# Pregnant Goat or Precocious Udder?



## LowerGarthGoats (May 24, 2010)

Hi everyone,

In the last few days, we have become aware of some changes in one our female goats, namely swelling of the udder, which has made us suspect that she may be pregnant. She is about 1 year old, and we acquired her from another goat herder about 3 weeks ago. The set up she was previously in would make it a possiblity that she could have been impregnated by her father (although the females were all kept separet from the billy, one of them had somehow managed to kid a week or two previous to us going there, despite this separation!) 

Although her udder has started to swell, it appears to only be doing so on one side at the momment. I read somewhere that seemed to imply that this may be characteristic of a precocious udder? Any one with more experience might be able to comment? 

A second 'symptom' that may suggest pregnancy is the allignment of her tail, which I read somehwere changes during the last weeks of pregnancy. her tail is in this possition pretty much all the time at the momment. 

Unfortunatly, with only having her for a few weeks, we have not been able to get fully aquainted with her heat cycle or normal body charactersitics. 

Does anyone else have experience of this sort of thing? What was the outcome? Obviously, i realise that waiting to see what happens is probably all we can do, but some advice or experience sharing would be very halpful, as I have never kept a pregnant goat before, nor any goat under a year old! 

Best Wishes,

Michael


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The "wait and see" is about all that can be done....awfuly nervewracking too! Her filling on just one side is not common with a FF during pregnancy, I'm sure it could happen but I've never experienced this with my girls. One thing you can do if you want, Biotracking can do a blood pregnancy test, all you need iss a blood sample and send it to the lab www.biotracking.com or you can have a vet do an ultrasound, she could be pregnant due to the info you gave on the surprise kids the breeder got.... her udder may even out over the next few weeks and most FF will start to develope their udder at 6-8 weeks before they deliver, her age shouldn't be an issue if she's at a good weight for her breed...BTW, what breed is she?


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## LowerGarthGoats (May 24, 2010)

I have tried to upload a couple of pictures, but the file size is too big, and I cant work out how to reduce it enough! will keep on trying. 

She was advertised as a boer goat, but when we went to see her, it was obvious any boer in her has been severely watered down! She has more in common with a geurnsey goat. She is very tall and leggy; still quite slim and gangly, but a decent enough weight to kid. We have split the herd (9 goats, 2 sheep) into two so that we can moniter more closely, and also stop our pygmy female from butting her in the side, which she is prone too. 

A further thing that makes us think she may be pregnant is the reaction of the other goats to her. Janey (a large angora female) has been very supportive, when usually she can be quite distant to the others. Delle (the above mentioned pygmy) on the other hand has been very aggressive; Delle had a kid in very similar circumstances shortly after our mum acquired her 6 years ago, but it was born deformed and had to be put down. Do you reckon goats have feelings of jealousy or resentment in situations like this?


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## Sunny Daze (May 18, 2010)

I have never had one with a precocious udder but I thought they typically fill in even. The fact that only one side is filling would lead me to think possible mastitis. Biotracking would be easiest way to confirm she is or is not bred.


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## Blackbearlady (Nov 10, 2013)

On a precocious udder, How long does it remain full if no baby comes?


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm not sure if you are on a phone or if you are on a computer, but I have found the easiest way to downsize the size of a picture is import it to paint then decrease size by 50%. And viola it posts. 

Totally missed that this was from MONTHS ago. Whoops! 

With a precocious udder how long it stays depends on how well it forms and if it dries up quickly...


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