# Pregnant or am i crazy???



## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

Ok so I have a goat that is about 1.5 yrs. We have never actually bred any goats, but we do have a billy that lives among them. She is very large showing on both sides, but unlike the goats that are just healthy large...she is firm. There is no give in her sides. I thought pregnant for sure and getting close. Last week I noticed that she has a bag with her teats. I don't notice this on any of my does that have never kidded. It has grown larger over the past few days. But nothing...no babies. I separated her from the rest. But I don't wanna depress her making her live alone if I am just crazy. Any advice is greatly appreciated.


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

I might add her vulva is super swollen. Like gold ball size. I have heard that they should go within days of bagging. But she has not. She had a little discharge about a week ago & nothing since. She doesn't seem in pain or anything. I just worry things may not be progressing as they should. I don't want to risk her getting sick. We have raised her since she was only weeks old.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Can you post a pic of her udder and vulva areas? Then we can clarify if she looks pregnant, and maybe how close she is as well. 

What are you feeding her right now, and does she have minerals? A good nutritious diet is important this late in the pregnancy. 

To prevent future problems, keep the buck and does seperate. I'm honestly surprised you haven't had more pregnant does! If a fertile buck is in with does in heat, they will end up bred. It's SO much easier when you know the due date, because then you can properly care for her.

Plus you don't want her in the pen with the buck right now, the pregnancy hormones might cause him to chase her which could hurt the kids.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

^agreed 

Ad some pictures of her vulva so we can tell if she looks bred

I would get some good minerals into your doe if you haven't started yet.. Mineral deficiency can cause I wide range of issues. I experienced the awful reality if that first hand this year with 3 goats I bought. It's not a good thing to go through. 




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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Is her bag tight and shiny or does it look like it has some filling to do? Feel for ligaments on either side of her tail, normally they feel like pencils but they turn to mush about 12 hours before kidding.

If the discharge is a white/yellow goopy discharge then it's probably her plug, which they can lose anytime from 2 months to hours before birth.

I would make a kidding pen for her, someplace where she can have her kids in peace and can bond with them without other goats interfering. 

When you see amber colored discharge it means kidding is about to begin. Then When you see her back and tail arching and she grunts or cries, it means she's beginning labor and babies are on the way!


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

I'm going out to get pics in a min. She is in her own area now. I just feel bad leaving her lonely  Ive had her in there for a week now. Most of our goats are cast offs...so they no longer can be bred. We have a few that are able but young. We only have one billy & he is our bottle baby from last spring so I guess we were naïve thinking he was still a baby. I have never actually seen him trying anything with any of the girls. But I do have one that was said to be sterile looking like she may be fattening up, my young girl has teats that have elongated(not sure if that's normal), and then Mrs Leslie who def looks prego. Im gonna try pics of all. Brb.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Yep, those bucks grow up fast lol. Pics of all would be good, then we can figure out who may be pregnant. 

Do you have a pen next to the kidding stall, or can you make one? Then she can have a buddy to hang with while she waits to kid. Or if you have a very gentle doe that could go in with her until labor starts...


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

This is Leslie. I'm so unsure because we actually purchased her last year with her mother being told her mother was bred and due anytime. We knew nothing...lol. After 6 months we realized that we had been scammed & Leslie was still nursing...hence the mother having milk. And turns out her mother just had healthy rumen. Her mother though was a bit mushy to the touch...whereas Leslie is firm...all the way around & its almost like you can feel actual bones in there


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

This is Twinkie. We took her in about 3 months ago. Their children had tired of the goats  We were told that she is about 4/5 yrs and has lived with a billy the entire time...no babies. Now turns out their billy is a wether...lol. We have since adopted him too.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I can't see Leslie's udder well, but going by the pooch I'd say she's definitely pregnant


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

This is Bella. She is my mancha baby. She has grown up with our billy. She is just a few months younger. I would say maybe 10 months now...I would never have wanted her bred this soon & not by him...he is a mancha mix...but not quite the beauty that she is...lol. So I'm really hopeful for a negative hereray:ray:


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

It's hard to tell with Twinkie, is she growing an udder? It looks like her vulva tip is pointing down which is a sign of pregnancy.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

And bellas pic didn't show...


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

canyontrailgoats said:


> I can't see Leslie's udder well, but going by the pooch I'd say she's definitely pregnant


Its hard to see thru the hair on her underside. But that entire bottom is her bag. Its probably hanging 3-4 inches. I wouldn't say its full like ready to burst. but its not saggy...empty either. Feels like water balloons maybe


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Ok, I see the pic now  . So anyways I'm g that Leslie is definitely pregnant, I'm leaning toward yes on Twinkie, and I'm not sure on Bella. Going by what I can see of her pooch, she looks preggo because it looks swollen and puffy with the tip pointing down. Unless she was just in heat.
But she has no udder development, so if she is bred she's probably not due for a while.


