Here's the update. Thanks, again, everyone for the info you gave me. I have been milking Ladybug goat since April 11th. I froze the colostrum, made goat cheese, and am making ice cream for The Boy. I talked to the fellow I got the goat from and he looked at her two days ago and said he thought she might just be false-pregnant or could even kid later. She simply didn't look that pregnant. Well, I came home from work and Boy and I went out to take care of animals. Yup. She had two of the prettiest kids ever. (Aren't they all?) They were still wet and it was pouring rain here in Indiana. Cold too. Yup. And of course I was stupid and didn't get any iodine or anything to help them. I didn't think that she was pregnant!! Any who we cleaned out our old Stidham enclosed horse trailer, fixed up a heat lamp for warmth, put in bedding, assisted the babies in nursing and breathed a sigh of relief. Ladybug's milk had dropped off to just barely two quarts yesterday. I was confused but resigned to the fact that I messed up her milking somehow. The babies are beautiful. Boer/Alpine makes some pretty colors. Thanks again everyone.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), April 23, 2001

Answers

Congratulations on the twins, Gailann. First goat we had also surprised us with twins when we didn't think she was pregnant. Bought her as a dry goat that had supposedly recently lost a kid. Three and a half months later we got the surprise, first cold day of the fall.(Like you, we had no iodine, and also had to pull out the heat lamps) That morning, I had commented to the boys that Callie was getting a little fat, maybe we needed to cut down her grain;)

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 24, 2001.

Don't forget to give them both some of the colostrum you put away, and congrats! You must be so thrilled! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 24, 2001.

Yeah, I'm tickled but now the feed store guy said that if I don't give the colostrum to them within 12 hours it doesn't do any good. I tried to feed it to them yesterday but had minimal luck. (I guess Boy and I having to have sleep shouldn't have stopped me.) I am going to go ahead and feed it to them anyway. They'll drink it and like it! Vicki, the nipples from the lambar bucket fit EXACTLY in a Snapple designer water/drink bottle! (grrrrrr. I really _DID_ try to get some colostrum down them but was trying to get them warm and safe first. I give up. Ya know, I never QUITE do anything right...) Sign me: disgruntled and discouraged AGAIN in Indiana...

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), April 24, 2001.