# Doing the bump test on my goat tummy?



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

Since I am never going to know if Anabelle is pregnant or not, I decided to try to "bump test" her tonight. There is a problem with this. I have no clue what I am even feeling for. So here is what I did and what I felt. I was standing behind her. I placed both hands right in front of her teats (this girl really just has NO udder) and pushed gently straight up, toward her spine. I quickly dropped it while keeping my hands against her tummy. Immediately after dropping (less than a second probably) I felt something internal drop, as well. It was almost at the same time but clearly dropping separate from the outside. Would her organs do this our should I suspect it was a baby/ babies?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I tried this like once while before the doe had kids and it was the same as you, not too rough and I couldn’t feel anything but guts. You have to do it fairly hard, and I’m sorry but if someone did that to me harder then what I did I would punch them in the face lol so I never did it correctly. Now after a doe has dropped some kids I will do the bumping, I figure bumping or putting my hand in equally suck, but that way I can feel them. If no kids in their yes their guts will drop but it’s a squishy thing dropping. With a kid in their it’s more of a solid mass that drops........hopefully that makes sense. I’m not sure if it would be quite the same doing it to a doe that was still full of kids and fluid and such though


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

Hmmm....I believe I will truly never know. Lol I understand what you mean about not wanting to do it any harder. She is already so tired of me constantly feeling for changes in her udder, taking pictures of her girlie bits, holding my hand on her belly to feel for movement. If I don't watch she will start plotting to overthrow me!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol they all would! Terrible animals lol 
You know what there was some kind of test that you needed either a few drops or blood or milk to do a at home test. I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s not the pee test but something else. I was going to buy a few and try it before I learned to draw blood. I figured poking a vein in the ear with a needle would get a few drops of blood. Let me see if I can find it. I think it was also mentioned on here on the P test thread if you want to search there. Being on my phone I can’t search for anything on here :/ but let me google it or see if I saved the link


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok I found the name for it but not where to buy it’s called BOVIPREG no clue how accurate (maybe not at all and it’s no longer made lol) but something to look into. I gotta go but I’ll keep looking later if you haven’t found anything


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The problem with bumping a pregnant doe is everything is full. Rumen, stomach and uterus. After a doe starts labor and the plug and fluids come out, then when you "bump" there is (or may be) the fetus in a relatively empty space, you can then possibly feel it bumping around.

If the doe is past 3 months gestation, try firmly (not really hard) pushing your hand up, just in front of the udder and the other hand kind of pushing down on her side. You might feel the kid kick. It works better If she hasn't eaten in a little while.

Before 3 months, the fetus is really small and it is hard to feel it. They do most of the body growth the last 6 weeks.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All good advice.


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

Thank you, Jessica. I will definitely look into that test. I keep wanting to get brave enough to draw blood but i just can't yet. And yes, I picture these guys going all Animal Farm on me and get nervous! Lol

Thank you, Goats Rock. I will try feeing her that way. Thankfully she is my most tolerant goat. But she is telling me she has limits, too. Lol


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I can’t find anywhere that it’s for sale! I guess you could try the P test, I think the only real issue there was it also detected a heat so some goats where saying they were bred and came into heat a day or 2 after after the test. Which I believe in the directions it said to test X amount of days later. 
I bought 100 of those stupid things and used maybe 3 if I can find them I’ll just give them to you if you want! I have to warn you though it is NOT easy catching pee!!!! 
I just got done watching Zoo on Netflix and I just kept looking out the window thinking I would be dead in a matter of minutes lol


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

Hmmm...I wonder if, maybe, it just didn't work so they quit selling it? As for catching pee, I actually did that once already and did the bleach test. And yes, it was borderline impossible! Lol. Yeah, I imagine there are a lot off us that would be in real trouble if the animals decided to do anything like that! Lol


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## FPF (Nov 29, 2017)

Couldn’t you just get an ultrasound from the vet? Then you know for sure


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

As stated, "bumping" only works if the doe has already delivered a kid and there's room for it to bounce inside. There's an art to feeling for kids and it takes practice. I usually start feeling for kicks about 6 weeks before the due date. Grab the doe right after she's been running or fighting, then immediately feel low down on her right side. You might pick up some flutters when baby kicks. During the last 2-3 weeks, I can usually feel the kids even when they're not moving. Again, feel low on the sides but especially the right. If you press around you can usually feel a knobby hock or head pressing against the belly. It will slide around when you push on it and sometimes you'll even trigger some movement. 

Some does are easier to feel through than others. Fat or deep-bodied does can be difficult or impossible to feel through. A really trim, fit goat (usually a first freshener) may be so tight you can't feel anything through her hard muscles. Kids that are less active are difficult to feel, but the rowdy ones are unmistakeable. Twins are easier to feel than singletons, and as they get toward the due date they crunch each other and start fighting for room, which makes them more active than singles. Good luck!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Well said.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

this is really informative great job


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

Thank you, Damfino. That is really helpful information. I guess I will just keep trying to feel for babies moving and wait and see.

I would love to do an ultrasound but it's not financially reasonable. We see the doctor (human and animal) when we have to only at this point. Since i don't HAVE to know if she's pregnant i will just have to wait.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

The bump test has been working for me. The best way to do it is to lift her belly all the up let down quick and lift back up and then hold there. If by 1 minute you don't feel movement there is no baby. 

I can personally tell by 2 1/2 months but when I was just starting I couldn't tell until 4 months.


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