spotted Nubian named Prince.  She is due June 4th.

Exhibit B:

LILLY

Second in command, right hand to the captain.  If you can get past looking up her nose (as she was trying to eat the camera at the time), you can see the baby bump on her right.  She just popped as well.  Lilly is the one of my goats who loves to "skibble", which is what I call it when I let them out of their yard and they dance/sidestep/leap really fast down the driveway.  Pure glee, that's what it is.  Anyway, Lilly is my skibbler, and the other day she went to skibble, and OUCH--it hurt.  Little baby sacks were jiggling here and there, and the look on her face was plainly "THAT'S not comfortable".  She hasn't skibbled since.  One day I know she will skibble again, but that will be in June, after she's kidded on the 25th or thereabouts.  Stewart is the proud Papa in this case, so yep, another Nubian/Alpine cross.  I hope one of them has Yoda ears, I really do.

Exhibit C:

DULCINEA

The little outcast.   96 pound lap-goat (ask me how comfortable that is, go ahead).  Built like a little sausage right now.  Dulcinea was bred December 15, and is supposedly the furthest along.  I have a hard time believing her, though.  Not much bump, mostly she's just sausage shaped, which is unlike her, but she's not really showing otherwise.  However, not all goats do show, and she eats like a pig, won't get off my lap, and her vulva tells me she's bred.  Except for that weird heat she had last month (which could just be pregnancy hormones acting up), she seems bred.  If so, she's going to have LaMancha/Boer crosses, which could be interesting.  She's due May 14th, the earliest one.  We shall see.

Exhibit D:

CLEOPATRA

 

......Yeah, I couldn't get a picture.



The one thing all my other girls really like to do is chase Cleo.  Pretty Cleo.  Sweet Cleo.  Cleo of the beautiful fur.  Cleo the beat-upon.  Poor Cleo.

Cleo is not showing yet, but she was bred (thanks, Stewart) on February 6th and February 12th, so one of those is the date I have to go from.  Both were good breedings, I have no idea why they were so close together, since she stood for him both times.  Anyway, Cleo is mum as to whether or not she's settled.  She eats like the dickens, but that could just be her way.  Her rear end has told me nothing so far, but it is early.  Stewart might be my best indicator as to Cleo's state, as he used to share his grain with her when he "had a chance" with her.  Now he no longer will share with her, and instead of arguing with her (like he used to do), he simply butts her out of his tray.  I'm thinking he knows his window of opportunity has closed and so he doesn't need to be nice anymore.  But time will tell.  If Cleo is pregnant, she'll be my last kidding, due in July.  She'll have the Cadillac of milk goats, though, the Nubian/Boer cross.  That'll be something.

So yes, my girls are keeping me on my toes.  I've had to segment off their house so Minerva, Lilly and Stewart are on one side and Dulci and Cleo are on the other.  There was too much fighting when they were all together.  I'm also working on getting a kidding pen put together in the garage-barn, for when it's time.  In the meantime, I know they're not enjoying it (they are so grouchy), but I am enjoying their pregnancies.  Goats are a bundle of personalities, and being pregnant has made them even more interesting.  Of course, I appreciate it because I'm the one who's not pregnant. 

In this case, the grass IS greener on the other side of the fence.