# oh my, new owner, and I think she's pregnant!



## bradboy (Apr 24, 2013)

I definitely didn't have this in mind. This past sat the 20th, I got my first goats at the livestock auction. We decided in the intro section that what I have is an alpine/boer mix. I've been keeping a close eye on them both, one in particular because her sides looked different than the other. This afternoon, I noticed that they are still looking different, and it's more noticeable now.

I've been reading up a lot on bloat. She doesn't really show the symptoms of that. Her strange looking sides are the same on both sides. She walks around, stands on stumps, and in general doesn't show signs that would be obvious to a newbie of distress. She also freely eats a variety of grass, hay, sticks, saplings, and last fall's leaves. She makes about the same sound as a young kid forcing a burp out. Her sounds are also similar to the other goat's sounds.

Yesterday, I noticed a discharge coming from her area. After some reading, I marked it off as her being in season. I brought her up to the porch deck to have a level area to give her a good eyeball and massage around her tummy area, just in case I was misunderstanding the bloat symptoms and pics. I started working towards her underside where I felt her teats, and they were amazing warm, and felt like the glands inside were doing something.

From my experience with my cows, and from dogs, her teats had a familiar feel to them. Just to make sure, I went to the other goat, and felt hers. Just little lumps where the nipples are, and about the same temp as the rest of her body. The one in question however is quite different. Gabs warmer, a firmness, and there is no mistaking feeling the glands on the inside.

The vet has a bag of sheep/goat mineral mix they said is what a pregnant goat needs.

Also, from what I understand, the two that I have aren't done growing yet. If I had to guess, about 50lbs each. They are much smaller than a similar looking family of nanny + 2 at the sale. What kind of problems should I be on the lookout for? Perhaps the previous owner knew of the pregnancy, knew their youth would be a problem, and passed them off before any issues happened?

Can you folks point me to some reading and give me tips on what I should start doing and watching for? I quite literally haven't even had them for a full week! I'm still working on modifying the things I though was good before I ever went to the sale. I've never had goats before either.

Interesting times!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Time to take more pictures, Brad.


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Sounds to be pregnant.  The best thing to do is take pics so we can all see her udder and "area".


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Sheep/ goat minerals will not work for a pregnant doe, it will not have the copper she needs. Sheep cannot have copper and goats NEED it. Best of luck! I would give her a good goat mineral, and slowly introduce alfalfa pellets into her diet as calcium. I also give my pregnant does kelp, pregnancy tonic from Molly's Herbals, Replamin when needed, and a Calcium drench when labor started. We had very good kiddings this year, so I think the diet is working.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Pictures of back end, udder, sides and a view from the top would be nice. Here is a chart from Fiasco Farm that shows teeth and how old the goat is by how many, how large , etc the teeth are. This may help you determine age.
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/age.htm


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## bradboy (Apr 24, 2013)

This is the best I can do... I don't have any help. I also was able to get the one that folks are pretty sure is a vaccination tag.

Not sure if the pictures tell the story or not, however the bottom part of her pooch does stick out more than the top. Also, I can't get a real good pic of her udders. Need more hands for that! It's not a huge water balloon size. Rather than the nipples feeling about the same temp as her skin, they are much warmer. Also, the other goat's teats are just... there, about the thickness of a pencil. This one's are more funnel shaped, more like the bottle nipples for sheep/goats/lambs that the farm supply has.

Let me know if you need a better/different pic of something. I'll do the best I can!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

The widening tummy may be her getting more of a rumen because she is becoming more healthy under your care


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

Bradboy, you're gonna have to get up close and person. "Pooch Pictures" are a normal thing around this forum. Search for it. LoL 

I like your descriptions in the original post, though. I'm going to have my wife read it. She understand the whole glad thing. I do not.

Erik_L (2 Boer & 1 Spanish/Boer) from his iPhone using GoatSpot.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

She sure has nice pink healthy gums! Oh wait you are wanting to know about pregnancy.
She doesnt look it to me but she has nice rumen size. 
If she does happen to be prego she is pretty young but I wouldnt fret.
She's a pretty little thing.


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## bradboy (Apr 24, 2013)

Well, I got the bag of minerals home from the vet. The bag specifies goat only on it. Further down, there is a warning to not feed to sheep, lambs, or other similar small livestock susceptible to copper toxicity. The comment was made earlier today that goat/sheep mix doesn't have enough copper. Now that I have the bag, I'm wondering if this is more of what's needed.

It really makes me happy to hear some comments that she appears in good health! If I had a way, I would have had a pic of the other, more wild of the two laying in my lap. I picked her up and sat with her, thinking I'd just be there for fifteen minutes or so. Long enough for her to calm down and stop fighting. She calmed in a few minutes, and I just kept rubbing on her back. As the minutes went by, and my feet and legs went to sleep, I leaned back in the chair.

About an hour later, she layed her head on my arm and took a quick snooze. I do know it was a full hour, cause I missed my show, but got to hear it (person of interest). About mid way through the next show, she finally decided to get down to go P. I was so delighted that she decided to sit a spell that I totally forgot about my legs that had gone well past the pins and needles stage!

Now is as good as time as any, the slightly smaller one that appears in the pics above is Nanny. The other that seems to be the leader is McPhee. McPhee seems to keep an eye on Nanny, but that's about the extent of it. Nanny watches McPhee very close, and is very interested in everything McPhee does. Nanny also won't try a different food item until McPhee tries it. Also, when ever I have the two of them out of eye sight, Nanny balls and balls. In it's own sadistic way, it's kinda funny. Especially the really loud insistent cry when she sticks her tongue half way out.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Sounds like you are hooked on goats, my friend. This is the wrong place for an intervention.  I vote "not bred".


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

I vote not bred as well, but have been fooled before. Keep an eye on her weight and take monthly pics from above so you can see if she is getting a lot larger.
Teeth appear to be all baby teeth yet, but can't really see front teeth well. They are the ones to look at because they lose them first.
Your minerals sound right. I use Sweetlix minerals for goats- medicated. 
She is really pretty! Good luck, and congrats on your new adventure. It will take you places you never dreamed of!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

What a sweet little girl you have there, sounds like she likes her new home, sleeoing on you. 

It is really hard to tell if she is prego but I would sure pray no, she is so little. 

She got you hook line and sinker.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

it doesn't look like she's preggo...I thought my first goat was preggo, but she ended up being wormy and had a grass belly. lol.

welcome to the world of goats. you sound like you're hooked already!


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## bradboy (Apr 24, 2013)

Yea, it hasn't taken long for them to capture me. 

I got a good laugh out of them last night. I make popcorn on a stove top popper. I just add some salt. I took my leftover out to them last night. Once they figured out what it was, they practically mugged me. Then, they both stopped eating it all of the sudden. When I came back in, I noticed that they only ate the salted parts. Ha!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

One of the first things a newbie notices about a pg goat is the teats getting longer and fuller. If she has got a little udder going that is not a good sign, considering her age. I will hope she is not pregnant. But, if you fear she is, I'd have a vet look at her. Idk how far along you can still "lute" her, but, I would consider it. There is a blood test for pregnancy. I had a doe kid at 11 months old, and made it through fine. We all have an "oops" breeding at some point...but...it's so much better to wait.


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