Have a had a good year with the goats kidding. Has 2 does that had the usual two kids each..then had triplets...thought that was great !! NOW !! last night we had quads ..4 little bucks (of course). Momma and kids doing well. Gave the kids a couple of BOSE shots and goat serum in their bottles. Doe got her warm water with molasses as a treat. Two weren't able to stand but this morning they are doing better. All a good size too !! Poor doe was really huge..now I know why !! Her bag is so very big that I will have to dig a hole for the kids to lay in to be able to nurse from her. I have been bottle feeding them since they aren't able to crawl under her to nurse. Will probably continue to supplement their feedings as I have done with the triplets to make sure all are getting something to drink OK. She let's us milk her for the bottles with no problems. It just seems to be that my does are very easy to care for. Maybe because we do spend time in the barn daily and they have been with us for years..Now that I think of it all have been born here. How time passes. So...I guess I will be giving out cigars to you all !! Out of 11 kids 9 are bucks and 2 does. Guess it was just a year for bucks !! Have a Great Day Everyone !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), April 27, 2002

Answers

It was a buck year here too. 5 bucks/3does.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@farm.com), April 27, 2002.

It's 9 bucks 3 does here. Next year we'll be rolling in does.....maybe. Good luck with yours.

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

Congrats Helena! Sounds like you've got your hands full. I can tell that you love your animals - they'll do great :8)!

Have a great day with your new "babies!"

-- Phil in KS (mac0328@planetkc.com), April 27, 2002.

2 bucks for us so far! No does. Congrats, and how wonderfully awesome to have 4!! We spend a lot of time with our goats, too. Just the other night they all began yawning and looking at us like we were "the company that wouldn't go home", LOL! Have fun and I'll take my cigar in bubble gum form. ;)

-- Cindy (ilovecajun@aol.com), April 27, 2002.

7 bucks, 1 doe. (big raspberrry-------------------)

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), April 27, 2002.

We did GREAT here 24 girls and 18 boys ...27 mamas.

God Bless

-- charles Steen (xbeeman412@aol.com), April 27, 2002.

I read somewhere that adding apple cider vinegar produces more does. So, I tried it. That year, we had all does. Coincidence or not? I can't say for sure, but apple cider vinegar seems to have worked for me.

-- Liz Rhein (merhein@shentel.net), April 27, 2002.

We have percentage Boers, and wanted bucks this year so we'd have more weathers to sell. We've had almost all does! We did just have a beautiful little Jersey heifer born though, which is just what we were hoping for.

-- Joe (Botaur2@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

I've had "doe" years for several years in a row...since I've been heavily spiking the water with apple cider vinegar, too!! Three years ago I had 11 kids...9 does, last year I had 12 kids...9 does, and this year I had 7 kids...7 does. All with different bucks, also. Like Liz said...coincidence or not...I'm sticking with the cider vinegar :-)!!! After all, it works for human females!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 27, 2002.

I've seen the cidar vinagar theory worked out and it shouldn't work, scientifically; but it does seem to work when I use it too more does!

-- Sheryl Clifton (Bryrpatch35@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

I have had 6 kids this year 3 does and 3 bucks with 4 does kidding. So if we want to try the vinegar how much to use? thanks

-- gail missouri ozarks (gefozarks@centurytel.net), April 28, 2002.

Gail :) To work in a human female, you douche before sex with it to change the ph of the vagina. So for it to work in your doe.................:) Lets just say it isn't going to work in the water tank! HA! Logically speaking if this was a hard and fast rule, we wouldn't have had any bucklings born this year right? We use the vinegar to keep the water tanks from going green so quickly in our heat.

Helena, congrats on the quads, shame though they weren't does. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

Well...I don't know about douching with it before sex (I'm hoping that I'm WELL beyond the age where I'd have to worry about that :-)!!) but, I do know that whenever I go to my doctor to have a possible yeast or bladder infection checked out, one of the first things she recommends is to really load up (orally!) on high acid fruit juices AND cider vinegar. She is a firm believer that these supplements will change the ph balance to a more acidic environment which is less friendly towards yeast and for all we know...maybe toward "male" sperm! She will recommend this well before she writes a prescription out for some pill...which I really appreciate.

As for the amount...I keep some vinegar in my water tub all through the summer since it discourages mosquitoes from laying eggs in it. But from the middle of August til all does are bred, I put 2 one gal. jugs of vinegar in a 30 gal. tub. For all I know, maybe it's working on my bucks :-)...since they have access to the same water!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 29, 2002.