# past due goat/mucus plug



## Engebretsen

The person I got my goat from said she was due to kid May 16th. We've been watching (and watching) very closely for signs of impending labor for the last two weeks. Until this morning, nothing. When I've put her up on the stand I haven't been able to feel kids move inside of her and people kept telling me "she doesn't even look pregnant" (though we've watched her become a much wider load, she doesn't have the "ready to pop" look I see often in pictures).

Finally this morning i'm seeing some discharge that has to be her losing her mucus plug and it looks like she's starting to fill her udder (she's just had sad saggy teats up until this point). Here's the problem… her mucus plug looks to be the wrong color. It's a lighter brownish pinkish color instead of a regular mucus color. I read that off-colored mucus can be a sign that there's something wrong with the babies (and being new to kidding, of course I'm extra paranoid).

Can we have this going on and there's a chance the babies are ok? Should I just wait and see, or take her to the vet to get checked out (she is definitely not in labor yet).


----------



## toth boer goats

Does the discharge actually have a ... clear "amber" ...tube like color and appearance?

If so.. it won't be long.... :hug: 

Is she understand any duress or not eating?


----------



## LastStandGoats

Pinkish brown color?...i dunno, if it's amber, then like toth said...it shouldn't be long ^^

We are new to goats too, just had ours kid 5 weeks ago. We noticed the same thing, as well as the filling of their udders the day they gave birth. I hope it goes well!


----------



## Engebretsen

No, not clear at all… just mucus-y. She pushed out a couple of "streams" of it throughout the morning, but no amber-colored liquid. She's been stretching and pacing.... eating and drinking normally. She's extra-sweet and more mouthy today than usual.


----------



## toth boer goats

It won't be long...she is in pre labor.... some can take hours... but others can have them pretty quickly... so keep an eye on her....Happy Kidding. :thumb:


----------



## Engebretsen

So no concern for the color of her mucus? Ok. We can do this. I'm only gonna freak out on the inside. Outside, calm.


----------



## mmiller

I agree with toth..

Some take hours an some take mins. I had one doe that started streaming an with in 20 mins had 2 kids on the ground. Good luck an happy kidding.


----------



## liz

If she's just now starting to form an udder above her saggy teats and this is the first time you've seen discharge with her...she may still have a month to go.

I have one experienced doe who has the same color discharge as well as starts her udder 4 weeks before she delivers...the few days before she delivers is when she passes the white creamy looking plug and fills her udder then finishes filling her udder a few hours before she delivers.

If she was due for sure on 5/16 and no chance whatsover of her having a "5 day heat" or even bred on the following heat then I'd say that your doe is prepping for delivery.


----------



## Engebretsen

I've emailed and called her previous owner a couple times with no response (over the last 4 days) to be sure there's no way we could be off on the due date. For now, she seems to not be too stressed. The man is upset that I'm refusing to leave the house, but he should forgive me. Liz, I'll keep your girl in mind as I'm watching/waiting. I'm sure I'll feel better about this next year since I'll know her breeding date and we'll have gone through it before. They missed her kidding last year because she went in the middle of the night. This year she's a second freshener.


----------



## Engebretsen

No babies. Feeling super letdown by the person who sold me this goat and still plenty of concern for my girl since this means I have no clue when she is actually due.


----------



## toth boer goats

:hug:


----------



## Engebretsen

Finally got ahold of the guy I bought my girl from. He says she was with the buck for a while and he only wrote down the first breeding date so here's to hoping she has busy bouncy kids in a couple weeks.


----------



## toth boer goats

:thumbup: :hug:


----------



## liz

Going by your description of the discharge as well as her udder growth... I was hoping there was chance at a later breeding. Now...if he wrote down the first breeding that put her due on 5/16 (with goats they can deliver anywhere from 145 to 155 days from breed date) and since most does cycle a minimum of every 3 weeks, start watching her behavior and udder growth at that time...I bet theres babies for you at that time.


----------



## toth boer goats

Good call Liz.... :wink: :greengrin: :thumb:


----------



## Engebretsen

So today, it looks like Alabama's discharge has turned to a bloody color. It's not as much as we saw with her on Monday, but it's renewed my concern about the color. Still active, still eating, still not in labor, still no udder but her teats look more full. Judging by the fact that the ground looks more scratched up this morning, I wonder if she was doing some nesting last night or if I'm just crazy. I wa going to leave for work in about an hour and a half (and I work an hour and a half away) but now I'm wondering if I should stay with her.


----------



## toth boer goats

The udder part is throwing me off...but some do fill right at or shortly after birthing.... if you are positive she is due ... I wish I was there to look at her ... :hug: 
I recommend getting someone there ...that knows goats...to check on her ....... or to get a knowledgeable vet.... =

When seeing blood... she may be hemorrhaging internally... or having kidding issues... or ...she may be aborting....  Blood before a kid is born... is something of concern to me.... :hug: ray:


----------



## Engebretsen

Came up to work--I have a neighbor/friend checking on her every hour or two, and then my fiance should be home from work in about four hours. I think for peace of mind I'll probably make a vet appointment tomorrow. Better safe than sorry.


----------



## toth boer goats

:hug: I would recommend a vet as sooner...if possible...

Check her gums... if they are pale or white... time is critical and that is not a good sign.... :hug:


----------



## freedomstarfarm

Hope it is all good and you have cute kids soon.  
I have some that have a mucous discharge for weeks prior to kidding.


----------



## Engebretsen

Her gums were normal and she had a normal temp when I left this morning. I'll see if I can call a vet while I'm at work today. I just moved down there and haven't really established a relationship with any vets, but I know a Nigerian Dwarf breeder nearby that recommended a vet in a town not too far off.


----------



## Engebretsen

Left work. Gonna go home. Have a call in to that vet and waiting to hear back


----------



## Engebretsen

Called two vets on the way home, neither of whom could get her in today. Home now... I think she's in early labor, so I'm gonna watch and wait for a bit today. I have a number for an emergency vet if it comes to it.


----------



## toth boer goats

Praying... she and her babies will be OK...keep us updated.... ray: :hug:


----------



## Engebretsen

Left the emergency vet a couple hours ago. She's in the process of aborting the kids. I guess they died a few months ago, according to what the vet said about the one he pulled from her birth canal. He gave her oxytocin to help her contractions so she can push out the other 2-3 kids he thinks are still inside. We're gonna do antibiotics to keep Alabama from having further issues. Very sad news about the kids, but I'm glad our girl will be ok.


----------



## GracefulAcres

So sorry to hear your loss and prayers that Alabama recovers soon!
:hug: ray:


----------



## milk and honey

Ooooh! I'm so sorry... I hope it all goes OK for her..


----------



## toth boer goats

I am so very sorry....  I pray... she passes them with no issues..... glad she was seen by a vet.... :hug: ray:


----------



## Engebretsen

Thanks for the support. I think next year things will go a lot better for us.


----------



## toth boer goats

Me too... :hug: ray:

One thing you may want to do is ...to make sure... it wasn't caused by an aborting disease...talk to your vet about testing for it in case.... :hug:


----------

