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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Twenty-five days and counting...

Stuffin was up to her usual tricks this morning. I took the camera out to take a ligaments picture. Here I am with my "circle the tail" technique. I can't even come *close* to doing this on Puffin. I can feel my thumb/finger touching each other on the other side. So that tells me that Stuffin's ligaments are much, much looser. The thing is, I've been able to do this for several days now, so that isn't helping with the prediction of kidding.

Last night she was doing a lot of stretching and rubbing on the cattle panel. She was also repeatedly licking her front "knee pad" area, and also yawning. I thought maybe that was significant. It wasn't.

This morning she isn't really showing any change. As usual, she and Puffin stuff themselves side-by-side into the Rubbermaid tote that was intended to hold their hay. You can see the front corners of the blue tote in the picture below. They just use it as a climbing toy. In this picture, I haven't refilled the water bucket yet, so it is frozen because it was very cold here last night. Please do not worry, my goats have fresh water every morning and evening! Here, Puffin is in front (as usual) and pregnant Stuffin is behind.

Puffin is very playful with Stuffin, and Stuffin plays back. Here is one of Puffin's usual moves. Sometimes she jumps right over Stuffin, and sometimes she sort of lays herself over Stuffin's back and they walk around that way. This picture sort of looks like she's trying to mount Stuffin, but that's not how she does it. Often she does this from the side, not the back end. They're a funny pair.
I'm wondering if instead of calling her Stuffin', I should have called her "Bluffin'"!!

She's such a tease. But she can only tease for up to 25 more days...

16 comments:

angie said...

Hi Clare,

You are one of the few people that have A Very Small Farm listed as a favorite book. Me too!

I'm in Chicago now, but moving to our farmette in SW Wisc in two years.

Love your blog!!
Angie

Deb said...

They really are the cutest little girls :) The worst part of kidding is the suspense beforehand. Hang in there - it will be worth the wait!

Jennifer said...

No babies yet huh? She can't hang onto them forever. Cute pictures! If you ever figure out a way to keep them out of their hay feeders....let me know! Because I haven't figured that out yet and we have tried several different feeders.

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

your two girls are like my Clara and June, mother and daughter, would be so sad if they were ever to be separated.

SweetPea is close with them but she also is close to us, I think she would be happy to live in the house with us.

I can't tell in the photo, are Stuffin's sides really sticking out? From a birds eye view, does Stuffin appear much different on the sides than Puffin?

I'm hoping you're going to be a GoatMama. You want to be a GoatMama right?

Michelle said...

Bluffin -- that's a good one! You are going to drive yourself crazy before you see those kiddies....

Michelle said...

We have built top-load feeders with woven-wire fronts (2"x4" openings in the wire) for our Shetlands that work very well. And when I take them to shows, I use horse hay feeders, basically big bags with a small hole in the front. They do waste some with either one (more with the bags), but it does keep them from wasting as much or climbing in it, as well as keeping their fleeces cleaner (I know, not a concern with the goats).

Claire MW said...

Angie - Hi! thanks for stopping by! I just love that book. It is one of my favorites and that's why I listed it. I could read it over and over again and pick up a new little detail each time. I sort of envision myself in the book, do you?

Joanna - Oh yes! Stuffin is about double Puffin's circumference, and she has very sticking-out sides. They are not not too visible in the pictures I took this morning. And yes, I do want to be a goat mom! Well, surrogate goat mom!

Claire MW said...

Oh Michelle! Great, great idea! I think we should try that. Kelly is a woodworker by hobby and keeps trying different ideas. With our angora goats, we do have to keep their fleeces clean, so it actually does matter with some goats! They are notorious for climbing in their food though.

Michelle said...

Claire, send me an email and I'll send you photos of the feeders we based ours on, as well as ours.

Paula said...

What a cute picture!!!
I can't wait to see if she's "bluffin" or not...

Sharrie said...

I won't try the "circle the tail" thing with my heifer, who is also just "there." At least she made it through the real cold we had the last few days. Warmer weather on the way, thank heaven. Then she can have a heifer calf.

Rayna said...

Hmmmm...so this is the infamous goat we're all supposed to predict will freshen before or after Sharrie's heifer...hmmm...some thinking to do...lol

Yellow Jacket Ridge Angoras said...

I was trying that tail ligament on my girls last year and didn't learn a thing. They fooled me every time. I can't wait to see your babies!

blackcatcreekfarm said...

Hi Claire,
It is really hard to tell from the pics but I think you are almost in the right spot to feel the ligs but not quite. It looks like you are feeling directly at the base of the tail and you might need to be up the spine just a smidge farther to be at the right spot. I only have one doe that loses her ligs more than 24 hours before she kids. It is really hard to find the exact right spot at first but ligs really are a great indicator and I very rarely miss a birth since I learned it. Good luck & I can't wait to see some kid pics posted soon!!

Unknown said...

So Stuffin is still holding on, huh? (Or should I say "hey"?) Bluffin - I like that name! I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you, Claire.

Nancy

Kara said...

Hi Claire,

Check your email, I need your snail mail address. I have you in the Tyler Farm ornament exchange!!!!!!

:)