# Nubian Doe-Mystery Pregnancy



## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

i have a Nubian doe that I'm not sure is bred. she looks young, but her horns are about 6 inches long. not sure if you can approximate the age based off of this.

I got her about a month ago. she has a wide rib cage, but her belly is pretty low and she has some hollowed out areas towards the back (right under her spine) near the rear. she had some slight discharge about 2 weeks ago. it looked clear and it wasn't very much. she has a slight udder but i'm not sure if fat accummulation or a developing udder. I was starting to lose hope of her being pregnant. then two days ago, i noticed she's been getting louder at night. Not sure why. i figured maybe she was lonely and since there was a chance that she wasn't pregnant, i took her into my billy's pen. as i walked her in, i noticed a long string (at least a foot) of discharge hanging from behind. the billy smelled her a bit but didn't try to mount her at all and she immediately got in defense mode. she ran away from him and when he got close she would try to ram him in the head. i took her back out and examined the string. by now the discharge was on the back side of her leg and i noticed it was a creamy white and there was a good amount. i'd say at least 3 tablespoons worth. now i'm confused. her tail bone seems to be same as in the past couple of weeks and the udder is still the same size. i've been leaving a light on at night so she is quieter. i'll post a pic of her about a month ago. she looks pretty much the same. help....


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## FlyingFeetsFarm (Nov 28, 2012)

A long sting of goo like that can mean you are going to have babies very soon, if you could get some pictures that would help a lot  Just keep a close eye on her in the mean time.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Sounds like she's lost her "plug". Labor could be soon or within a few days. I'm not sure about horn length in a Nubian. From what I've read they have fairly slow growing horns. Can you estimate her weight? I had a doe kid right at 11 months old. The doe and kids were fine. I would stay pretty close to home now...if you can. Are you experienced in birthing goats? Watch some birth videos here is a good place. www.fiascofarm.com. Good luck!


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Here are a few pics of here. she had a long string this morning too.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Her vulva looks clean are you sure that's not coming form her anus?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Nope it was coming from her vulva but that was this morning, which was about 9 hours ago. its just on her tail now. does she seem pregnant to you?


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

She looks and sounds preggo to me! Do you have much experience with kidding, or is this your first?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

i have no experience kidding. i just went to close up her pen for the night and again found her with another long string.

help!!!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

ok you have two topics going now -- Im going to delete the other one and post my comments here as a double post is confusing for all.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

hmm thats an odd one -- Usually with streaming you see that and kids come within 12-24 hours but you said its been going on for a couple days now. 

Maybe she is just extra mucusy when in heat? does will only stand for the buck for a small window of time and wont be receptive to him till then.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

i can't imagine the discharge would be this much if she were in heat. i tried putting her in with the billy and she got super defensive. has anybody had a goat in heat have this much discharge before?


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

That is so weird. It looks like kidding goop. I've never had experience with anything like that.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

It looks like losing her plug. If its kidding goop its usually amber, not white. Maybe she has a LOT of plug? They can lose the plug several weeks before actually kidding..


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

yesterday afternoon i noticed her vulva is getting red and swollen. she's also not eating much. should i be concerned? 

also...i tried to "bump" her to see if i could feel anything and i haven't been able to feel anything move. 

i've had her for a month or so now and she hasn't really grown much if she is pregnant. are there any signs that the kid could be still born? i hate thinking about it, but I can't help it.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

If she if a first freshener, you won't see a large baby bump. They usually only have one kid  I have a nigerian dwarf doe who is going to kid in a few weeks. This is at least her third freshening, but she only has one kid, and that stinker is hiding it very well :laugh: Sometimes it is hard to bump and feel the baby, but I think I felt it kick my hand twice  
I am guessing she has less than a month left. She is just starting to bag up, and loosing her plug, my pygmy was doing this kind of stuff for a month or two before kidding. Every goat is different! 

My Nigerian doe also isn't eating as much, but you can supplement with grain and she will be okay. Last summer when she kidded, her vulva got swollen I think 2 weeks or so before kidding. 

If she had a still born kid, she would have a lot of bloody discharge.
Do you have any pictures?


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I had a goat with a "string" that long twice this year. I was sure she was about to go into labor, she finally kidded 2 weeks later.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

You can't really do the "bump" test on a pregnant doe. That test is only supposed to work when the doe in labor and has delivered at least one kid. You can feel for kid movement, but that just takes patience and leaving your hand on the doe where you suspect there to be kids. On the very bottom of her belly in front of the udder or on the right side is easiest. BUT, it can be hard to feel anything at all, ESPECIALLY if the doe is not looking pregnant. At that point she may only have one and it might be tucked way up in there. I can't feel kids until the doe is usually only one month out or less, and then sometimes only in does who are obviously showing. Also, a red swollen vulva is very typical in a doe nearing kidding time, or a doe in heat.

I wouldn't be worried about a retained/stillborn kid in there unless she is acting poorly. If she is in good health and isn't acting sick she isn't likely to be having an issue. If she is off feed completely, I'd take her temperature and go from there. Does she have other symptoms, is she barely eating at all or is she just not finishing off her grain/hay ration as usual? Some of my does will eat less when they are getting really close to kidding, and some will eat less in the end of the pregnancy if they are huge and miserable. Good luck!


