BABIES!

I don't even know what to say... The big bell rang this morning around noonish for what I thought was for lunch... but then I heard the word "babies" and saw my two bosses, their friend and volunteer, and the new hire all running to the barn.  Two little ones were laying all slimey in the corner, and a dazed looking mama goat stood over them watching us approach... She was clearly not sure what to make of us - we feed her...but these are her babies........ You could see the wheels grinding in her head...  I stayed back for a while and got gradually closer.  Eventually had to dive in and reach for one of them that she was kicking in her efforts to scratch out a nest....or just in showing her distress.... Not sure.  But anyways... I spent the next several hours with them. 

Here are some photos and videos.  I couldn't help but think of Giles a lot, even though we're not twins... It was a little doe and a little buck. :)  I looooove you, Giiiiiles. (And I'm only saying that because I'm betting you probably don't read this... Hahah. ;)... )

Please note Maddy licking her chops.... duuuuuude. I will single-handedly skin her alive if she touches my babies.

Curious yearlings...who will allllways be my "babies"...

Trying to stand up...

Another mama and the papa coming to check

Doe-ling's First Stand! 

I felt awful taking the babies to feed them...they milked the mama right away and collected the colostrum in a reused Dr. Pepper bottle with a nipple attached.  I fed them off and on most of the afternoon...  I was super worried about how the mother would respond when I walked off with her new babies in a milk crate, but once the hay came out, she split...so that wasn't as emotionally wrenching as I expected it to be. 

Later, though, I heard her start bleating when I came out with them after showering... It was the first time I felt genuinely glad that all goats sound terrrrrribly desperate when they see me and want more food... So as I was walking to the hut the chorus of desperate pleas drowned out the voice of the probably heart-sick mama...  And one of the little babies starting crying a bit... She stopped when we got inside...  Ouch.  My heart hurts...

I took them into the red barn while I was preparing my dinner and heating up their colostrum...I let them out of the milk crate so they could stretch their legs a bit before bedtime.  I walked to the fridge and when I turned around to come back with the milk the doe was pissing under the table right on the plywood floor and the buck had a 3.5inch string of the rubberiest poop of all time swinging a bit delayed to the rhythm of his wagging tail.   It's like they were just waiting for me to turn my back for a split second.  I called my mom to congratulate her on her new grand"kids" and to describe their truly bizarre bowel movement.  You know something is wrong when you think even their poop is kind of cute.  And so it begins.

I'm going to read tonight about pros/cons of bottle feeding baby goats from birth...I'll let you know what I find out, but I can say I'm probably going to feel like one of those complicated villains that you don't entirely despise, but definitely wouldn't dream of siding with...  Sigh. 

They are both passed out on my lap right now.  If my camera were within reach I would take a video of their little nodding heads. I could win hands down on www.cutethingsfallingasleep.com.  Precious.  The buck-ling, who I am calling Giles right now, keeps nodding off...his head droops down...he sleeps for a bit...then jerks awake and smacks his lips like an old man.  And there's all this crusty dried milk around his mouth. Super cute. :) 

Ok... This might be too hefty with videos and pics...so I'll do a second post with more...