# Juno-2021 kidding



## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

I'm posting a little early but I am getting excited for kidding and hoping that this helps the time go by faster, lol!
Unfortunately out of the 3 girls I had planned to breed, only 1 took. The other 2 are first timers and are still in with the buck. They're going to get a preg. test just incase, and I'm having a vet out to assess them. BUT...this is about my girl Juno!
This will be her 3rd time kidding, and her 2nd time kidding with me. I bought her bred last year, and she was in with the buck for almost 2 months. She looked like an absolute blimp for well over a month, so there were LOTS of sleepless nights watching her. This time she just had 1 date with a buck, and boy am I glad to have an actual timeline this time!
She is due April 5th, her ultrasound(s) showed 2, but my vet said she would bet there is more. Last year her ultrasound also showed 2 and she had 3.
She had a bit of a scare a few weeks ago where she was stretching, star gazing, breathing heavily, sitting, and laying flat out. I sent a video to the vet and thankfully she came right out. We were worried she may have been aborting, but she improved within an hour and the vet said she probably had a bit of an upset stomach. We did another ultrasound just to be safe and babies all looked good (thumbup)
She's got 2 months to go now and she's getting pretty round! I really love the buck she is bred to, so I'm excited to see how these babies turn out. This will also be the first time I get to register kids under my herd name!
The weather here has been horrible so I don't have any super recent pictures of her but I'll try and grab some decent ones.
In the meantime here is her napping in her kiddie pool from a couple weeks ago just because she's cute 








And here's her last year in early may. She delivered on June 26th.








And another of her face because I just love her!


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## MissMiniNubian (Jan 20, 2021)

Aww! Good luck!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

What a cutie!! I am excited for you.
Good luck!
Very funny pricture with the horse!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Exciting! Show us the buck she is bred to!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

What a cutie patootie! She has such an expressive face.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

This is the buck she is bred to.








I had planned to breed one of my other girls to him too but I ended up buying a buck of my own.

Here is Juno this afternoon. Those are her daughters from last year poking their heads out behind her lol


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Good looking buck!
Juno is so cute! I love that picture of her with the two kids peeking out behind her! It looks like you had them set up just so!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice goats, good luck.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Aww, what a sweetie! Good luck.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Juno has me a little worried this afternoon. For the past few days she hasn’t been as interested in her alfalfa pellets, which i found a little odd. She meets me at the feed room door for her grain while the others eat instead. It’s kind of hit or miss with her grain the past couple days too..she does eat but not as much as usual. Today she ate a tiny bit of grain and hay pellets but was more interested in following me around. She even turned down animal crackers, which she never does. 
I did notice her stretching a few times and she’s currently laying down while the others all pester me. 
There is finally not snow on the ground for the first time in a month so that could also be a factor...maybe she just wants to enjoy it and that’s why she’s laying down. Her ligaments are still totally there and there is little to no udder development. 
she is laying quietly right now and I am currently waiting for her to pee to test ketone. Is there anything else I should do? I’m trying to get better about panicking and calling the vet immediately (because that’s what I always tend to do) but I want to be safe. I’m also paranoid after the scare she had in January.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Get her temp in case.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Her temp was normal, as was the ketone test. She still doesn’t seem too interested in food. I have also noticed that she’s got some clumpy poo. She had a fecal done last month and the vet didn’t advise deworming her because her count was low.
I did have to switch them over to first cut last week as my normal hay person is all out until may. I’m attempting to track down some 2nd to see if she would want that instead.
I put her and her 2 daughters from last year in together in a pen so I could keep a closer eye on her. She’s acting normal otherwise so I’m hoping her appetite kicks back up soon


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yeah, if it is new hay, it may not taste or smell as good as the original loved source.
I have some who like the hay and others who don’t mind the change. Picky eaters.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Another little update!
So, we had another scare with poor little Juno last weekend. She was acting pretty uncomfortable and just very off so the emergency vet came out and ran a bunch of tests. Babies are still doing great, but the vet thinks she could have had the beginning stages of polio. She was off feed, had lose stool, and I found her sitting down like a dog. She seemed pretty dazed and overall uncomfortable the morning I called the vet. After some TLC, vitamin B, and some other supportive care she is doing much better! I am keeping an extremely close eye on her. She has just about 5 weeks left now until her due date! She isn't nearly as large as she was last year with her 3, so I am thinking she just has 2 in there. I'll have to get some updated pictures of her! Here is her and her daughters hanging out in the golf cart the other day. They're just too funny!









