Variations on a Theme

I looked at all the goat babies today, all together, and noticed something.  That is, that the way they came out, even though they are the same "breed", is really different.  All four of them are Nubian/Alpine crosses.  With Olive and Amelia, you can tell.  Those ears are a dead giveaway.  But with the two new ones?  Well, not so much.

Submitted for your approval....

Olive

 

No...wait...hold on.  Olive.

 

Ok, no, no that won't work.  Olive.

 

Dangit Amelia!  Move it!  Olive!

Ok, yes, Olive.  Olive of the airplane ears, coming in for a landing.  Even as a new baby, she had the airplane ears.

Yep, they've gotten bigger and stick out more, but they were always there.  Just like her sister, Amelia.

Stop moving, you little monkey.  Amelia.

 

Too close honey, too close.  Amelia.

No, Olive, not you.  I saw you already.  Amelia.

Um....not quite.  Amelia?

Much better.  Amelia's airplane wings can either look like she's about to take off,

Neyaruuummmm!!  Coming in for a landing!!!

or like Yoda, or a gremlin, depending on how she holds them.

As you know, these are Minerva's babies, and she was bred to a Nubian at a local dairy.  I think his name was Prince.  We didn't become very acquainted, so I don't really remember.  Amelia is a spitting image of mama, but in brown. 

See that?  Freaky!  Minerva is the white version of Amelia!

 

I have no idea where Olive's patterns came from.  The ears on both, however, are Alpine in size (maybe a little larger), but lower on their heads, tilted differently, and have the flick on the end from their Nubian roots.  In other words, you can see the cross.

Lilly's babies?  Not so much.  Now Lilly, who is brown with a black stripe and some white here and there was bred to Stewart, our Nubian buck, who is also brown with a black stripe and some white here and there--so it's no surprise that the babies are brown with a black stripe and some white here and there.  But the ears I don't get.

Not an airplane wing in sight.

 

Here's mama....

And here's little Oscar...

 

And little Tallulah

You'd swear Lilly didn't even show up, they look so much like daddy.  Down to the Roman noses, even. 

All the little ones are doing very well.  Amelia and Olive are super bouncy, getting heavy and very tall, and Oscar and Tallulah are getting around very well for newly hatched, but I can't keep all of them.  Now that I'm done with kidding for the year, I have to make some decisions.  I discussed with my husband previously that I'd like to keep one girl from each of my girls.  As Tallulah is the only girl from Lilly, she stays.  Oscar, unfortunately, will have to move on.  I just don't need another buck.  And yes, it breaks my heart.

But the hardest decision of all is what to do about Olive and Amelia.  They've been here nearly 4 weeks, and I just love them.  But they can't both stay.  So do I go with the beautifully marked Olive?  Or do I go with the plainer, but sits in my lap all the time to cuddle Amelia?  I am at a loss.  If you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it.  Please?