Lilith our Boer Doe just kicked off our Winter 2020 Baby Goat season with triplets!

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We purchased Lilith, who comes from old African Boer goat genetics, while she was already pregnant and about to kid. She gave us a beautiful boer doeling, Pita, who is one of my favorites on our goat farm. That should be no surprise because Lilith is also one of my favorite. She is a big boned, gentle souled, boer doe goat that I love dearly.

 

She has been running with our Muffin Man all year in the adult boer goat pasture. Approximately 4 to 6 weeks ago I saw some bagging starting so I knew that we were in the home stretch. I am very much a helicopter goat Mom when our girls are expecting. Her belly has been growing and she has looked like she was about to pop for a while.

 

Fast forward to November 25, 2020. I go out to the pasture and Pita greets me but no Lilith. I thought this is odd. She usually slowly makes her way over for some neck scratches but not today. I immediately look for her and I see her near a birthing pen staring off into the woods. This is also not normal. I notice a sway in her back and think the baby goats have dropped. I walk and her udder is tight and huge but she still has ligaments. I squat down to love her and she lets me scratch her for about 3 seconds and pulls away.  I know what this means, our boer doe is in labor! We check her every hour and still no change. As dark approaches still no discharge and ligaments are tight. She start grinding her teeth, this too is a sign.  We decided to get a birthing stall ready for her and the baby goats.

 

Farmer Jason is typically up later than me so he continues to check on her. I go out at midnight and still no change. She is standing in the same spot. Farmer Jason was exhausted and fell hard asleep after midnight. I wake at 4 am, bundle up, grab the flashlight and go to check on my boer girl. As soon as I walk out I hear a “maaaaa” that I don’t recognize.  I know what this mean and I take off running to the pasture trying not to stumble and fall. I point the flashlight over to the area where she has been and no Lilith. I start scanning the pasture and she had went into the same birthing stall where Pita was born.  I see 2 baby goats and they are up moving.  As I am running I see a third and it is moving.  I make it into the pasture and to the pen and she looks up at me with a smile. She had triplets, they are cleaned up, 2 are walking and she looks amazing.

 

I stare at them for a minute, give her a scratch, tell her that I love her, run in to get my emergency kit and Farmer Jason.  The miracle of baby goats being born never gets old.  I always pause for a moment and take it in. She did this unassisted, without pain medicine and they are already up walking around. This is a blessing for sure.

I running in screaming “Triplets on the ground”! Farmer Jason couldn’t believe it. He hopped out of bed and threw on clothes. I beat him back out to our Boer doe who just gave birth and start to dry the baby goats off with a towel. They are a little cold. Of course, we had to setup this pen for her. We got shavings out for them, dropped a heating lamp, brought her food, water, alfalfa and paused to enjoy the miracle that had just taken place. Our Boer nanny goat and her triplets were all healthy and doing well. 

 

So what sexes of baby goats did she have? We are excited to announce that she had 2 traditional colored bucklings just like her and a chunky spotted doeling just like her dad, Muff! Muffin Man is a tiger dappled Boer Buck and tends to throw dark brown spotted baby goats. These beautiful baby goats will be registered at 96% and will be super spoiled. We have not had baby goats on the farm since July 5th. 

 

Did I mention we have more pregnant goats that we expect to kid over the next few days to 5 months. Not all goat births are this easy. I am sure we will be exhausted by the time the Spring rolls around but it is worth every moment.