Remembering how it began...
"Valentine Mary" was born February 12, 2005 to Clarice and a male goat that "visited" Clarice "before" she was purchased as a "yearling" to come live on "Grandpa's Goat Hill"....
Bambi and Clarice were the "first" goats to live on "Grandpa's Goathill"....
Not a single soul would have thought that Clarice was expecting....
Bill Balls was soon the next to come live on GGH...soon arriving after Bambi and Clarice. Bill was going to be the "breeding buck"....He was so young and oh so adorable.
The breeding process began. Bambi soon started showing signs that she had successfully been bred to Bill Balls. Clarice was still so small and remaining the same in size.
Well....the end of January rolled around and Clarice started filling out more. "Possibly" thinking that she had successfully been bred.....the watch was on.
Bambi was getting larger and larger....Clarice growing just a little.
To everyone's surprise on February 12, 2005....this little bundle above arrived......SO CLOSE to Valentine's Day. How could she NOT be named Valentine ?? Clarice did not even look very pregnant at all......everyone thought for sure Bambi was due first...
Clarice had been bred to the "breeding buck" of the farm where she came from. The little baby, Valentine looked IDENTICAL to the buck....her Daddy. WHAT A SURPRISE.....EVERY little marking was identical to that beautiful buck where Clarice had been purchased.
This little baby almost did not make it.....she was in the barn standing shivering for quite a few hours before being discovered. Her Mama did not know how to care for her, neither did "Aunt Bambi".....Clarice and Bambi were sisters.
The trip to Walmart to get supplies.....caused a lot of stares. This little baby could not be left alone......so off we went. Her head remained in the baby afghan ( I had tons from my two kids )....but the customers and cashiers could see her little black head sticking out. Naturally she had to be uncovered and got all kinds of "oohs and awes"......
Val got a special treat that day. Her little hat that says "It's A Girl".....it fit so nicely on her tiny black head. She let me do anything to her.....dress her up...take her everywhere I went....as long as I had a baby bottle waiting. Oh gosh do they ever go crazy for those warm baby bottles.
Her first night of Karo and Mother's colostrum....and a TON of TLC saved her. She truly was "head back, tongue out and looking like a dead deer"......I did NOT think she would live through the night and neither did anyone else. She was just like a limp little rag.
Bambi delivered twins, Tinkie and little Bub ( named after the Uncle )...on March 7, 2005. Bill Balls, this time...thanks to Bambi, was indeed a first time Daddy. They all THREE were brought home and bottle fed. WHAT A CHORE......almost like triplets.
Valentine had a rough first year....if anything was to ail her....it did. She had a lot of bouts with "the runs"...."pink eye"....and just stayed so small.
Val is now one of the healthiest goats around.....with the most beautiful shiny coat. She is a prize winner in the eyes of me.....her Mommy.
Remembering how it began...
"Valentine Mary" was born February 12, 2005 to Clarice and a male goat that "visited" Clarice "before" she was purchased as a "yearling" to come live on "Grandpa's Goat Hill"....
Bambi and Clarice were the "first" goats to live on "Grandpa's Goathill"....
Not a single soul would have thought that Clarice was expecting....
Bill Balls was soon the next to come live on GGH...soon arriving after Bambi and Clarice. Bill was going to be the "breeding buck"....He was so young and oh so adorable.
The breeding process began. Bambi soon started showing signs that she had successfully been bred to Bill Balls. Clarice was still so small and remaining the same in size.
Well....the end of January rolled around and Clarice started filling out more. "Possibly" thinking that she had successfully been bred.....the watch was on.
Bambi was getting larger and larger....Clarice growing just a little.
To everyone's surprise on February 12, 2005....this little bundle above arrived......SO CLOSE to Valentine's Day. How could she NOT be named Valentine ?? Clarice did not even look very pregnant at all......everyone thought for sure Bambi was due first...
Clarice had been bred to the "breeding buck" of the farm where she came from. The little baby, Valentine looked IDENTICAL to the buck....her Daddy. WHAT A SURPRISE.....EVERY little marking was identical to that beautiful buck where Clarice had been purchased.
This little baby almost did not make it.....she was in the barn standing shivering for quite a few hours before being discovered. Her Mama did not know how to care for her, neither did "Aunt Bambi".....Clarice and Bambi were sisters.
The trip to Walmart to get supplies.....caused a lot of stares. This little baby could not be left alone......so off we went. Her head remained in the baby afghan ( I had tons from my two kids )....but the customers and cashiers could see her little black head sticking out. Naturally she had to be uncovered and got all kinds of "oohs and awes"......
Val got a special treat that day. Her little hat that says "It's A Girl".....it fit so nicely on her tiny black head. She let me do anything to her.....dress her up...take her everywhere I went....as long as I had a baby bottle waiting. Oh gosh do they ever go crazy for those warm baby bottles.
Her first night of Karo and Mother's colostrum....and a TON of TLC saved her. She truly was "head back, tongue out and looking like a dead deer"......I did NOT think she would live through the night and neither did anyone else. She was just like a limp little rag.
Bambi delivered twins, Tinkie and little Bub ( named after the Uncle )...on March 7, 2005. Bill Balls, this time...thanks to Bambi, was indeed a first time Daddy. They all THREE were brought home and bottle fed. WHAT A CHORE......almost like triplets.
Valentine had a rough first year....if anything was to ail her....it did. She had a lot of bouts with "the runs"...."pink eye"....and just stayed so small.
Val is now one of the healthiest goats around.....with the most beautiful shiny coat. She is a prize winner in the eyes of me.....her Mommy.