April 7th around 7am I put the goats to pasture, and checked Yale’s hip pins. They were fading, so I knew birthing was near. I had assumed it was within the week because she was extremely needy, aggressive, and was licking everyone. At 8am her plug was releasing. Then 9am I decided to go see if her pins were gone. Labor was beginning.
Tulsa round her babies up and had them lay down. Then she laid down, blocking them from bugging Yale. Usually nap time is her time to get some peace, but this was way early. Unlike Tulsa, Yale is very vocal. She screamed and wailed her way through the first phase. She laid down and got up with every contraction, pacing and pawing the ground. At one point she just stuck her head to the ground and screamed. The neighbors horses came down to check, as did the dogs. All keeping a great distance. Gingersnaps escaped and came running. Yale just sat there licking her senseless. Ginger didn’t seem to mind.
Finally, the first bubble. I could see a hoof and nose. Yale walked over to a large patch of clover. It was ten minutes before I would meet the little one. Tulsa and her crew immediately came to check her out. Rodeo was hooked. He didn’t leave Yale until she birthed all three, and even then he checked on her and the babies every few minutes. It was really sweet.
The first one was a runt at 4.5 lbs. She is brown and white, and by far the spunkiest.
The second and third came out almost at the same time. Although it took a half hour after the first, mainly because the first was so needy.
Second one is a boy. He is black and white, and weighed in at 8 lbs. Third is a gray girl with black markings at 8 lbs, too.
They look completely different from each other.
Yale was completely overwhelmed, and had a difficult time caring for them. She cleaned them, and tried the nurse. I aided as best I could. I moved them to the stall, and there they stayed for two days. It wasn’t until Tulsa and her crew were out to pasture, and she had a whole day to rest, eat, and bond that she seemed to get a groove going. Her last and first pregnancy was a single and I think she just didn’t know what to do with triplets. She would care for one, then another would cry, and she would look at each and back away. Then sit and cry at me. Now she is still nervous but mostly about them running in three different directions.
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- Yale screaming into ground
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- Our spunky runt is born
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- Yale checking out all three
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- The three little ones tucked in for their first night
