Outside the goat house, donkeys sit down with chickens while goats nap with a giant calf.
Inside the goat house, there is a whirlwind of activity.
Bouncing babies….
….and quarreling mamas.
If fighting with each other isn’t enough, the mamas are in a constant battle of wits and wills with the babies, too. The kids always have their eye on a teat.
Any teat will do. Beware of that one, grasshopper!
Latest update on Sprite the Unmother….. She continues to run from any and all baby-like creatures. Especially her own.
She likes to climb up on this little table and hide her udder in the corner.
Sprite: “What udder? I don’t have an udder.”
Even Fanta gets up there sometimes, too, when she’s tired of being everybody’s mother.
Those darn kids. They can climb, too!
Nutmeg still likes the dog house. She and Dr. Pepper have their own little club.
Except everybody else comes and goes now, making themselves at home, dirtying up the dishes and sleeping in the beds.
Nutmeg: “But I was here first!’
By the way, speaking of mothers, I didn’t think Clover was still nursing her two (who are now six months old), but yesterday, I saw them get under her and milk her. She didn’t let them nurse long, just a few minutes, but she has not completely kicked them off yet, apparently.
Back to the new mommies….. No visit to the goat house is complete without a parenting session with Sprite. I’ve still got her nursing her baby. Sprite’s face during one of her parenting sessions while she endures the baby nursing her:
Sprite: “Think of England! Think of England!”
Note that I just have my fingers around a bit of fluff on her side. Just enough to let her know that I’m there if she tries to bolt.
I’m encouraged by the fact that it takes less and less might to hold her in place. (I can even hold her with one hand and take pictures!) She still won’t stand still for it voluntarily, but she is tolerating it better. Well, she did stand still for just about half a minute at the end of this session yesterday. The other babies had come over, and it may be difficult to tell, but there are actually three babies under her in this photo.
Then she ran away and hid her udder in the corner again. Until next time…….
Her baby is so happy when I come to the goat house. He knows it’s milking mommy time!
I wish you could see that little tail doing the happy wiggle when he’s nursing.
Oh, wait! You can!
Ashlee M says:
I’m glad Sprite is being a bit more cooperative with the whole nursing thing. Now that you can have a free hand while you restrain her, have you tried feeding her cookies at the same time? It might help her to associate nursing with yummy, good things. I hope she keeps making progress!!
On January 21, 2011 at 1:28 am
Darlene in North Ga says:
Awww, that was sweet!
On January 21, 2011 at 1:41 am
Blessings says:
Thanks for Sharing, that was soooo cute!!
~~HUGS~~
On January 21, 2011 at 1:55 am
Nona says:
First of all I love the video! thanks for letting us see your new
Soap, before it airs on national tv!
Glad Sprite is getting better.
On January 21, 2011 at 2:20 am
Nic, SD says:
She looks like she’s slowly dying inside in the picture with 3 babies under her… but then she looks alright again, in the video!
I can commiserate, I’m JUST. NOT. A BABY PERSON. either.
(Well, human babies. Goat babies are crazy adorable!)
On January 21, 2011 at 2:37 am
Karen Anne says:
Could her udder be sore? Infected?
On January 21, 2011 at 3:22 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Her udder looks fine. I don’t believe she has any kind of trouble there.
As for cookies at milking time, I don’t bring cookies then. It would cause a kafluffle with the other mothers trying to get the cookies, too, and be anything but a calming thing for Sprite.
On January 21, 2011 at 8:13 am
Jean Lange says:
Awww! I love the video — it brought tears to the eyes and warm memories to the heart of this former farm girl. I will be watching this one a lot. Thanks for the day brightener!
On January 21, 2011 at 4:59 am
Kathie says:
Is the baby getting enough milk? Does the baby even know it is being rejected?
On January 21, 2011 at 5:28 am
bonita says:
thanks for the tail wag—what a hoot!
On January 21, 2011 at 5:45 am
Tracey In Paradise Pa. says:
:chicken: so sweet.love the happy happy joy joy wiggle. :snoopy:
On January 21, 2011 at 5:47 am
lauren says:
As the goat house turns HAHAHAHAHA that cracked me up 🙂
On January 21, 2011 at 6:00 am
Dianna says:
Adorable post! Love the title and all the pictures. But that video of the happily wiggling tails brought an early morning smile to my face. Thanks for sharing the goat house adventures with us!
Dianna
http://www.thesedaysofmine.com
On January 21, 2011 at 6:51 am
CindyP says:
Happy Wiggle!
Sprite has come a long way, looks like a good sign.
On January 21, 2011 at 7:02 am
Andrea McCardle says:
You should probably send Sprite down the road. We say goodbye to any animal at our house that is a bad mother. Too bad…she’s a nice looking nanny!
On January 21, 2011 at 7:27 am
Lori Skoog says:
Improvement….one day at a time. It’s great that you are so attentive.
On January 21, 2011 at 7:29 am
Yankee in NC says:
I love Baby Tales ..lol..I mean tails!
On January 21, 2011 at 7:30 am
Carmen at Old House Kitchen says:
Love the little tail wag. It’s like he’s saying “my mommy loves me!!”. Glad that Sprite is holding still some. Baby steps for her I guess.
They are all adorable! I can’t wait to show the kiddos the video! They know the goats’ names. It’s too cute!
On January 21, 2011 at 7:33 am
glenda says:
Glad you are still working with Sprite. I always hate to loose the entire lactation when things don’t go as planned.
