I had to pen breed this year due to hernia surgery and recovery. That is where you put a certain group of does in with the buck and let nature take it's course. You can never be certain about breeding dates unless you see it happen. Makes things interesting. Anyway, I put the sisters, Linda and Brenda, in with Robin. To my real surprise, they both showed signs of labor this morning and I put them in the kidding pen. I watched them most of the afternoon and they were stagnant. Nothing happening. Our niece, Becky, came by around milking time to keep an eye on the sisters. I told her that unless she had trouble, to just hang out and make sure any kids that were delivered were breathing. Well, after milking about half of the does, Becky yells, "Aunt Rhonda! Come here!" I yelled for Wendell and he went to help while I was trying to get to a spot in the milking where I could go out there. He comes back in and takes the machines and tells me that they need my small hand. I switched to clean gloves on the way out and when I saw Linda it was apperent by the head sticking out that I would need them :-/ I carefully reached a couple of fingers under the neck and reached a shoulder. I followed that down to the knee and pulled up the leg into the birth canal. Out came the stuck brown and white 7 lb 4 oz buckling, A25. Followed by another similar -but bigger - 8 lb 8 oz buckling, A26. We were so excited to see a doeling follow these boys, she was a gray and white, 6 lb 8 oz doeling, A27. We named her Laura. Wendell nicknamed her Champagne because of her markings.
Within 30 Brenda began pushing. She, too, had triplets. A brown and white, 6 lb 7 oz doeling A28, Bethany, followed by a striking red and white spotted 8 lb 7 oz buckling, A29. Then by a brown, 6 lb 8 oz doeling with self-colored ears, A30 which we named Tara.
So, both sisters had triplets within 30 minutes of each other. These girls are kidding at will :-)
Everyone is doing great and the sisters are AMAZING milkers. I wish I had 30 of these sister pairs!
