The kids are here! The kids are here!

Patty naps with little Lena

Too much FUN! Having purchased kids at weaning only, I've never had babies this tiny and adorable before. Patty gave me a surprise introduction to keeping itty bitty adorable kids. She had hers before Holly, who we were expecting to go first. Patty's doeling was only 8 inches tall at birth. She looked too tiny to function, but function she does! She's every bit as boisterous and happy as any kid I've ever seen. She appears to be naturally polled too, how lucky. We named her Thumbalina, Lena for short.

 Next came Holly's twins. She had a big sturdy buckling and a small dainty doeling. They seem to be opposites in every way! He's mostly black, she's mostly white. He's a wild child and in your face, she's reserved and a little bit shy. He's big, she's small. He had horn buds, she's naturally polled. I'm sure as they grow I'll find more. lol

Rigby and Mordy drying under the lamp.

 All three of the kids have already been claimed by the first people to lay eyes on them. Lena went to the vet to be disbudded and one of the techs there decided she had to have her as a friend for her lonely LaMancha wether. That's when we realized that she didn't need disbudding!

The twins were claimed by their first visitor when they were only two days old. Our neighbor Rachael, just fell in love with the buckling and his antics. Turns out that her boyfriend wants a doe. Perfect! Brother and sister get to stay together! Since Rachael put her claim tag on them so early, she got to name them. The little doeling is Rigby and brother is Mordecai.

Mordy wasn't lucky enough to be polled so he had a quick trip to the vet to get disbudded and castrated. We do things with as little insult as possible here, so he was anesthetized for the procedure and given an injection for pain before he awoke. Once he was fully conscious he was up and running and you would never have guessed he'd had anything done. I know there are plenty of folks who would have just put him in 'the box' for the disbudding and simply banded him instead of castrating. But it's horrific to see how much pain it causes them and for how long they have to endure it. Banding may be cheap and accepted... but I don't think it's kind.

So... back to the fun stuff. PICTURES! I've included a handful below. I just can't get enough of these babies. Check back soon, I'm sure I'll have more posted before long.

 

 

Lena, barely a handful at birth.

 

Cell phone for size reference.

Lena meets Graham!

Trying to master climbing. It took her a few tries.

Sweet Patty, such a good mama.

The new kids next door!