Nu-Nubians...

Sounds like I'm stuttering, doesn't it?

We had to go to the big city today for a class on how to run Deb's new camera, so we were gone most of the day. It was nearly 3:30 when we got back.
After unloading the truck, the first thing we did was head out to the barn to check on things.

We bought two bred Nubian does last fall and they are getting close to their due dates.

Naturally, the one showing all the signs of eminent birth is still holding hers, and the one who WASN'T showing ANY signs decided to have hers.

When we first got to the part of the barn where the goats are, we noticed Yani (the LGD) sitting in the "doorway" of one of the rooms. She normally isn't in that part of the barn, nor does she normally sit like she was. Every time a goat would come close to her, she would poke her face in the goats face and give it a nudge. She wasn't letting anyone pass.

Since this was odd, I went to investigate.

That's when I found Whinny, one of the Nubian does, and some new arrivals.

She actually had triplets, but one was stillborn and probably not fully developed. The second one is weak - and MIGHT not survive - and the third one seems to be healthy. All three were boys. The healthy one has already started to get into mischief. I moved them to a stall in the other part of the barn, and the first thing he wanted to do was escape the pen and go exploring. HOPEFULLY, I've fixed it so he can't.....



Yani has REALLY impressed us with how she operates. She has told us of impending births, chased other dogs away, told me when one of her "charges" had a head caught in the fence, came and got me when one of the new Boer kids decided to jump into the water tank (and not be able to get her soaked self out of the icy water), made SURE squirrels and rabbits know they are NOT allowed in HER pastures, and several other things.

Today was just another case of her doing her job. She stood by the new mom and her kids until one of us got there to take over. She has put on about 35 pounds since we got her last August (she was SERIOUSLY underweight), but - surprisingly - doesn't eat too terribly much. We get a "Bag-O-Bones" from the local locker every month for $6. I usually feed her one every morning (we gave her an extra this afternoon...), then feed her dog food at night after the chickens have gone to bed.



She seems happy and content and doesn't always finish her food.

She sleeps a lot during the day - because she works nights - but is always within sight of her goats. She might LOOK like she is "dead to the world" but if something odd goes on, she's on top of it.

She takes her fair share of abuse, too! There are a couple goats that try to head butt her. She usually dodges them and just gets out of the way.

I wish we had another (a BOY dog.....) Great Pyrenees to keep her company and help her out a bit. We got her for free from a lady in Kansas.

Best money we never spent....