I also separated my other 2 girls out from my buck the other day and pulled blood for pregnancy tests. I was almost positive neither girl took. Minerva was going into heat weekly, I was actually going to have my vet out to see if she was cystic. My other girl Rose (who I desperately wanted to get bred) I never saw go into heat at all. The test results just came back and unfortunately Rose is open ... BUT! Minerva is pregnant! She is my only unregistered doe, but she is full nigerian! She is super sweet, and I think she'll be a good milker. I took her to a buck in early December, but she went back into heat in early January. I put her in with my young buck I had just bought and she has basically been in there since. She went into heat weekly for the next month and he bred her every time. The last time I saw her go into heat was January 28th. Her due date is going to be a bit of a mystery. Technically the earliest it would be is May 1st, however, I don't think she took that first time. The latest date would be June 22nd. Because I sent the blood only 25 days prior to the last breeding I'm not sure if she took earlier or if the test just caught it that early. I guess only time will tell!
This is Minerva. She is a hefty little thing! I'll have to get some better pictures of her.















This is my buck, Zuko. His registered ADGA name is The Michael of the Morning. He's only 8 months old and is a little firecracker! He doesn't sit still very often, so I don't have many pictures of him. When it warms up a little here I'll clean them up and take some nice pictures


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## wheel-bear-o (Jul 6, 2020)

Oh Zuko is a really handsome guy! Juno is so cute, I can't wait to see this year's kids.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Phew glad Juno is feeling better!

Sorry Rose didn't get bred. Maybe it was just too early for the test to pick up?


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

I'm slowly starting to lose hope with Rose, but I guess there is always a chance. In September my vet said she had a really low heart rate and said she could have a heart defect. I was devastated so I took her up to TUFTS and got an echo done on her. They said that her heart looked perfect and they saw absolutely no reason for her to not be able to be bred or anything. I thought she maybe went into a faint heat a couple times but every time I took her to a buck she would not stand. I called another vet and they recommended luting her to see if she would go into heat, so we did that and nothing came of it. He said I could take her in to try again, but I may wait until fall at this point. I literally bought Zuko for her because I figured maybe she needed to just live with a buck for a while instead of doing driveway breedings. I did see him very interested in her a few weeks back but every time he tried to mount her she would lay on the ground (headsmash)
Every vet she has seen has said that everything looks good and she shouldn't have an issue. So i'm not sure what to really think. Maybe a mineral deficiency? Or maybe just lack of experience as this is Zuko and Rose's first year breeding. 
Who knows. Maybe she just cant have kids :shrug: I would hate to have to admit that after spending a ridiculous amount of money to make sure she was sound to be bred, but at the end of the day it is what it is. I'll still love her regardless!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Sorry you are having so many issues. 

Nice herd you have there. 

Hope things get better for you and your goats.

Is the doe who cannot get pregnant, copper deficient? 
If so, give her some copper bolus.
I found it can interfere with conception.

Does she eat loose salt and minerals?


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

What you have with Rose, I have with my doe Willow. My vet assessed he and said she looked fine. She gets all her minerals, had copper and selenium, as did the buck.
I just ordered 2 kinds of herb tinctures from LOH for her (Female reproductive formula and Hormonal Changease formula extract, along with wheat germ oil). I was advised to give one round now and another round before breeding. I can’t say anything about it yet, as we are going to wait till fall and then try to breed her again. If she doesn’t take on the first breeding after the herbal treatment, I will do a hormone shot.
Good luck with Juno and Minerva! They are beautiful! I love Juno’s thoughtful look. And the picture in the golf cart is hilarious!


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Thank you! I love them all dearly, Juno definitely has a special place in my heart though lol. I’m super excited about her babies! 

I have not given Rose any copper. One of my vets kind of scared me out of doing them. She said it could cause more harm than good. I have well water, i need to get it tested but I’m pretty sure it’s hard. I bolused my 3 wethers last March when they showed symptoms and saw improvement with them...then my vet said it was bad to do. so many people do it though, so I may implement it again. 

I’m willing to try anything honestly lol. She gets loose minerals, but not salt. I can add that in. She also gets selenium paste monthly. I’ll have to look into those herbs as well! 
It’s tough because I have already spent so much, I don’t want it to go to waste if there is a chance she will take if I try something else. But on the other hand: what if I keep spending money on exams and treatments and she doesn’t take.
I’m not typically one to give up so knowing me I’ll keep trying lol.


