It’s babies times three at Sunrock Farm!

Almost all of our mama sheep are having triplets this spring. Fourteen lambs have arrived so far, with many more expected. Josie is the only ewe to have just two babies, but they made up for it in size: Joe and Jeremy are great big boys! Honey, Sunflower, Haley, and Fran all had triplets, and all but three were girls.

The ewes were not the only ones busy this spring.  Our favorite potbelly pig, Penny, delivered 5 piglets (2 white and 3 black) on March 27.  They are staying warm next to mama's side, nesting in the straw.  The pictures on the home page were taken when the piglets were one day old.  Because they are potbelly pigs, they are very tiny at birth and can fit in the palm of your hand.  They will feed from their mama for approximately 6 weeks.  They are then ready to be weaned and trained as pets.

Not to be outdone, our nanny goats are busy giving birth to beautiful twin babies.  Yes,  there have been no single births this year!  It is so interesting watching the mother goats give birth.  They usually wait until all is quiet on the farm then they settle down to give birth.  The other nannies in the pen will move away from the kidding mom to give her quiet space. 

 After the babies are born, the mama goats do a wonderful job of cleaning up their newborns. The babies arrive one at a time…sometimes they are born more than an hour apart, but usually the second , third, and even a fourth will be delivered 20-30 minutes after the previous baby. They are very slippery and sticky when they come out (usually face and front feet first). The nanny vigorously licks and nibbles at the membrane which surrounds the newborn, freeing the baby’s face so that it can catch its first breath. She then goes to work with her tongue, washing its face and everywhere else until its hair is wet and very clean. This helps the kid wake up and stimulates its breathing so that it can gain the strength it needs to stand up. We will often help by rubbing the baby with a clean towel, and fluffing its hair so that it can keep itself warm.

The first milk the kid drinks is very special. It is rich and sweet and thick as a melted milkshake. This special milk, called colostrum, is a living food. It contains cells from the mom which will help the babyfight germs, extra calories to give it a boost, and just the right amount of fat, protein, and vitamins for that particular baby. The kid begins searching for this food within minutes of birth. In the process of cleaning up the baby, the mom helps it stand on its wobbly legs, and even nudges it toward her udder so that the baby is often nursing before it is completely dry. We keep a very close eye during these early stages to make sure that the baby is fed, cleaned, and warmed. The newborns spend a lot of time sleeping, but when they wake up, they are ready to jump and spin, even when they’re only a few days old!

Hey – this isn’t so hard. Dot doesn’t mind if the baby sleeps in her arms after it finishes its bottle…but the other hungry goats do! My turn, My turn!

After the babies have had a little time with their moms, we bring them to the nursery where we take over their care and feeding. If they stayed with their moms, they would become so wild that we could never give them their shots, trim their hooves, or milk them when they were old enough. Each goat learns to trust humans so that they can receive the care they deserve and so that they, in turn, can become friends with the children visiting the farm.

Teaching the babies to drink from a bottle takes some time. We usually let them suck on a finger, then slip the bottle’s nipple into their mouths. Some learn very quickly, others take longer. As soon as the kids are around two weeks old, they learn to “belly up to the bar” for their dinner. Feeding 15, 20, or even 25 goats (like last year) would take way too long if you had to feed each goat separately. We can feed 16 goats simultaneously by using two bottle holders like the one shown in the photo. Can you imagine what it sounds like to hear sixteen goats sucking on sixteen bottles at the same time? It is something to behold.

Everybody belly up to the milkbar! I bet I can drink my bottle faster than you! Let's race!

When you visit the farm in the spring, you can help feed bottles to baby sheep and goats. It is especially fun to watch a group of them after they have had their bottles. Talk about wild! They dash around, jump into the air, and kick up their tiny hooves. That’s where the term “capricious” comes from. Come visit our farm babies this spring and see for yourself some truly capricious behavior that’ll have you laughing ‘til the cows come home!

This section of the website is constantly being developed. Please check back soon! If you have any questions please call us at  (859) - 781-5502.

The Sunrock Farm Babies (Background Material and Talking Points)