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

Idk with twinkie. Never really paid much attention to what they looked like prior to this. I only started looking a month ago when Leslie looked so obviously different. Her vulva looks like the does that I have that have kidded before but much more swollen. And I saw that my unbred does do not have bags at all. so then I guessed she was prego. But as for twinkie & Bella...they are not swollen there. Neither really appears to have a hanging bag just longer teats than before. I didn't know if that was growing up or signs of pregnancy.


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

canyontrailgoats said:


> Ok, I see the pic now  . So anyways I'm g that Leslie is definitely pregnant, I'm leaning toward yes on Twinkie, and I'm not sure on Bella. Going by what I can see of her pooch, she looks preggo because it looks swollen and puffy with the tip pointing down. Unless she was just in heat.
> But she has no udder development, so if she is bred she's probably not due for a while.


Does Leslie look like labor is imminent? She has changed so much recently that I thought any time...but then nothing...lol. The other day her tummy was so much lower but not seems to be all over. I just want to be ready. Im going out several times in the night to check her. I don't want her to go at it alone & be scared. You said minerals...dummy here...what is that?


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

You could try the bleach test if they're at least 30 days preggo. Add 2ccs of urine to a 1/2 cup of bleach . If it fizzes and reacts for a while it's a positive; if it only fizzes for a minute or doesn't do anything it's supposedly negative. It's supposed to be a pretty accurate test.

Or you can send a blood test in to get them tested if you really want to find out.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

The first, Leslie looks bred to me too. 

I'd say she's in need of some serious copper too. Her coat looks rough and sun bleached- a symptom of deficiency

Twinkles pics wouldn't come up 

Bella looks bred to me. Her vulva is pointed down. 


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

ciwheeles said:


> The first, Leslie looks bred to me too.
> 
> I'd say she's in need of some serious copper too. Her coat looks rough and sun bleached- a symptom of deficiency
> 
> ...


Ok. Please enlighten me. Ive never been advised on copper before


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Rrmommy said:


> Does Leslie look like labor is imminent? She has changed so much recently that I thought any time...but then nothing...lol. The other day her tummy was so much lower but not seems to be all over. I just want to be ready. Im going out several times in the night to check her. I don't want her to go at it alone & be scared. You said minerals...dummy here...what is that?


She looks close, but not like labor is imminent. Signs that she may kid soon:

A tight shiny bag, sometimes leaking milk

Her babies will "drop", and her belly will look smaller and lower

Her vulva may open more and she'll have some Amber colored discharge

She'll paw at the ground, talk to her belly, have no appetite and will act "off"

Feel for pencil like ligaments in either side of her tail head. 12 hours before kidding they will go from hard to mush, and you won't feel them anymore.

Minerals are a mix of vitamins , minerals and salt used to supplement a goats diet. Buy a bag of loose mineral mix rather than a block, and leave it out free choice. Manna pro, Cargill brand and cattle mixes will do.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

Problems with the coat that Leslie has typically come with copper deficiency. When they're at optimum levels they'll have a nice, sleek, shiny coat. It won't be faded too.

Copper deficiency isn't deadly, but it can cause still births, kidding issues, conception problems, and the list goes on and on. :/ same with Selenium deficiency - which present in the form of the joints sounding like they're "cracking"

Since your girls are prego I would consider maybe doing a copper bolus and starting them on Replamin Plus to try to battle any issues deficiency could cause 

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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Rrmommy said:


> Ok. Please enlighten me. Ive never been advised on copper before


Copper is an important mineral for goats, they need it to stay immune to worms and productive. I would start by adding a mineral mix as said above, with copper preferably in the 1500-2000 ppm range, or as close as you can get to those numbers. Just look on the tag before you buy it, and make sure it's low salt too.

If the minerals don't help her deficiency you can copper bolus her. You buy copper bonuses and a bolus gun and shove the pill down her throat. This will provide a long term release of copper.


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

ok. yes..i actually have minerals. They recommended them being mixed into feed when we got our 1st goats. But a local farmer told us they were not necessary. As far as her coat...I thought it was just her winter look cause the coldest season is when it started changing. So minerals should be mixed in for everyone?


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

No, the coat is just longer, making it more obvious 

You can mix it in the feed, but it should also be out free choice. They can't eat as much as they should be getting in just their grain. It's better if they can get as much as they want, when they want it 


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

The easiest thing would be to leave the minerals out free choice. It's less work for you, and the goats can eat all they need. 

And minerals ARE necessary if you want healthy productive goats, so that farmer was wrong !


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

ty all very much. Put minerals out today & they loved it


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

Leslie is not shiny tight...but she is leaking colostrum. Should I separate her or does she have time still?


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I would separate her. The other does could hurt the kids. Keep checking her ligs and watch her. You want to be there for the birth in case she needs help.


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

Just wanted to update. My Leslie had 2 beautiful babies this evening


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Congrats;-)


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

Awesome!


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