# Is this goat pregnant?



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Hello. I am new here. Sorry, I will mosey over to the introduction thread soon. I am just really going crazy trying to decide if my girl is pregnant. I will give a little back story then pics. I have had her for about 4 months so if she is she's got a month or less to go. She's a 75/25 boer/spanish and was sold for meat so she had been living in with males. She was 5 or 6 months old when I got her so she's way too young which is why I am going crazy. Her teats have become significantly larger than they were but she has no udder development except for what feels like an empty cloth purse. Her right side bulges out and I can see some movement. It is also farther forward than her rumen on the left. Her vulva is puffy. She went from looking fat and filled out to having a sunken, skinny look overnight and unless I am going crazy her ligaments are softening. She has never shown any sign of being in heat. So, that said, here are pics. I am putting a before and after of the skinny thing to show the difference. Any guesses would be so appreciated. 

I really hope I did the pics right. I guess we will see! onder:


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Her belly looks pretty rounded and I would guess that she is in fact bred. ETA, hopefully she isn't. :|


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I'm going to guess no. Especially being within a month...there should be really obvious signs.


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Hmmmm...she's just a difficult one. Lol My 17 y/o keeps saying she's just fat but fat doesn't move of its own accord. :? Is it possible to see rumen movement on the right, as well? I really appreciate both of you taking a look. What kind of signs do you think I would be doing at this point that I am not?


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

That's supposed to say seeing not doing.


----------



## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

I'd think you'd have more udder development and a more pronounced vulva.

Get her on a stand or otherwise restrained and hug her, pressing your hands in gently but firmly just in front of her udder. That's a good place to feel babies. Or press in low on the right side.

I could have sworn I felt babies and my doe was blood tested open so sometimes if you're trying too hard you'll "feel" something. Hehe. May just be feeling muscle or rumen movement.

I say not pregnant if she's due in the month.


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

And feel her udder. From the pictures it looks like it is developing a little, but I could be wrong. Is there a slight firm bulge to it when you feel it or is what I'm seeing all skin?


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I have tried wrapping my arms around her and feeling but she just gets mad. I will try again tomorrow though. At one point today I was out talking to them and saw the bulge on her right side literally jump and move. ..inward, like toward her underbelly/spine. I have seen the rumen doing pretty crazy acrobatics, though, so if it can also be seen on the right it could be that. 

Her udder feels like flab. You know how your belly feels right after you have a baby? That empty but significant feeling? That is pretty much what it feels like to me.


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Oh, okay. It seems like a first freshener doe who is 1 month from kidding would have started developing an udder by now (but again, every goat is different).

Below is a picture of one of my FF's udder a month from kidding last year.


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Yeah, that is exactly what I would expect to be seeing! So I keep thinking I am just crazy but she has had so many tiny little changes that add up to me not feeling sure. I would like to add, my girlie's vulva looks so much like your girl in that pic, to me. That swollen around it look. What a pretty spotted girl, btw.


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I agree with the others about getting her in a stand and feeling. kids are on the right side only. Ive seen does that were so fat and no udder give birth and then give an udder after kidding!!!! They will always keep us guessing!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I don't have a stand yet, but I will get one of the kids to help hold her so she can't take off when I try. While the babies will only be on the right, it's it possible to feel and see movement from the rumen on the right, as well? I have seen what looks like an alien in her tummy from her rumen working and have felt it very well. I could also feel the little gas bubbles. The movement I saw on the right didn't have the bubbles, either, at least that I could feel.


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

You shouldn't see the rumen from the right side but I have seen kids on the left side due to her side on one spot being several inches away from her!! It's funny how it looks like an alien trying to cut its way thru the mom lol! I've felt some gas bubbles on the right side before but kid movement feels a lot different than the rumen bubbles do!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Well, if it's not her rumen and she's not pregnant she HAS to have an alien in there! onder: I literally watched the right side bulge jump. I have 4 kids so I figured her babies would feel a lot like mine did. ..well, except mine didn't have hooves. Lol


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Yes they should feel somewhat like a baby kick (I don't know what a human baby kick feels like I've not had a baby lol still in highschool)


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

The movement I felt was more like rolling. ..like it would have been the baby's back if it was, indeed, a baby. The jumping thing really surprised me, though. I wasn't touching her so I didn't get to feel it but it very clearly jumped to the inside like if you startled someone, then was bulging back out again. What I really want to do is make my mother come stay with my kids (it's only a 14 hour drive! Lol), get a sleeping bag and just not leave the goat house til I KNOW! LOL


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would say pregnant. That's exactly how my FFs started their udders, with a looser area of skin and fatter teats. They can bag up late, and meat breeds have smaller udders than dairy breeds. You can always get an ultrasound or blood test done to know for sure. 

Also, have a good goat vet's number on hand in case of emergency.


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I was wondering about that, since she is a meat goat. Right now her teats are about the same size as my not pregnant nubian/nigerian of the same age but they used to be much smaller and there is that little fatty pouch. If I had longer to wait I would definitely do the blood test or ultrasound but at this point I figure I will just wait. I definitely need to make sure I have a good vet lined up ready, though.


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

New-goat-mom said:


> Yeah, that is exactly what I would expect to be seeing! So I keep thinking I am just crazy but she has had so many tiny little changes that add up to me not feeling sure. I would like to add, my girlie's vulva looks so much like your girl in that pic, to me. That swollen around it look. What a pretty spotted girl, btw.


I was thinking about that right as I posted the picture! She was a Myotonic (meat breed), and I unfortunately don't have her anymore. :tears:


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I bet you miss her! Such a beautiful girl. I am going to add a couple of new pics that I just took. One of her lady bits (it's puffy to the point there are NO wrinkles around her anus at all) and one of her belly. Her sissy is even standing next to her for comparison in the belly pic. Her tummy doesn't have that rounded look at all and that girl really puts away the groceries! But...is this just a fat goat tummy?


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I say pregnant the last photo doesn't really show anything. Try to get top photos of her belly like before.


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I was hoping someone night be able to tell if there was some udder development from the belly pic? I will try to get some belly from above pics this afternoon. I did notice something odd in a few of the pics though. I have seen "wax plugs" mentioned but can't seem to find much about them. If you zoom in on her teats she has this dark grey looking dot right over the tip of each. Is that a wax plug? Do only pregnant goats have them?


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

That is the wax plug it doesn't matter if they're pregnant or not they all have them


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

*sigh* I was hoping that was a sign or something. I have decided that goats are just a pain in the rear. :sigh:


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I feel ya my doe Ella (JK farms 2017 waiting thread) is doing the same to me some does are hard to tell if they're or aren't pregnant!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I really hope these girls stop driving us crazy soon! I looked at your girl and can see why you wouldn't be able to just know. I bet they think this is funny! So here are two new pics from this evening. A belly from above (left is left, right is right) and it seems like the right side bulge is bigger than the rumen. I almost think I see more in the udder area so I took a pic of that, too. I can just barely feel her ligaments...they are really soft and squishy. I keep comparing then to Eliza's and I find hers instantly and they are quite firm.


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I think they do think it's funny!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I think so! I actually threatened Anabelle. I said you do know you are a meat goat, right? She looked at me and blinked those pretty brown eyes and you could tell she knows I could never harm one hair on her sweet head!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Alright, so she has major changes in her girlie parts since yesterday. There is also a little crusty stuff like she had a bit of discharge. I would think in heat but what about the squishy ligaments and her moving right side bulge? I still can't tell if I can feel a baby or not no matter how hard I try.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Everything looks so tight. Can't say.


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

She wants me to go insane.


----------

