Twins at Dawn

Was waiting on two nannies in labor last night.  Finally went inside figuring my staring at them might not be the best way to make them relax and let go of their bundles.  Went back out at 2 am and found the tiniest, spindliest little buck kid at the far end of the pen.  Good thing I had put a fleece blanket over the window as the temps were diving and a cold wind was coming through the window.  We had put Lola in her own jug (sheep lingo for lamb pen) too, as she is a very bossy old doe and I feared she would rough the others' babies off them and take over.  No baby for her yet.  Put a coat on the new baby and gave him some Nutri Drench.  Colostrum would have to wait until morning when Matt could hold her horns while I nurse her out.   All sheep and goats need the clip-dip-strip routine when they give birth.  Cords must be clipped and dipped in iodine, and teat need the waxy plus stripped out.  I go the extra length to nurse out some of the life saving fluid that holds all the antibodies the flock has developed against a variety of diseases and squirt it into the babies' mouths with a syringe barrel.  Cheap insurance.  The babies become woozy and drunk on it and frequently flop down and nap.  I went back to bed and woke with a start at dawn.  Took the doggies out to pee and heard new little voices from the barn.  Another doe had the teeniest little twins - one of each.  Finally a female.  They were soaking wet and shivering in the cold.    I knew better than to interfere too soon.  It's important for the mommies to lick the babies off, shivering or not.  It gave me time to make coffee, fix bottles for Cinco and Maya, and wash buckets.  Popped warm, fuzzy, angora/wool sweaters on the babies and squirted Nutri Drench with all the electrolytes and minerals into their firmly fixed and closed mouths.  I always have to wait until they scream for momma to get in those mouths.  Matt got up, built new pens and helped me get the new moms away from the cold outside wall into a warmer place.   That leaves more room in the maternity pen for the several moms to come.  What a blessing on Mother's Day to have all these little bundles of joy to love and care for.  I'm so grateful for this life of wonder and enchantment.  I'm also grateful the mommies waited until I got home from Maryland Sheep and Wool last weekend, then waited for Mother's Day weekend to start the population explosion.  Who knows what the day will bring.  Finger's crossed I will get a BLACK DOE KID out of this production, my favorite fiber, next to black angora.    With mohair going at $40 a pound, I am going to keep all the baby bucks and wether them in a couple of days.  All I have to do is put a band around the tiny sack and it won't grow.  No blood, minimal discomfort.  They won't grow horns but I can deal with that.  All they will grow is beautiful, glossy, sturdy mohair.  I'll spend the day doting over my babies and getting some work done in between.  Life is good.