Timi delivered!

Timi (the youngest doe) was in distress when Female Handler (FH) came out to see her an hour after she returned from a work week in Chile yesterday. She had obviously been going in circles from the looks of her rope. Once untied, Timi just wanted to go straight to the barn. Not knowing if Timi would labor for another hour or 30 (as was the case of FH's first born...), FH guided her to some choice eating spots. Timi was marginally interested and finally all three goats walked to the barn for the evening.

About 9:20pm, Timi let out a cry, and the Handlers' were out the door within seconds. Actually too fast, because they forgot their coats and had to come back in and grab them, and the camera.

A little white kid was born first and then a larger honey colored one. Sexes weren't identified until later in the evening, and even then incorrectly. Anatomy was definitely more apparent in the morning light, and "Blanca Nieve" (Snow White) became ....um...."Lunch". Fortunately we do not have a case of "Lunch1" and "Lunch2". So one girl and one boy.

I've witnessed two births already and wasn't interested in getting off the couch for this one. The dog, Nostra, on the other hand was very curious never having gone through it on the streets of Buenos Aires where whence she came. She was kept inside during the births, but was introduced to the kids today. Aside from initially making FH very nervous because Nostra kept licking her chops, a couple of stern commands was all that was needed to reaffirm that this was not HER lunch. Nostra actually came in very handy cleaning up after the kids including licking residual milk off their faces and cleaning up the clumped up little poopies that don't yet have enough organic matter in them to just fall off. FH may decide this was not such a good thing if Nostra later hurls inside the house on the rugs.

Nostra most definitely wants to play with the kids, and that will probably happen within the coming week.

Chochi is next...and is expected to deliver in the coming days.

And so begins Spring...in earnest, and the circle of life.