Although we are known mostly for our petting zoo, Legacy Lane Farm is also a breeding farm. We breed Nigerian Dwarf goats. You can expect to see our baby goats in late winter through the spring season. Starting in March the girls on the farm are put on “midwife” duty.
Midwife duty means we watch the barn cameras for any sign that a mother goat is starting labor. Most of the time we get overly excited at any sign and end up sitting in the barn for hours at a time and it is a false alarm. Usually, baby goats are born when you least expect it, for example, as soon as you order a meal at a restaurant, the middle of a blizzard or definitely at 3am when the temperature is below zero.
It is healthiest for the mother goat not to raise the baby herself, but in the circumstance that we have missed the birth and the mother has had time (sometimes just a few hours) to bond with the newborn, we are unable to separate the them as it would stress both mother and baby. If all goes as planned, and we are at the birth, the baby is taken directly after birth and the mother never sees or smells it and therefore has no bond with it. Not having the mother nurse the baby prevents infection in the udder of the mother that most of the time is deadly. Also, when the baby is bottle fed by humans, they make better pets. Our goats are bred solely as pets. Most mothers will give birth to one to three babies at one time. We have had as many as six in a single litter.
After the babies have arrived, they are dried, weighed and have their temperature taken. Until they reach normal body temperature they cannot be fed, so if their temperature is too low they are warmed up with a hair dryer. Within the first hour of life they are given their first bottle of colostrum, which will boost their immune system and kick start their digestive system.
At this point they are bottle fed several times a day until they reach 12 weeks old and are sent home to their new homes.
Starting in March 2023, we have nine of our girls expected to deliver including Cindy Lou, Lucinda, Addison, Waddles, Mellie, Mini, Linda, Adaline, and Mable. Come visit the farm to see our new arrivals. We will be offering private bottle-feeding sessions as soon as the babies are about a week old.
If you would like to reserve on of our baby goats to purchase as your new pet, please call 603-686-1961.
To see a live video of one of our girls giving birth please follow the link below. Warning this video contains graphic content.
https://fb.watch/ibNUvUPdtI/