Goats: A New Life

Yesterday morning (2025/01/16) a loud scream rang out across our property. At the time, I (Rob) was taking care of a few jobs outside before getting ready to leave for our homeschool co-op. At the time, I was smoothing out wood chips that had been dumped for our Hügelkultur and no-till gardens, when I heard the scream. Thinking I likely knew what it was, I dropped everything and ran toward the sound. I was correct.

Our black goat was giving birth to her first kid! I went into the goat shed (built by our boys out of old shipping pallets) and sat in the corner in case any help was needed. One of the boys went in to let Elyse know and to bring some blankets in case I needed to wipe a baby off. One of the dangers of a winter birth is that while momma goat should be able to give birth unassisted, if she has multiples, which is common, the first baby may be born healthy, but freeze to death if not dried off while additional kids are born.

After the goat was born, the next concerns became that mama goat, being a first time mother, wouldn’t lick the baby clean and dry, and waiting to see if momma and baby would figure out nursing.

Goats, and most nursing animals, need to have the thick, first milk (colostrum) or they will die. In God’s grace, He created humans to be able to survive without the colostrum, but doing so comes at a great cost, as God also created this to be the ideal start on life for a new baby to boost their immune system and so much more. Our new “scientific” society that promotes toxic formulas, is denying the ideal way that God created. While other substitutes, such as raw goat milk, are much better than formula, there is no substitute for mother’s milk that even changes from nursing to nursing to meet the baby’s needs. Farmers seem to understand this for their animals, and it is good to see an increasing awareness among many for human babies.

Everything went as smoothly as possible. I can’t say if it was a gift of God for the timing, etc. or if God has given animals an instinct to know when they need to give birth, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect considering we are in mid-January. This whole week is supposed to get into single digit temperatures (Fereignheit). There was a real concern about if the baby would be able to survive. The baby goat was born less than 48 hours ago, but is already jumping around. If she (yes, she’s a new baby girl… which by the way won’t change no matter what anyone may think), would have been born during the freeze, she very well could have died. Instead she was born on a warm day (in the 50s) and had yesterday and today to grow, get moving, etc. before the freeze comes. We are always concerned when temps are going to be solidly below freezing for a week, but the goat has a much better chance of making it. Those two days make a huge difference.

In addition, she gave birth early enough in the morning that we were able to be there for if there was a need, and still to make it to co-op by around noon. (Morning births are normal for goats, which is nice for all involved.)

While Elyse and our younger two were there when the rabbits were born (also on a Thursday co-op day), this was my first time to be there for an animal birth. It was also Black Goat’s first birth, which is usually a higher risk. It was great to see momma and baby goat figure things out without any help. Nursing was funny to watch at first. It’s like baby goat knew that milk should be somewhere, but didn’t have a clue where. She was sucking on momma’s knees, face, side, etc. Finally she found one drop of milk and zeroed in on the correct target. Momma also didn’t know what to do. She was balancing on three legs for baby to nurse and kept falling… onto baby. After a short while, they figured it out and momma is able to stand there eating, seemingly oblivious to baby nursing under her.

Momma and Darcy (baby goat’s name), are doing well, with Darcy getting more and more active and curious. She is circling trees and looking to climb them. She is dancing around the goat and chicken enclosure. She’s doing great.

At first we didn’t know how to sex the goats. After watching some videos we learned that it’s quite easy. We just needed to watch how she pees and boys and girls are quite different.

On a homestead, girl goats (and just about any animal) are more valued than the boys. They can breed. They provide milk (or eggs, etc.), while the boys just eat, have a quick role in reproduction and continue to eat. While boys often become meat, Darcy will likely be with us for a while, so we decided to give her a name.

MOM LAYING, DARCY STANDING IN CRATES 8575 PHOTO

With all of the work and setbacks on the homestead, it is amazing to also look around and see all of the progress and ways that God has provided. He provided us with the goats, rabbits, and chickens, all of which are now multiplying. He provided for us to have good spots for various food bearing trees and bushes, as well as many that are already growing on the property. There is still so much to do, but even now, in the middle of winter, there is life!

While there is a lot to do to get ready for spring, so we don’t want it to come too quickly, we are also excited to see the world come alive and for the goats (who have only known their new home here in the fall and winter), to experience the whole world becoming a giant salad feast, as well as for the other animals to benefit from the abundant food.

I was blessed to be there for Darcy’s birth, and we are excited about the new lessons that God has prepared for us to see his amazing power and wisdom in creation.

Darcy
Female
Birth time: 2025/01/16 at around 8:45am