Babies Set to Join a Herd of Six Rescued from a Central Mass Farm in March
BOSTON and Methuen, Mass. March 27, 2019 – Officials at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen are not only counting down the days till warm springtime temperatures arrive, they’re also on baby watch, because two pregnant Nigerian Dwarf goats are set to deliver their “kids” any day now.
The babies—each doe is expected to deliver one kid—will join a herd of six goats, all rescued from a Central Mass. property on March 12 along with five sheep. The animals’ previous owners could no longer meet their needs and opted to surrender the bunch to the MSPCA’s law enforcement department.
“As an animal rescue our primary emphasis is to reduce the population of all pets through widespread spay and neuter efforts and the promotion of adoption vs. buying—but even we are pretty excited to welcome these spring babies,” said Ellie Monteith, manager of the equine and farm animal program at Nevins Farm.
“Our plan is to keep the does here on the farm until they and their kids are stable and then we’ll look to place them into adoptive homes.”
A Gaggle of Goats to Grow by Two
Nigerian Dwarf goats are a small breed of West African ancestry and are popular as pets because they are easy to keep and are small in size. “We like to say that they are ‘pick-up-able,’” said Monteith.
The pregnant does, named Acadia and Kenai, are living alongside one buck, two bucklings (young, unaltered males) and a wether, or altered adult male. The two bucklings, and the buck, will be altered before they are placed for adoption.
Wanna Help? Shop the “Baby Registry!”
Since the goats (and sheep) arrived at Nevins Farm the population of farm animals has grown significantly. Currently there are some 44 horses, pigs, goats, sheep and birds on the farm—all of whom need constant care and feeding.
Said Monteith: “Supplies are always needed to take care of these animals and we’d be grateful if anyone moved by the story of these goats would consider donating to our Amazon.com wishlist, which these days we’ve taken to calling our baby registry!”
Countdown to Baby Time
Veterinarians who have examined the goats say it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when the animals will give birth. “It could be a week or it could be a month—we’re looking for signs that their udders are producing milk because that will signal that birth is imminent,” said Monteith.
Until then the team waits, while keeping the goats as comfortable as possible. This task is made easier by the animals’ good nature. “They are all so friendly and social and love to interact with each other and with us, so it’s been great having them on the farm,” said Monteith.
But Monteith is already looking ahead to transitioning the goats to new homes. “The babies will of course be re-homed with their moms and we’re hoping that adopters will step forward to ensure all six can be adopted sometime this spring.”
For more information about the goats or the adoption process readers can click here or email farmadoptions@mspca.org with questions.
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