No kidding - Tootsie's a mother of 5

ST. VRAIN - Curry County ranchers Wyatt and LaShawna Young aren't trying to get your goat - their nanny gave birth to five kids last Thursday morning.

For city dwellers among us, goats generally give birth to twins, though single and triplet births are also common. Five at a time is rare. Guinessworldrecords.com reports the record is six, though an Arizona woman claims her goat had seven kids earlier this month.

The Youngs mostly run cattle on their spread west of Clovis. They have 10 nanny goats and one billy just for fun.

"They're like dogs," LaShawna Young said. "They're just our hobby. I love them."

She's been around goats her entire life and has never seen more than triplet births. "Tootsie" had triplets twice before birthing enough for a goat basketball team early Thursday. Mama and the five babies all seemed to be doing well heading into the weekend.

Young said the births came about two weeks early and Tootsie seemed surprised at first.

"You could just tell. She was thinking, 'These can't all be mine.' But right away she was licking them and loving on them," she said.

When goats give birth to four or more kids, it's not unusual for one or more to be stillborn, Young said. She credits an 8-year-old "Grandma" goat with helping these all survive since no humans witnessed the event.

"Grandma was the only one there to help," Young said. "She was the midwife I guess you could say."