# Pregnant Nigerian does fighting



## Cissysgoats (Sep 7, 2014)

Hi, I am new to posting here but have learned so much on this blog. I love it!!!

I have a small herd of Nigerian does, two are bred and due anytime. Today is day 145 for both. Today when I came home from work they were in a terrible battle. The herd queen Juno had quite a bloody head and was very out of breath. I put her into a stall of her own and she has calmed down and seems happy to be by herself. I have never seen them get this brutal with each other and was wondering if this was normal or if they will need to be separated indefinitely? 

I am also wondering if it might be a sign of early labor? Juno has a large udder but it's not hard or shinny. She does not have any discharge by her girl parts are pretty loose. I checked the ligaments but I have to admit I think I am clueless in that area. She is a second freshener and 2 years old. She had one big lil girl later year.

Aspen is also a second freshener and 2 years old. She has a pretty full bag but not shinny and she has a small amount of white discharge but it's been off and on for about a month now. She had two doelings last year.

Any insight would be great....of course like all of you waiting for new babies, I am a nervous wreck.


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

I think your queen is just reasserting herself- just a dominance thing. Probably wanted to "own" that stall to herself, and let the other one know that it's all hers. lol Must be a great stall!


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

haha.. that title made me laugh. Yes, they must do this sometimes ... I often wonder that the herd queen so desires to be first to have her babies, that she is going to be sure that she is bred first every year if she can help it. This happened about 3 years ago also to us here on our farm. We had one doe that was hornless- and the 'picked upon goat' of the herd. She never desired to get into a head butting game with the others until one head bloody messy day! Yes, that's right- she had all she could take and was not about to be the last one to go into labor this time and get the unwanted left over pen this year again. The battle started over a desire to have a certain little area for what she claimed would be her kidding area- the area that she tho't was the very best. She repeatedly head butted with the queen until her head was starting to bleed. She was so beside herself in anger and frustration that I couldnt easily pull her off. Even Abelene(queen) had felt sorry for her and had stopped hitting her and just held her head down for the punch wondering what it was all about. I ended up putting her in her own little safe area to let her know that she had a special place and she promptly went into labor a bit premature by a few days from all the fighting. I suppose it was a mixture of her hormones and her frustration of always being the last doe to kid on our property every year. She was not going to let some of the younger does go ahead of her this year and was so upset. This poor doe - our first buck was also afraid of her as she was his first experience with an electric fence. Just as he went to touch her nose, she backed up to the fence and sent him a huge shock. He ran off terrified of her and didnt want anything to do with her for a while, thinking that she had electrified him with her kiss. Well.. she did end up giving me our beautiful Dalchini and she is one of our best does. Your doe is probably just having all sorts of pregnancy jitters and hormonal issues. She will calm down. Keep her separated but not isolated from the herd and she will calm down once she knows she has a place.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Once a doe gets so close to labor, I like to separate them from the herd. I like having the does separate in their own little personal kidding areas so that they can relax, and bond with their own babies. There a plenty of stories of does going into labor at the same time and not knowing which kids are theirs and then you don't either. They can be near all the herd but in a divided pen. Our herd queen would go and stand by the gate when she was starting to go into labor because every year, that is where I put her. I have a small operation so this is easier to do.


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## Cissysgoats (Sep 7, 2014)

Thank you so much for the replies. I feel much better now. It's good to know my girls are not the only ones doing this. I have them separated now and will keep them that way until they kid....which is hopefully soon. Truthfully it's not even that great of a stall, must be like kids fighting over the front seat.:crazy:


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## Cissysgoats (Sep 7, 2014)

Two years ago I had two does who kidded within 15 minutes of each other. I was there so got to see who belonged to who. But I can see how if I was not there it would get confusing. I ended up putting each doe and her babies in separate pens because one of the mama's was always picking on the other mama's babies.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I'm glad you separated them, a blow to the side could cause abortion..the stress of fighting isn't helpful anyways. Once the kids are a few days old, the herd can come together again.

Happy kidding!


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