# In labor too long?



## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

Hello! I am new here, but for the last month I have gleaned incredible amounts of information from this site. I am a new goat owner, and I have three toes that came to me pregnant, with no idea how far along they were. One of them looks as if she is very close to kidding, her sides of sunken in and her hip bones have popped out above her thighs and by her stomach, the kids have visibly dropped a significant amount. She has an udder, but it is not striated yet. She still has her ligaments, but she has been having pre-labor contractions for 2 days now. She will punch her back end up and her tail will go up and lay on her back kind of crooked like. She has had a very small amount of clear mucus discharge, but I haven't seen a lot. She has pressed her forehead into the side of the kidding stall now and then, but she does not seem to be progressing past this point and it has been about 48 hours since she started. She wants to be away from the herd, and I'm not entirely sure whether I should be doing anything or not, or how long I should expect this to go on. It is in the single digits here, and I don't want to miss her kidding. She is a six or seven year old doe, and I don't want her to lose one of the babies due to cold.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Is she eating ok?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

It sounds like she is repositioning the kids. When labor is imminent she will present long amber goo.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If you feel she is in danger, have a vet look at her or you can wash up and put on a new surgical glove and go in gently with 2 fingers and see if she is open or you hit a wall. If she is open, you may feel a kid or an opening there. And she is in labor.

48 hours pre-labor signs is an awful long time.
I see why you are concerned, I would be too.

Good question of, is she eating at all?
What is her temp?


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## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

She is eating fine, although this morning I had to encourage her to get up and go drink, but since then I haven't had to do anything. I did talk to our vet, but she isn't available until Tuesday. Unfortunately we're REALLY difficult to get to as well. I have gloves and iodine, so I'll clean up and go check her out and take her temp.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Let us know what you feel....


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## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

I didn't feel... anything. I don't know if I'm doing this wrong, but I used my index finger, when in as far as I could without having to stick my whole hand in, and felt in all directions. I didn't feel anything. Just a cavernous warm space. I couldn't take her temperature because apparently the battery is on my thermometer in my vet kit are dead, and I have to go into town to get more.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

BrokenAxleFarms said:


> I didn't feel... anything. I don't know if I'm doing this wrong, but I used my index finger, when in as far as I could without having to stick my whole hand in, and felt in all directions. I didn't feel anything. Just a cavernous warm space. I couldn't take her temperature because apparently the battery is on my thermometer in my vet kit are dead, and I have to go into town to get more.


Put your whole hand in. The cervix is about 6 inches in, and feels like flesh, if she's not dilated. If you feel around gently, you will find a small hole somewhere in the middle. If you feel this, she is not ready.

If you get your whole hand in and feel no cervix but can go over the pelvis into the uterus, you need to find a kid and find out what's going on.

I think she's probably just getting ready, but IF she IS actually in labor and has been for 48 hours, that's concerning. I've had two that were in labor for 24 hours(hard contractions but never progressing beyond that, no water breaking etc.), and in one case the kids had been dead a few days, and in the other, it needed repositioned.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

Waiting to hear how things are going ? Hoping for the best.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Usually you can't get your whole hand in there, if she is closed. You immediately hit a wall and cannot go in any further, if closed. There will be no opening yet.

Hope she is OK.


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## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

Sorry, our family got some bad news amd it's been a rough couple of days. I've heard some bad stories about what can happen doing the whole hand bit if you aren't sure what you're doing, so barring an emergency, I'm not sure I'm ready to try that. She is eating fine, temp 102, drinking well, walking around reluctantly when I take her on short walks around our property. There's still the humping up from time to time, but not as much, and no more head pushing (that I've seen.) NOW what I'm concerned about, is that her udder is shrinking? Her teats are getting wrinkly and longer, and her udder is all of a sudden smaller and looser this morning (I check twice a day.) I can't finf any information on it!?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is time to get a vet involved.

With all she has been doing and now her udder is shrinking, could be, she has issues.

Does her vulva area stink?

How is her temp?

Have you seen any bloody discharge at all?

Maybe get an ultra sound and have the vet check to see if she is dilated. 

It all seems strange with her actions prior.


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## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

Our vet won't come up with the storm, and our driveway as bad as it is. (Quarter mile at 25% grade, covered in ice, snow falling on top).

Vulva doesn't smell, no bloody discharge, no green or brown discharge, only small amounts of clear. Temp 102°


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hope she will be OK.


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## BrokenAxleFarms (Feb 3, 2018)

Me too... she's my favorite. Our vet is coming out Monday to check her out, but that's still days away.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I know.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

As long as you wash your hand and her rear end really well, lube up well, and go slow and don't force anything, injuries and infections are minimal from manually checking her. I've done dozen of these, often not knowing what I was doing, and never had a bad outcome.


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## j_kalman (Feb 8, 2018)

Hoping that the vet has good news tomorrow. It is hard feeling so helpless to do anything. <3


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

Yes, any updates?


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

I am absolutely the farthest thing from an expert (I am really clueless) but self nursing seems to be a very common thing, right. If her udder is seeming empty, which is the feeling I got from your description, isn't that a pretty big possibility as to why?


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