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## wheel-bear-o (Jul 6, 2020)

Huh! I'm so curious why your vet opposes copper bolusing. I've honestly never met anyone who *doesn't* do copper supplementation in some form. Copper is so important for all their bodily systems and the bolus particles can reduce parasite load, too. If you live in an area with deficient soils AND have hard water I think it likely they have both primary and secondary deficiency, especially since you saw visual improvement in your wethers when you supplemented them.

If your vet has some sort of good reason for not bolusing, maybe you could try top dressing their feed with a supplement that includes copper. ZinPro makes one called TruCare that I like, that might be a good choice.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

I really don't remember exactly what her reasoning is, but she was against giving copper in any form. She said something about there being a study that giving copper is not necessary and can actually shorten the lifespan of goats. I thought it was weird that I had seen so many people copper their goats for years with no issues, but I didn't really question it further. 

I am just now learning that while I respect my vets and value their advice, we are allowed to have a difference in opinions. lol

I'll copper Rose (and everyone else) and will just continue watching her for any signs of heat.


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## wheel-bear-o (Jul 6, 2020)

Huh. Well that is... shocking. Copper deficiency can cause fertility issues and it can absolutely also be life threatening. As long as an area is known to be deficient in copper, I'm pretty sure veterinary science is fairly unanimous that goats require dietary supplementation. 

The only studies I was able to find were about inducing copper toxicity by using copper sulfate, which has a narrower range of safety as it is more easily absorbed, and about copper toxicity in very young kids. I wasn't able to find the one your vet referred to. The full role of copper in goat health is still pretty poorly understood, but one thing that's pretty clear is that they do require it in some form. And copper oxide (in the bolus) is pretty safe because it's NOT absorbed as efficiently as copper sulfate, so as long as boluses are given at appropriate intervals the risk of toxicity is generally low. 

I also wasn't able to find any reference to lifespan issues in the sections on copper supplementation and toxicity from Smith and Sherman's veterinary textbook "Goat Medicine." I've attached those here for reference. If this was my vet I might bring this up with them (in a gentle way), as that disconnect would be a little bit scary to me. And of course we can't know copper is what is causing Rose's failure to settle, but it's for sure something that I'd try!


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Thank you for the info! Next time she is here I’ll try and casually bring it up!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

wheel-bear-o said:


> Huh! I'm so curious
> 
> 
> wheel-bear-o said:
> ...





Tgmcr said:


> Thank you for the info! Next time she is here I'll try and casually bring it up!


The copper bolus made for goats is safe.
You can always underdose a bit if it scares you and the goat is actually licking the minerals free choice or getting it by other means, so you have to take that into consideration.

You do not have to add salt, minerals usually have salt in there.

Does the minerals you are using have good copper and selenium? 
Do know, if you have hard water(iron), that robs copper from their bodies.

Also make sure your minerals do not have iron in there.
I had one mineral without knowing, have iron in it, my water does too so, I actually threw away that bag because it was causing more issues.

I gave my Boer Doe, who was having issues getting pregnant 1 copper bolus, I underdosed her, but she did conceive her next heat cycle.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Just about 3 weeks to go with Juno! She is doing really well. She is getting rounder by the day and is getting her condition back which makes me really happy to see. She looks like she may be just starting to get an udder, but she's pretty hairy so its hard to tell. The kidding stall and turnout I used last year has since been taken up by my pony and one of our horses because I needed the space for a boarder. I have an extra stall in my barn that I have been using for hay so my project in the next 2 weeks is to have that cleared out and ready to go for Juno. I had planned to have the new goat barn built by now, but we have been so busy it just hasn't happened yet. We actually just built an apartment above the barn for me, so she'll be right downstairs...I'm not sure if that will be a good thing or a bad thing:lolgoat: I'll probably be checking on her nonstop.

Minerva is doing well also! There are no major changes with her, she just spends her time eating and bossing the younger girls around lol
I believe rose *may* have been in heat today. Zuko is a very chill young man and never really pesters the girls or is vocal unless someone is in heat. He was all over Rose today. He was blubbering at her and chasing her around for most of the day. She was interested in him, but wouldn't stand for him. He did mount her a few times, but i'm not sure if he actually bred her or not. I will probably pull blood in a month just to see, but i'm not going to get my hopes up yet.
AND because i'm not certain rose can be bred, and Minerva isn't registered so I won't be retaining her kids I decided I needed some new lines in the herd because all I have is Juno and her kids. So i just put a deposit down on a pretty little doeling and she should be coming home right around when Juno kids


