# Petunia is entering the waiting room.



## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

My son, who is home from school for a snow day, reported that Petunia has a yellow gooey discharge and her vulva is open a little more than yesterday. This is our first kidding. From what I have read, I would think that she will kid sometime tonight. Tyler says she's not crying or anything, but wanted all the attention when he went for the 2:30pm barn check. He's gonna stay at the barn til DH and I get home from work(around 5:30pm). And will call with 30 minute updates til then. 

My dad is gonna plow a path through the snow to the buck barn so we can get our buck and wether back out there, we had put them in the main barn for the blizard. 

If all goes well, I'm prepared. My order of Be-Se hasn't arrived, hopefully won't need it. I do have selenium paste. If I have to use it, anyone know the doesage for kids, and how I should administer it? Any other alternatives?

I'll try to post after I get home and have a look for myself. If she's kidding, I won't post til the morning.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Update: 7:35pm est. petunia has definately got something going on, but don't think she is really close. babies haven't dropped, but udder is bigger, not yet extremely firm. DH fixed it so my camera would work, so now can sit in my warm living room and watch and listen for her. All is quiet in the barn. Polly is bedded down, Petunia is standing in the corner. Probably gonna be a quiet night. Tyler is off school again tomorrow, so he will take up watch when I go to the office in the morning. I'm only 25 minutes away, can get home quickly if needed.

good night all.


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## romanad (Sep 22, 2012)

Oh, how exciting! Keep us posted! I haven't gone through my first kidding yet but will in spring.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Can't wait to see pictures of those kids! Good luck and hope everything goes textbook for you. :book:


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Still waiting. I think we may have jumped the gun a bit! LOL! My son, who is 12 wants so desperately to help with the kidding. He has been off from school since Tuesday due to the weather, and wants Petunia to kid before he has to go back to school. He has watched many kidding videos on youtube to prepare himself, he is such a good boy! 

At any rate, she rested good last night and was ready for breakfast this morning. Even followed me out to the edge of her pasture and waited while I fed and watered the boys in their enclosure. She definately has more drainage, but not heavy yellow goo yet. I think we have a few more days to wait, at least.

Karen, Brian made me a warming barrel like yours last night. That is such a great idea! How many kids do you think would safely fit in there? I was thinking 3.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Petunia is still hanging in there. Still having discharge, but she is eating well, foraging on some limbs we put in the pasture for her, and even venturing to the far end of the pasture. Her buddy, Polly, who is very pregnant too, isn't showing any signs of being ready to kid yet.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

If Polly isn't showing any signs, she will be the first to go. :laugh:


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## maple hill farm tina (Mar 14, 2010)

Hey, Rhonda, how are they today? Any progress? Hopefully, the cold snap is finished for a little while, and they'll kid before it gets bad again...


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

maple hill farm tina said:


> Hey, Rhonda, how are they today? Any progress? Hopefully, the cold snap is finished for a little while, and they'll kid before it gets bad again...


Petunia is holding steady. No progress today. I think we may have a few more days to go. I sure hope they kid before the weather gets bad again too! Petunia will be at 145 days on the 12th, but she is huge, so I think she'll go a little early. Got Mom and Dad on nanny cam watch throughout the day while we are working. We take over when we get home. I'm getting addicted to watching them! LOL!

Keeping fingers crossed for healthy deliveries! Got your number on speed dial, just in case. 

How is Vega?


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Woodhavenfarm said:


> If Polly isn't showing any signs, she will be the first to go. :laugh:


:laugh::laugh::laugh: You crack me up! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
But, you're probably right! I just want them to kid, so I can relax a little! This first time kidding thing is exhausting. I hope once I get these two kiddings done, I will not be nearly as neurotic for the next kiddings! My DH and son hope so too, apparently I'm driving them crazy! :crazy:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

rb555 said:


> I hope once I get these two kiddings done, I will not be nearly as neurotic for the next kiddings! My DH and son hope so too, apparently I'm driving them crazy! :crazy:


:laugh: No, even after 15 years of birthing alpacas and goats, I'm still a nervous wreck. :crazy:


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

It's so exciting waiting for them to kid. I experienced my first kidding this last summer and I know I drove everyone crazy lol..


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Still no kids. The weather is supposed to warm up this weekend (58 degrees) it would be great if one or both of them would kid while the weather is nicer!


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Yee Haw! Petunia's ligs are gone, her tail is off to the side, she is scratching her belly. Not too uncomfortable yet, but is definately close to kidding. Maybe not til the morning, but she is making progress. Will post back when I can.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Hey this is rhonda's son and she is driving me crazy!!!! But I am excited that my one of our goats is about kid!!!!!


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Exciting! hope all goes well!


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

oh this is so exciting..I can't wait to hear something!!


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Oh and Rhonda's son..sorry she's driving you crazy lol..


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## fezz09 (Oct 30, 2012)

Ohhh how exciting!!! I spent TWO WEEKS sitting in the barn with my doe waiting for her to kid! I bought her and the lady didn't know an exact date!!! My husband seriously thought I was nuts... Well everyone did! She kidded one afternoon while we were home, I knew she was in labor so kept going back an checking on her and then play with my kids... Once she started to push I texted my husband who was across the yard and him and all three of my kids got to come watch!! It was an amazing experience!! I am so envious of your cameras! I have eight ewes that are supposed to lamb anytime and I've gotta be honest, sitting in the barn in -12celcius is NOT fun lol! Good luck I hope all goes smoothly!


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

A long night. Petunia was up and down all night, she finally settled down around 3 am and took a nap til about 5:30. I guess the kids were just getting into position last night. Now, I wonder how much longer it will be? 

