Dodger Delivers

Unlike last year, Dodger delivered on schedule: March 24.

Also unlike last year, though, these deliveries were difficult.

The first one out -- a girl -- was a breech birth.

Dodger jumped right into the cleanup

while the midwife helped with towels and the dryer

and provided some basic directions.

It took Dodger over an hour and half to deliver the second baby, a boy.

Because he was promised to Kathy, a member of Barb's Goat Ladies circle, he was taken inside, cleaned and dried, given his first colostrum and BO-SE shot, and prepared for his new home.

Kathy is feeding Mischief by bottle until he can drink on his own.

A second boy emerged 45 minutes after the first.  The midwife came running out to assist with the delivery and then returned to her duties with Mischief

leaving the photographer (whose job description is usually limited to snapping pictures and offering encouragement) to towel the newbie off as best he could.  During this process a line from Ghostbusters kept running through his head: "I've been slimed!"

With Mischief in good shape, Barb returned to complete ministrations for the third baby.

The boy and girl seemed to be doing well during their first evening

but were shivering and not nursing from Dodger the next morning.  When they refused to drink from a bottle, too, Barb gave them additional vitamins and fed them through a tube every few hours.

We hope that they resume nursing on their own very soon and start to thrive

as vigorously as Alba's girls across the barn.

This trio has no problems with feeding.

They're growing apace and are all strong and active

On their first venture outside the kidding pen, Crema makes Dodger's acquaintance.

They loved exploring throughout the barn and hopping up and down like popcorn.

not always landing on their feet.

Everything in the barn had to be tasted

and every nook and cranny checked out.

Rosa and Crema like to hang together in their shelter 

while Luna is more of a Momma's girl.

They've begun to climb up on everything they can reach

which now includes Mom.

But Alba is showing enormous patience with them.  The kids owe her something special for the upcoming Mother's Day.