For Cindy and Donnie Pennington, a farming couple in rural Kentucky, Christmas Day delivered a remarkable surprise. One of their Oberhasli dairy goats, Ruby, gave birth to quintuplets — a rare event that has enchanted people in every part of the nation.

“We didn’t know at the time she was pregnant with five,” Cindy said. “We thought two, maybe three. By the time we checked on her on Christmas evening, she had given birth to two. We were gone for a few hours, and when I returned to the barn, there were five!”

The Penningtons were horrified, realizing that a goat nursing five would be a handful. “My jaw just dropped,” Cindy said. “I went in the house and told my husband and he didn’t believe me at first. Upon seeing it for himself, he said, ‘Oh Cindy, we’re in trouble.’

Goats generally have one or two kids at a time, and quintuplets are approximately one in 10,000. The mother is Ruby, a reddish-brown Oberhasli goat with a black stripe along her spine; the father is a Boer meat goat, and his union with Ruby produced a rare and lusty litter.

The newborns are comprised of one female, a “nanny,” and four males, or “billies.” As an aside, one of the babies, the smallest nanny, has already been sold as a bottle-fed kid. The Penningtons are bottle-feeding two of the remaining baby goats, while Ruby nurses the other two.

Caring for quintuplets is no easy task; it’s a 24-hour job. “You will be bottle-feeding every four hours for the first few days,” Cindy said. “After a week or so, you can cut down feedings to twice a day. “It’s a ton of work, but it’s very worth it when you see the babies running through the fields and jumping.”

The Penningtons had been raising goats for more than 25 years but had never seen a birth like this. Cindy called it a magical moment, especially because it took place on Christmas Day.

Cindy said goat farming does have its challenges. They need routine hoof trimming, parasite control and appropriate medications to remain healthy, particularly in Kentucky’s wet environment. Benefits include the joy of bringing up playful kids and the financial returns of the animal through the sale of goats for meat and milk production.

Ruby’s quintuplets have attracted attention across the nation, as photos and updates have circulated on Cindy’s Facebook page. “It’s cool seeing people’s reaction,” she said. “This is a very rare and special event for us.”

The Penningtons are hoping the publicity will draw more interest to their farm, and encourage others to discover the joys — and challenges — of goat farming. For photos of the quintuplets, or to ask about future sales, visit Cindy’s Facebook page, Cindy Carrier Pennington.

While the Penningtons are preparing for a busy new year, they remain in awe of Ruby’s Christmas Day surprise. “It’s moments like these that remind us why we love what we do,” Cindy said.