#8 and #9 have arrived! warning birth pictures

If you read my last post you know my doe lost her mucus plug and I was sure I would be helping to deliver babies at any time.  See that white bucket on the monitor?  That is where I sat until my butt was numb with cold.  Papa bear had set up the barn camera so we could hear the does when they were in labor.  They all get very loud and verbal.  Of course the doe who was showing signs of beginning labor got in the far corner of the birthing stall out of the cameras eye.  I finally came inside the house around midnight and while I was inside all I could hear was her pawing and shuffling over the monitor.

I awoke about 4am and pulled jeans and sweatshirt over my pj's and went to the barn.  I thought I may have slept too hard and not heard her.  Fat chance of that as the Marine knew I was in the livingroom on the sofa and called me every 10 minutes or so.  My doe was still just making a deeper and deeper hay nest.  No signs of hard labor yet.

I came inside made coffee.  At 5:30 I gave the Marine the last of his prednisone medication and at 6:00 gave him his morning meds, tube feeding and a breathing treatment.  At 6:45 I grabbed a blanket and was going to lay down for a few minutes when my doe started bleating...very loud.  Sleep is not to be.

By the time I got back to the barn I could already see a hoof and a nose.  She's pushing really hard.  In the past I have had to go inside of her and turn babies so I knew one of the babies legs was probably bent backwards and I needed to straighten it.  Before I could get my glove on and the KY jelly on my hand and arm she pushed again and the baby came out bent leg and all.  # 8 is a large male.  He is black and white and has wattles (we call them goat jewelry) He is a very strong boy. I helped Mama clean him up and before he is even dry good he is on his feet and nursing.  I knew Mama wasn't through.  In the past she has had 2, 4 and 5 at one time.  

Sure enough...she laid back down and I barely had time to put a feed sack under her.  It looked like # 9 just shot out of her.  

We use empty feed-sacks when the doe is birthing to catch most of the birthing goo.  This keeps the baby cleaner and I can just fold the bag up and take it from the barn so the doe doesn't try to eat it all.  It is their natural instinct to do this.

 I give Mama some assistance by cleaning the face and mouth  to make sure the baby is breathing good.

#9 is a female and a little smaller than her brother.  Mom is a Boer mix and the sire is a full blooded Nubian.  Was glad to see another female.  Mama has passed this round of afterbirth.  I haven't heard any more noise in the barn.  I am going to check on them in a few minutes.  I'll post again if there are any surprises out there!

We have one more doe who should kid at anytime.  I hope she waits a day or two.  Papa Bear has gone to the hayfield about an hour away for a load of hay.  The weatherman said there may be freezing rain mixed with snow flurries on the Alabama Florida state line.  We are about 45 miles away from Alabama.  It's windy and very cold now.  Crazy...It was 70 degrees here yesterday.

If all is well in the barn...I am going to take a nap!