Blessedfarmgirl's 2024 lambing/kidding thread

[Mini Horses]

I used to put them in a basket in front of mine -- so she'd let down milk.😁😋. But just so she sees them. If they're nursing, font mix cow colostrum, use moms. Kept together, she might get anxious when sold.

 

[SageHill]

Adorable! Love colors!

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

I used to put them in a basket in front of mine -- so she'd let down milk.😁😋. But just so she sees them. If they're nursing, font mix cow colostrum, use moms. Kept together, she might get anxious when sold.

Ok, makes sense. So I think what I'll do is let them be with her until the evening milking, (8pm) milk her out, then take them inside. If she's not letting down for me in the morning, I'll take them back out, and hopefully we'll get to the point where she'll let down without the kids present. Is that what you mean?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm new to bottle feeding!

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

So I ended up leaving the kids with her for over 24 hours. I was tired, they would not take the bottle, and I didn't want to wrestle them all night worrying they weren't getting enough colostrum. I did pull one of them the morning after they were born and tried to feed him up until 3 pm before putting him back with Mom for one more night to nurse. Now I wish I'd done that with both, because after both got pulled officially yesterday morning, the one I pulled for a short time the day before has already taken to the bottle, I'm still fighting the one that was left with his mom the whole time. He doesn't take any more than half an ounce at a time, and not without a fight! I'm feeding him every hour during the day until he starts sucking. His brother sucks down 2.5 ounces in seconds and then asks for more! When they were weighed yesterday morning, the bigger one weighed 5.5 pounds and the smaller one weighed 4.3 pounds. Good sized for Nigies.

Annie is doing well. She yelled for her kids all day yesterday, today she's better. She's eating, her swelling is going down, and her milk came in this morning. At three days fresh, she's surpassed our other doe in milk already, and she's holding back at least another half cup or more at each milking! I'm seeing that Elite lineage coming in. But her teats😬 They are a nightmare to milk. Nice big orifices, soft texture, but TINY. Hopefully they will enlarge even without kids nursing on her.

 

[Youngfarmer2019]

Do you have pics of her udder? I’m excited to see more pictures of your new doe!

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

Do you have pics of her udder? I’m excited to see more pictures of your new doe!

I don't have a 12 hour fill pic for Annie yet. I'll get one in the morning. In the meantime, here are some Avon pics!

She is so spoiled already and loves head scratches😄 Iris has stopped trying to murder her, (it took an entire week!) so she's been let out of jail and all three are now best friends. Next on the list is a copper bolus because she definitely has a fishtail.

 

[Youngfarmer2019]

Oh she’s so nice and level and WIDE😍😍😍I LOVE her!!!

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

Oh she’s so nice and level and WIDE😍😍😍I LOVE her!!!

So do I!!!😁 6 months seems like forever to wait until she freshens 😭

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

Heidi lambed yesterday morning on day 151! They like to keep me waiting. It's a cute little ram lamb! He got tagged yesterday, is eating great, and as you can see she's a very good mom. She about woke the dead with her noise looking for him when we were holding him for 3 minutes to tag him.
And it looks like he'll be getting a friend today or tomorrow! Liesel looks like she swallowed 2 watermelons and she had a huge udder pop overnight.

 

[Baymule]

That’s a good looking boy!