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Just a little over a week now for miss Juno!!! I noticed about a week ago her ligaments were starting to soften. She's already pretty squishy, but I do remember her having almost no ligs for well over a week before she kidded last time too.
I clipped her udder a couple days ago so it was easier for me to see how its growing, and its getting there! She will probably get moved into the kidding stall sometime next week at nighttime. 
I'm excited to see what she has in there! She is due the day after Easter, so maybe we'll have Easter babies!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Looking great! She is such a cutie! I love how she uses the hay feeder for shade!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Looking good.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Juno’s due date was yesterday and she’s looking like she’s plans on holding on a little while longer. Ligs and udder haven’t changed much the past couple days. Rose has been oddly protective over her and rubbing her head on her back end which is a little odd. I’m thinking maybe Thursday or Friday based on how she’s looking compared to last year. Pics are from today


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

I’m thinking we may have babies by tomorrow! Her ligs were still pretty easy to find at 7 tonight, but I checked her at 9:30 and they are almost totally gone. She’s tricky because last year she popped them out without showing any major signs. No restlessness, no slime, no noises..nothing. I almost missed the birth completely! 
she’s literally right downstairs from me right now in the barn so I’ll be checking on her through the night!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Good luck!


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## weisacres (Aug 27, 2020)

Yay, can't wait to see the babies


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Any wee ones yet? Did you get any sleep? Hope all is well!


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Lol I was up every couple hours to check on her through the night..no babies yet but ligs are totally gone and udder is quite full. She’s also hollowed out. She’s pretty stoic but you can tell by her eyes she’s uncomfortable so I’m thinking soon. We’re just hanging out in the stall together right now


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Babies are here!! She was having contractions for about 7 hours, started pushing at about 1:30 this morning, had a beautiful little buckling within a minute and as I was handing him to her to clean off out came a little doeling! 
the little buckling was up and walking within 10 minutes and was chasing me around trying to nurse off of my pants. The doeling is still trying to figure out this walking thing but she has nursed a few times already and I gave her some jump start to be safe. 
juno is doing awesome with them, as I figured she would be! I’ll be hanging out down here a little while longer to make sure all is well, but I’m exhausted and ready for bed!


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## weisacres (Aug 27, 2020)

So cute


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Congrats to you and Juno, the twins are lovely. 🎂


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Congratulations!!! They are beautiful! I hope you are sleeping now.


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Here’s some dried off pics of the babies! The little girl (tan and white) had a little bit of a slow start. She was weak on her back legs so I gave her some selenium and stayed up with her for a couple hours to make sure she could get around enough to nurse and stay warm. She’s doing much better now.
She has wattles too, which I forgot was something they could have gotten because their dad had them.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Adorable congrats.


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Awww, they are very cute. Congratulations.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Soo cute!!! 💕


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## Tgmcr (Mar 29, 2020)

Well, this may end up being a slightly busier kidding year than I expected...
A couple months back I was working and received a call from my sister telling me Zuko got out. She said he wasn't out for long and didn't notice him mount any does, but he was standing next to Tonks. I didn't think she was in heat, but I marked the date on the calendar just in case.
A couple weeks ago I noticed she was looking a little chunky and her teats seemed a little larger..it almost seems like she's starting to get a little udder bump....Now she is quite a pig so this could all be nothing and she could really just be fat, but I'm pulling blood to be sure. 
I really did not plan on breeding her this year, she's only 10 months old right now. I know some people do breed that young, but it just wasn't anything I had intended on doing. She is a good size and is already as big as her mom, so I'm not extremely worried about her being able to pass kids. I have to look at the calendar again but I believe she would be due in June. Pics are from today with her compared to her sister, Luna.






























On another note: Minerva is doing well, she's getting huge and is starting a little udder! I am positive she didn't take on her first breeding, so I am betting she is going to deliver in mid June.
Juno did end up rejecting her babies, so I am now their mother lol. The plan right now is to keep both the buckling (Iroh) and the doeling(Kora). I had intended on just keeping a buckling out of her, but I just fell in love with Kora! Here’s a couple pics of them a little over a week ago when they were still with juno.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Soooo cute!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

They are adorable!
I hope all goes well with Minerva and Tonks. What a surprise! You are never bored with goats!


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## FizzyGoats (Apr 14, 2021)

Those little faces are just too precious! Sorry about mom rejecting them but at least they’ve got an excellent replacement.  And your goats really like to keep you on your toes, lol. I hope any/all future kiddings go well!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute.


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