# Is she okay?



## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

Ella seems to be having a hard time getting up today. And a couple of times she actually layed down on one side and seemed to be stretching her legs.
Nervous first mommy- thanks


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

When is she due? Could she be in labor?

If she's not in labor- I am thinking you might want to get some calcium into her asap- sounds like it could be ketosis/toxemia
Does her breath have a sweet smell to it? Has she been off her feed?


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

oral calcium can't hurt. Are you sure you aren't seeing contractions?


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

she has not been off her feed - she has been eating like a fiend. Her private parts seems to be twinging if you will. I'm getting my kidding bag just in case and going down there.


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

I just don't know :GAAH: Guess I'll just continue to leave the baby monitor on.


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## nutmegfarm (Dec 23, 2009)

Are her lower legs at all swollen? Will she get up at all? :shrug:


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## 4kids (Jul 21, 2009)

Hello fellow Ct goatspotter. My girls always lay down in labor and when they start stretching out there legs it usually means pushing is right around the corner. Is she close to her due date? Can you see visable contractions?


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

I thought I saw a contraction but this is my first time. She did eventually get up - when to eat - stood on the cinder blocks for awhile - laid back down - moaned a little - and did the whole routine over - her private parts are so pink - from what i was told she should be due at the end of this months. She is an FF


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How is her udder... is it tight?

How are her ligs?

Any discharge?


She sure sounds closer to kidding ...than the end of the month....


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Even if she is due on the 31st she would be around day 138...I say she is probably closer than that.


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

Please take what i say with a grain of salt as this is my first. Her ligs feel soft to me. there are two inditations on the sides of her tails like i see on the web pictures. there was some string mucous the other day on her tail. thanks for all the feedback.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Was the mucus string discharge... amber color ...resembling a clear tube with amber color appearance?


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

for lack of a better words --more like "a sicks child snot". Tanish, mucousy kind of color


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Since it has changed in color...she is closer to her due date, the "plug" tends to get thinner and change in color the closer they get.
"Due the end of the month" is just 12 days away...standards tend to deliver closer to the 150 mark BUT not having an exact due date could also mean that she could go now, but if she delivered now and seeing as you were told she was with the buck from 11/1 to 11/17, the kids would be too premature to survive. If she was bred the 1st the earliest she could deliver viable kids would be the 21st at day 140....I think that she'll likely hold out until the 26th or later though and the signs she is showing now are her way of gearing up to show you those babies.


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## Bellafire Farm (Jan 5, 2010)

All of my girls start "stretching", especially stretching out their hind legs and pelvis starting a few days before kidding. They'll simply stretch out and stand "camped out" or they will find a feed pan or step to put their front legs on so they can stretch out their back legs. This is part of positioning the babies for kidding.

Also the ligs will be right in the hollow on either side of the tail - like you were describing, but up until the last few days the ligaments will still be fairly hard and very gradually loosen up...more like pencils than limp spaghetti noodles in the beginning (that's the description we use in 4-H). Limp spaghetti noodles can usually be manipulated with your fingers a little...kind of like they are wiggley or mushy under the skin there. Then about 24 hrs. before kidding those pencils/noodles will be completely gone...although some lose ligaments a few days before and one of ours loses hers about 3 hours before kidding.

With contractions, she would probably be sitting/laying down and really tightly & stiffly be stretching out those hind legs, like if you got a BAD leg cramp.(atleast that's what our Nigerians do)...they also tend to roll their head back or scratch/nibble at their sides as if to see what's going on. Our girls also start pawing excessively at the ground trying to make a nesting area usually during the day that they kid. They also get very cranky around any other goats, probably because they want to be left alone and not pushed around. Most of mine also get _super_ lovey-dovey in their last few days especially...but all ours are very people oriented anyway, so I'm not sure if everyone's are like that.

Hope some of this info helps...
Good luck and we'd love to see baby pics when the time comes!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How is she today? :hug:


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

Thank you all for the information. I stayed out with her in the barn for most of the day. She seems like she just wants me. She is normally very easy going but she definetely is annoyed by the younger doe and a couple of times pushed her out of the barn. What i see seems like contractions, she will lay down, occassionally roll on her sides, push her head against something and stretch our her front legs. I'm hoping that either the breeder gave me the wrong dates or that she is not going into labor so the babies are not premature. I now know what husbands feel like why they are waitng for the wives to deliver.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

wow...still contracting... poor girl.....  .... if she isn't pushing .... she is hanging in there...... if you think that she is laboring...then lube up your 2 fingers and feel in there to see if... she is opening or not..... Be sure to wash your hands well before you go in... I pray... ray: that the breeder was off on the date too...as she sounds really close.... :hug:


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

do you think if she was having contractions and not pushing that maybe the babies are not in the right position. The previous 2 days she seemed like she was having contractions. Today she was basically pawing the ground, laying down, getting up and in between stand on cinder blocks. I did not see her having the contractions today but it was cooler then the previous 2 days, not sure if that has something to do with it. I'm baffled. I got nervous about the babies but I felt one move this morning.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

if she was having contractions like this: (click for video) 


then you have something to worry about -- little minor contractions/stretching is common in the days before kidding


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## lori (Mar 16, 2010)

thank you the video was very helpful. Will keep everyone apprised of any changes.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you are welcome -- thats why I put it on my site to help people


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