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Ive been checking her udder and ligs daily. Today I noticed shes definitely getting an udder. Ill post some pica tomorrow, but considering I realy didn't feel anything yesterday how much longer do you she has to kid? Her seem softer too, but are not completely gone


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Is it normal for udders to be sensitive? I was feeling my goats udder when she turned around and head butted once on my arm. Do some goats get aggressive during pregnancy? What about when the kid is born? Am I going to be careful that she doesn't attack me when I want to handle the kid?


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## Broski1984 (Jul 21, 2011)

mimzidoat said:


> Is it normal for udders to be sensitive? I was feeling my goats udder when she turned around and head butted once on my arm. Do some goats get aggressive during pregnancy? What about when the kid is born? Am I going to be careful that she doesn't attack me when I want to handle the kid?


A lot of goats who haven't had their udder touched regularly don't like it being touched. She really is very unlikely to attack you when she kids, but she may not be great for being milked initially!


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

My girls HATE me to touch their udder before they kid especially if they are close. After they kid they are so calm I can milk them in the field without tying them. I think its a protective thing saving the milk for the babies.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I guess I haven't had that experience myself. I work with all the ladies udders on a daily care basis. On my heifers and does both. Petting the udder, teats, attachments. Even as young ladies I'm always constantly desensitizing them.


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## gafarmgirl (Jan 2, 2013)

Just adding a little note you can tell a goats age by there teeth look online for a goats teeth age chart. Don't know if ya really cared or not.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

So shes getting hungrier but I suspect I'm over feeding her. I feed her2-3 cups of oats and 1 of dairy parlor noble goat every morning and evening free choice grass hay and mineral block. Shes not eating as much hay and seems to want more grain shes finishing it quicker.
thoughts? Her belly seems sunken on the back like shes really hungry


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

Don't feed her too much grain in comparison to hay. Thats a good way to have your goat contract polio. I made that mistake with my first FFA lamb in highschool...tons of grain, little hay...added up to one very sick sheep.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

this morning i noticed that her sides were extra hollow out. maybe kid is dropping? it's almost like she's not eating enough because i can feel her spine clearly, but she's eating the alfalfa and hay and the now 2 cups of grain daily. she doesn't seem upset. her udder is a little full. the hollowed out sides are making me nervous that she might be delivering soon. 

what has you experience been with hollowed out sides? is birth soon after? hrs? days?


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I am following this thread closely. I am going to have my first kids in a few weeks, and am VERY nervous, so this is a good education for me!


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

3 or 4 cups of total grain doesn't sound like too much to me. That is about a pound of grain. That is pretty commonly given to a doe in her last month of pregnancy is she is standard size. 
I have never had a doe with that much stringy goo and be in heat. I have seem then have a stringy goo for a week or so before kidding. To me sunken in sides and loose

the fact that she doesn't have much of an udder is a bit confusing. A nubian should have a huge udder.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

So it has now been over 3 weeks since I saw the long strings of goo and still no sign of babies. How much longer?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

does she have an udder?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I would consider sending blood in for pregnancy testing. Bio Tracking does this, I think your vet could send it in.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Can you get her an Ultra sound?? It could end a lot of stress & confusion....


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

picture from today


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Is there not any discharge anymore?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Not really. Nothing that compares to the long strings a few weeks ago.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

She has been nipping at her sides. You can see it on the first pic


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

If she is preggo, she doesn't look that far along... Barely any udder, but her teats look big and her pooch doesn't look very loose to me. The side nipping thing could just be her itching.


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## Garrisonkidsduo (Mar 25, 2013)

This photo was 4 weeks ago and she isn't quiet that wide now and her udders are not tight to her body like they were but they sag very slightly.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I am not really convinced she is prego. I would need to see a better backend shot to really tell.

Does she have another goat friend with her?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Still no kid. No more discharge either


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

What were her exposed dates?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Not sure. Told she was bred when I bought her early feb


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

mimzidoat said:


> Not sure. Told she was bred when I bought her early feb


Weird. In feb, she'd have to be at least 30 days in to know for sure (blood test) unless the person assumed per being exposed.

At the latest, that would throw her in June. Do you have their number? Maybe hit them up for some dates?


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

time has gone by...here are some recent pics on the Nubian doe. still unsure. there are days she looks pregnant and days that she doesn't. it will be 5 months on June 17 since I got her. not much udder development. thoughts?


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

I would say no based on all the photos over time.


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## Garrisonkidsduo (Mar 25, 2013)

Well I know I added my goat later and was having the same problem as to rather or not she was pregnant mine turned out to not be pregnant so I sold her and bought another one that is milking, and also bought a kiko doeling we are breeding them this fall so we can have babies for spring for the other 4-h members in our group.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Nothing yet.no other signs on the Nubian.

I do have another doe (tog) due to kid soon. She was exposed to a buck for a month starting Jan 21. Shes not a ff. She started getting an udder about a month ago and it developed very quickly.they are a bit lopsided and a little more swollen that normal. I'm hoping its not mastitis. The ends look triangular from how swollen they are.

Her vulva has gotten a lot more puffy just from even this morning. Thoughts on mastitis? Is it contagious? Thoughts on how quickly from these signs shell deliver?


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