# help....is she in labor?



## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

So I have one doe that was w a Billy around jan17. She developed her udder pretty quickly. It feels like the ligs are totally gone. Its pretty pink and puffy back there. Back at her tail head I can feel babies. Like a nose or hoof? The 150 woulndnt be tip Monday. If she took on the 17th, could she be 3 days early?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a baby monitor that I could use to hear her. If in labor do all goats get loud?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

No, most goats aren't that loud. Look for pawing and laying down, standing back up and doing it again, yawning, grunting in cycles, mucus, etc. Gestation can be 145 to 155 days so, she is in the zone. Hope it goes well for you.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

She sounds really close to me.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Sounds like she may be getting close, if you can see her back rise slightly near her tail the kids are moving into position. She can be in "pre-labor" for a while. But, if it goes on too long you may want to "go in" and check. You can use an exam glove and go in with 2 fingers and see what you feel. If the cervix is closed you know you have a while to wait. Watch for her udder to really "bloom" and get shiny. She will make a nest. She will talk to her tummy, do some licking...probably on you. Stretching and yawning. 

You don't sound like you are "pulling your hair out" yet, so she may stretch this out a bit..."does code of honor". lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You say, you feel babies at her tailhead? Trying to get this straight and picture what you are feeling. Have you cleaned up and went inside, to see if she is open?
If you felt a hoof or head inside her vulva, she needs help. 

5 days prior to kidding date, is safe for her babies to arrive.

Is she acting strange, as mentioned by the others?


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Pictures pictures please this will help all tell u what's going on. Has her water broke


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

Like Pam mentioned, if you can feel a body part at the tail head there could be problems. Glove or lub up and go in to check. It takes a lot of heavy pushing to get a kid that far, so if there is a kid there, it is stuck in the cervix.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

no I did not go in. im feeling around her tail head above. I can put my fingers almost fully around the tail end part of her spine. in these hollows is where I can feel perhaps hooves? it feels like a knuckle almost. come and goes. where i'm feeling this is only like an inch or two from her vulva opening. 

she doesn't seem to be in distress at all. she eats everything I put in front of her. she actually just pushed her way past me a little bit ago, to get some fresh grass outside her kidding pen. 

I tried pinching the skin on her udder and I can but very little to none. 

her water has not broke that I can tell. in fact I haven't seen any discharge in the past couple of weeks.


i'll try to get some pics in a few minutes.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

she's older. she was really thin when she was given to me. she filled out some with me, but she was still pretty thin when she was accidently bred by my billy that escaped. any thoughts on what would help get some weight back? I've been giving her dairy parlor pellets, oats, alfalfa hay, and free choice minerals/grass hay throughout the pregnancy. she eats a lot. I've dewormed her a couple of times now. 

i'm concerned that she may have complications, so I definitely want to be there. notice the teats? are they too filled up or is it just me? I was thinking mastitis for a while. thoughts?

notice where my fingers are? that's where I can feel hooves or nose or something moving. 

also I just noticed in the pics, the waving thing on her belly. thoughts on what that is? a large vein? 

any advice you can provide is greatly appreciated.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

She's looking close.... Any discharge?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

nope. how close? you think tonight?


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I'd say within a week.. Going anywhere? She'll have them then :laugh:


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

The wiggly thing on her belly is her milk vein. It's the major transport to the udder for blood flow. You really like to see large veins in that area indicating a large milk production. 

I'd say she's close as well. I don't think you're feeling anything through the skin, but like mentioned before, easiest thing would be just to lube up, wash her backside and your hands, and slide in. Check things out. See if she's starting her dilating, or hasn't started at all.

Her udder does look like she has had problems with mastitis before, but that shouldn't affect her production now much if caught and treated right away. I would still take a cheese cloth or strip cup and when you milk the colostrum out, milk into a jar lined with cheese cloth. See if it's bloody, off smelling, or has flakes. You have to work her teat plugs out anyway, may as well check for mastitis. 

Keep us in touch! Anxious for you bab(ies)y!