It is still easier that bottle feeding, don’t you think?
On January 21, 2011 at 8:00 am
brookdale says:
Love the little tail wag video! Have you thought of names for the new ones yet? Oh, you’ve been too busy with the feeding thing….
On January 21, 2011 at 8:07 am
susan says:
there is nothing cuter than a baby shakin’ its booty. 🙂
On January 21, 2011 at 8:08 am
lavenderblue says:
O.! M.! G.! MUST. HAVE. GOATS!
On January 21, 2011 at 8:11 am
Mary Hall says:
Hi Suzanne, was that Nutmeg winking at you in the first shot?
:sun: :sun: :sun: :sun: :sun: :sun:
Here’s some more sunshine for ya!
:shocked: Mary
On January 21, 2011 at 8:38 am
Phyllis says:
Ahhh. The wiggle tells the story. Glad the baby is getting mommy milk. They are so cute. Wish I could have a couple of my own.
On January 21, 2011 at 8:44 am
Bobbi Harrigan says:
I So Love Reading Chickens in The Road….Thanks for making my day
On January 21, 2011 at 9:13 am
Ellen says:
:snoopy: Reading this blog makes me happy!!!
I found myself wondering yesterday on the way driving home from work “I wonder if Sprite is nursing her kid?”
Either your blog is amazing or I have no real life.
On January 21, 2011 at 9:16 am
BrendaE says:
That is so sweet. I love the look on Sprite’s face like Oh NO, it’s THEM again. how cute
On January 21, 2011 at 9:36 am
Window On The Prairie says:
Our calves do a happy tail wiggle too, but not at such a frantic pace as the little goats. How cute. And it looks like Sprite is doing better nursing. Animals are so funny. Next time she may be the perfect mother, who knows?
Suzanne
On January 21, 2011 at 9:38 am
BrendaE says:
Suzanne I think you should name the twins Coke and Cola.
On January 21, 2011 at 9:39 am
Ramona says:
Mean ol Mommy….
On January 21, 2011 at 10:10 am
Jersey Lady says:
The tail wagging video makes me think of my calves’ tails when they drink.Their tails are long enough to hit their sides.They get a good rhythm going from side to side and their little tummies sound like drums.
On January 21, 2011 at 10:36 am
Maura says:
That was so sweet! Hopefully with time Sprite will give in…well maybe but at least it’s getting easier for everyone. 🙂
On January 21, 2011 at 10:54 am
Lynne says:
So cute, I love the little tails! They animals all look very content. :clover:
On January 21, 2011 at 10:55 am
Donna Mc says:
Baby steps…er, I mean kid steps in the right directly.
Happy tails waggle-ing = happy kids. That’s a good thing.
On January 21, 2011 at 11:04 am
BrendaE says:
Suzanne you now have enough kids to make yourself a movie like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4_EdJ-XkUA
On January 21, 2011 at 12:17 pm
trish c says:
Think of England! Think of England! always makes me laugh!
Great video!
On January 21, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Grama Sugarbear says:
Sometimes we have to TEACH a Moma to Moma. Precious just precious!https://chickensintheroad.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/happyflower.gif
On January 21, 2011 at 12:45 pm
marymac says:
That was so cute!! How on earth do you get any thing else done down there? I would be in that goat house all day just watching them. That’s what I used to do with my chickens, lol.
On January 21, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Vicki in So. CA says:
Thank you so much for updating us. Your dedication to, and loving patience with Sprite is paying off. And her little guy looks SO happy. He couldn’t wag his tail any faster! I can’t stop smiling. 🙂
On January 21, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Beecie says:
Between the title on the post and the cute wiggling tails, I can’t get the smile off my face. And I can’t wait for my little wiggle-butt to get up from his nap so he can see them; he loves the “beebee goasss!!” Glad mommas and babies look like they’re doing well.
On January 21, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Katie M says:
I know you put up a “Meet the Cast” post a while back, but now that there are some new babies, I was hoping you could make up a family tree of all the goats – I’m getting confused about whose kids are whose! Luckily I can still keep the cows straight 😉
On January 21, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Linda Segerson says:
Very proud of Sprite…..just taking her a little longer than normal!
On January 21, 2011 at 4:13 pm
lilac wolf says:
OMG I want a pet goat! 😆
On January 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm
lilac wolf says:
maybe cookies after milking?
On January 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Yvonne says:
They are ALL so dang cute!!! I’m so glad you are so faithful with “encouraging” Sprite to let her baby nurse…the story still makes me sad 😥 But, he looks happy and healthy!
On January 21, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Linda Goble says:
So I am not around goats but do the adult goats wag their tail too. or is it just babies that do that?
On January 21, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Linda, the adult goats DO wag their tails sometimes, but it’s nothing like babies nursing mamas tail wagging!
On January 21, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Deb says:
Kafluffle? Must be a technical term….
On January 22, 2011 at 9:16 am
drucillajoy says:
I watched the video & it is so dear…then I played it a second time & closed my eyes & listened to the sounds…pure Heaven…if I had a CD of that I’d put it on continuous play…someday I hope to have a similar setup…for now I live in town & only dream…thanks so much for everything :yes:
On January 22, 2011 at 10:50 am
Rooth says:
hhahahaha Think of ENGLAND ! Loved that!
On January 22, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Renee says:
Just call him “Wiggle Butt” !!! :happyfeet:
On January 22, 2011 at 4:12 pm