A Great Day in Caprenity

When I try to explain to people why we have Caprenity at Hames & Axle Farm, the best way I can describe it happened last night.  We knew that Cassia was due to deliver any day, and have been watching her, but our kidding pen was already pretty full, so we left her in the pasture. I think it’s better for kids to be born on fresh grass than in a dirty pen, so that was my choice.   We were expecting rain, and in fact did get some serious downpours, but Cassia had not shown any signs of impending birth, so we left her with everyone else.  When we went out to do chores, we looked for her, and couldn’t find her. It’s not unusual, as Cassia is a shy doe.  However, when we went on to do evening chores, we discovered that she had kidded triplets in the pasture, between rain showers.   Cassia is one of our older does. She is one of the last of our Gay-Mor lineage does, combining old lines from Rosasharn, Old Mountain Farm and Gay-Mor.  All of her parents are gone, so her offspring is precious to us.  Cassia is the name of a spice similar to Cinnamon.  So her offspring will have spice names.    Her boy, a little copy of his mother, will be named Hames & Axle LJ Cayenne. Her daughter number one is an unusual combination of gold, white with a brown dorsal stripe, is called Curry, and her other daughter, a more conventional brown and tan buckskin will be called Cardamom.  The spice will continue in their lineage.    So, finding a new set of kids in the pasture, up walking, dry and already exploring is our happy place, our Caprine Serenity = Caprenity. But it got better.  Our livestock guardian dog, Lea, jumped into the pasture to check things out.  Normally she is a rambunctious dog, more prone to chasing than guardian.  But last night she approached that new little family as if they were china dolls. She sniffed all three kids, and the mother doe didn’t flinch. It was just a little bit of magic here on a little goat farm, but it’s part of what gives us our Caprenity.  Here is a picture of Cassia with two of the kids. Little Cardamom had already gone exploring in this photo, less than two hours after being born.     For those who wonder why I think Caprenity is a place to “run away,” this is why.  Now we’ve got six does in milk, so the soap making can beef up. And we get to watch all the kids from this year, grow up and hopefully some of them will find forever homes at other farms. I love to help other families find their caprenities too.

Mama Cassia with two of her kids