She is up, nibbled at her food and is now laying back down. She did step outside for a few minutes. There is not much drainage now, but her coochey is very poochey! I have been trying to post pics, but can't get them to post. Oh well.

Anybody have any estimates of how much longer she will be in stage 1 labor. I'm guessing she's been in stage 1 for about 16 hours. I read that it could last 36 hours, but what is your experience with this stage?

Taking a vacation day so I can be home with her. My son just called the school and told them he wasn't coming b/c he has to help is mom be a goat mid-wife, the secretary said she had never heard that excuse before! LOL! 

24 degrees here, gonna warm up to 55 degrees later. Brrrr.

Fezz09, I got my camera on wal-mart.com, its a baby monitor that has a camera and a portable receiver. The barn is steel and is about 300 feet from the house. It picks up pretty good and even has an infrared function. It is very nice, only cost $100.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would probably go in and make sure that there isn't a problem. The buck that Shamise had was 6 pounds and so large that we had to help get him out. Nothing was coming out and she wasn't working hard at pushing them out. I ended up calling the vet and he had to get them out.


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## fezz09 (Oct 30, 2012)

rb555 said:


> A long night. Petunia was up and down all night, she finally settled down around 3 am and took a nap til about 5:30. I guess the kids were just getting into position last night. Now, I wonder how much longer it will be?
> 
> She is up, nibbled at her food and is now laying back down. She did step outside for a few minutes. There is not much drainage now, but her coochey is very poochey! I have been trying to post pics, but can't get them to post. Oh well.
> 
> ...


Has she been nickering alot? I found when nugget was actually in labor she called and nickered for about six hours before she started to push... And when she started to push there was NO denying she was pushing! And after about fifteen minutes she had quite possibly the biggest buckling I have ever seen! And thanks for the camera tip!! I am going to check it out now!! Good luck!  so excited for you!


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> I would probably go in and make sure that there isn't a problem. The buck that Shamise had was 6 pounds and so large that we had to help get him out. Nothing was coming out and she wasn't working hard at pushing them out. I ended up calling the vet and he had to get them out.


Karen,

She isn't pushing, she is up, walking around, eating now - and is quiet. She is not as needy as she was last night. She seems like normal, just was miserable last night. She hasn't really cried since about 2:30 this morning and her crying last night wasn't constant. I don't think she is quiet ready yet. i don't think she is in the second stage of labor yet. Gosh this is making me nuts!

There is one concern; she is not urinating very much at a time. Last night she urinated several times and it was substantial. Today, maybe just a couple of tablespoons at a time. And her poo berries are sticking together a little, but she is deficating like normal as far as amount and frequency.

Any suggestions?


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## fezz09 (Oct 30, 2012)

Any news yet?? I have been thinking of you and your son and your poor ole pregnant goat all day haha funny how a goat can bring people together!!  lol hope all is really well!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If she was urinating last night a lot, then there probably isn't a lot of pee to pee out. I would still think about going in and just feeling around to see what is going on. See if her cervix is open.


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Karen, I didn't realize you could do that.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Yes, unfortunately, I was about up to my elbow in Shamise when she kidded. The buckling that was coming first was 6 lbs and just too big to enter the birth canal. So there really wasn't much pushing going on.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> If she was urinating last night a lot, then there probably isn't a lot of pee to pee out. I would still think about going in and just feeling around to see what is going on. See if her cervix is open.


Karen,

Can I go in even if she isn't having contractions?

I emailed some pics to Tina Linsin last night, still can't get pics to post on here. Tina thinks from Petunia's looks that it could be another day or so. This is Petunia's first freshening, sorry I probably didn't mention that earlier. She is doing well, eating a little at a time, laying outside in the grass, drinking. Her legs aren't posty, and I think her ligs are back a little. I think she's just playing with me.

Thank you so much for putting up with me! I'll e-mail you the pics I sent Tina. I don't want you to worry too much and value your advice.

Thanks a bunch.

-Rhonda


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## 3goatsmomma (Nov 10, 2012)

I'm new here. Can I ask what a warming barrel is? I'm beginning to think one of my girls is further along than I first though. (Thanks!)


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

3goatsmomma said:


> I'm new here. Can I ask what a warming barrel is? I'm beginning to think one of my girls is further along than I first though. (Thanks!)


Sure! KSalvagno posted a pic of one she was selling. You can search "warming barrel" to see a pic of it.

My DH made me one in about 15 minutes! Take a plastic 55 gallon barrel and cut one end out of it, then cut a u-shaped door for the kiddies. On the other end he cut a hole - just a little smaller than the circumference of our heat lamp, then he secured the heat lamp to the top with a couple of screws. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!!!! 

When we use it we are gonna bungie cord it to the barn wall so it can't be knocked over. Hope we need to use it soon!

You'll have to watch your girl closely, I know exactly when mine were bred, and am still ansy about missing it, so I watch them on the monitor when I'm home, when I go to work I take the monitor next door for my parents to goat sit! :crazy: They think I'm crazy, but they are my parents, so they love me anyway!!!! LOL!

Good luck with your barrel!

-Rhonda


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Oh, ok. Sounds like she probably isn't ready to go quite yet.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Well, still no kids. I am so emotionally tired, not to mention physically. I was sure she would go on Friday, but she didn't, and other that being extremely clingy, she has been good all weekend.

I want to thank all of you for your interest, support and advice. I could have never imagined such a wonderful community of people, and I am so lucky and glad to be a part of it. You guys are great!


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## 3goatsmomma (Nov 10, 2012)

Just wondering how this little girl is doing. Babies yet?


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

3goatsmomma said:


> Just wondering how this little girl is doing. Babies yet?


See my birth announcement thread "Petunia had quads! OMG!". Whew! that was a night!


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