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Shes has been laying down and getting back up pretty frequently all day today. Also I noticed some heavy breathing most of the day. It was 75 out, but she was still breathing hard even under heavy shade. Went to check on her and she was laying down in what looks like a nest of hay. She got up and did stretch out her body once and keeps nibbling her sides. Her eyes also looked kind of glazed over. Still no discharge though.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

That's what one of my does does ( lol ) before labor. About a couple weeks before labor :laugh: 

But, who knows, she could go sooner.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

finally had some creamy white discharge last night. this morning the heavy breathing is gone and she is back to her hungry self again. do goats get fake contractions like humans do? these past two nights it seems like the symptoms come and go in cycles, but then there gone again.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Sounds like she's losing her plug... Some will do this a few days to a few weeks from delivery and some not until they deliver. Her udder looks to have some filling to do and seeing that vein is a good thing! I have one doe here who is my top producer and has a milk vein as big as my pinky finger and she's a Nigerian 

Sounds to me that she's getting herself comfortable, I don't think they can have false labor... just seems like it as they get geared up for the real thing. When she's truly in labor you will know it, as far as hearing her... most does don't cry out until they are pushing a kid out and then some don't even make a sound.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

She had a clear white string hanging out this morning.shes losing interest in the hay. Why? She is still eating grain alfalfa and fresh grass just not so much the grass hay


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

mimzidoat said:


> She had a clear white string hanging out this morning.shes losing interest in the hay. Why? She is still eating grain alfalfa and fresh grass just not so much the grass hay


The green grass is much more of a comfort food. Many wont eat hay unless they have to. Lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

mimzidoat said:


> She had a clear white string hanging out this morning.shes losing interest in the hay. Why? She is still eating grain alfalfa and fresh grass just not so much the grass hay


 Is it amber color, clear tube looking? She is super close if so.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Still no kids. Just little white discharge here and there. Shes eating little to no hay. That's the only thing I leave in there during the day.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

mimzidoat said:


> Still no kids. Just little white discharge here and there. Shes eating little to no hay. That's the only thing I leave in there during the day.


How's her bag today? Tight or shiny?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Very tight and shiny especially on the bottom portion near the teats. Cant really pinch anything anymore


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

The teats seem like they're going to burst


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Picture will help all let you know what to do

Give her some vit-c tablets Dailey will help some


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## summerdreamer71 (Jan 25, 2013)

I hope our happens soon. Our girls have a way of driving us crazy. She seems to be on the right track. Good luck and happy kidding!


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

We have a baby goat! i'm so excited. it's a little buck. haven't weighed him yet. I took her out for some grass about 12 pm. Some guys from Sears came to give an estimate on our roof soon after, so I went out to tie her in an area with some unfenced area with nice grass, but away from my garden, until the guys left. 

we were sitting there talking about the roof when I look out the window and see a long string hanging. I run out there to put her back into the kidding pen thinking she's about to give birth. as I approach her I see the baby is already under her trying to nurse. I checked on her before putting her out there and nothing. not even a little discharge. the entire thing from labor, pushing, and birth probably happened in 30 min max. if it would have happened at night, I so would have missed the entire thing. 

she still has some stuff hanging out. guessing that's the placenta? right? 

he seems pretty big and healthy. I was expecting it to be smaller. 

thoughts? the billy was a Nubian. do you think the baby is a Nubian too or like her and the ears will just perk up later?

I cut a little on the cord cause it was dragging, and sprayed it with the iodine. should I go shorter or tie it? 

she's got a lot of milk, but he's having a hard time with the big teat. will he just eventually figure it out?

also, she's naturally polled, but the billy was not, and I can feel little stubs on the baby. does that mean he'll have horns? how soon should he be polled?


i'm so excited....  good guess on the person that guessed a week.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Cord looks good. Consider snipping so it's ragged or "torn" next time. It will seal faster. 

Looks like a Nub that will have airplane ears. Super cute!!

You may consider milking her to relieve pressure. Looks like she'll have much more than baby will be able to handle. If you want milk anyway. Lol

Keep an eye on those nubs. Chances are you'll have to disbud him. Give it 3 or 4 days.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Congrats!! He's such a cute little baby. I bet you're going to have airplane ears with him...just a guess though. If he's having a hard time suckling try milking her out some so that her teats aren't engorged, maybe that will help him. Congrats again, great job!

***Oops, posted at the same time mjs500doo! Hahaha


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