# Not looking pregnant goat



## whiteclover (Jun 28, 2016)

Dahlia my doe has always been small. She is a year and a half old. I had problems with her when I first got her but I got her in good health. I was advised that she had made sufficient size to have kids so she is now due to kid March 10 th. She looks healthy but is small. My other pregnant goats are all due after her and look much bigger. To me she doesn't look pregnant at all. Besides her loosing up and getting puffy in her udder area I would doubt she was even pregnant. When should I expect her as a first freshener to put on something that looks like an udder?I have been feeding her a pound of grain through her pregnancy and planned on stopping this because I fear how small she is with kidding. I am giving her a pound of alfalfa pellets morning and night on top of our hay. Does anyone think I should keep graining her? 
She has never had a wild appetite like my other goats. Sometimes I give her the grain and she doesn't want to finish it all. She has her own hay feeder because she won't fight for her food, she is very passive. She doesn't eat as much as the other goats BUT I am definitely not saying she has a sickly appetite, just a petite appetite compared to the other piggy goats I have.
I want her to be in good condition because I was hoping she would make good milk. She is so good on the milk stand. I know she will be a perfect behaved dairy goat, I just doubt she'll have a good milk supply. Am I just a worried beginner? Thanks


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yes, back off the grain, later in pregnancy, it isn't good for them to have a lot. The last month is when the babies grow the most and you do not want them too big. Especially if she only has one, they can get too big to come out.

It is usually 1 to 1 1/2 months prior to kidding when their udder begins to form. Can you feel a pouch of milk forming yet or is it flat? If she has a single in there, she won' t have a huge udder to start, as her body is signaling, not a huge amount is needed.

Can you get a pic of her pooch,rectum, udder area, tail up naturally and a side shot?


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## Lisalisa89 (Oct 18, 2016)

Yep just be careful with grain in the last month is what I've been told too. My goat is the same way with not being big on overeating. I think because she is small and is carrying a baby she only has so much room at a time to eat so I've been keeping her separate from the other goats at her evening feedings but during the day she eats all the hay and forage she wants.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I second the above but also don't put much stock into what is going on right now. I've had ones that didn't look overly bred at all right till they had kids. One I was even going to sell because I thought she was open. So she may be one that will really blow up her udder once she kids. If she is not overly large in the stomach then there is probably a good chance there is a single. Every single one that I was second guessing on if they were even bred has always give me a single. Maybe the hormones are just weaker and don't bring on the giant udders??? No clue. Just something I have noticed with my goats and of course this doesn't follow every single doe that has a single lol they like messing with us!!!


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## whiteclover (Jun 28, 2016)

Okay I knew people recommend decreasing grain but I heard if you don't keep them in good condition it effects how much milk they make. I will stop graining her. I would send pictures but every time I try to post pictures on the goat spot they won't load. I have no problem emailing them though.

Her udder area is no longer tight. It's puffy and you can move it around and feel what feels like tissue building underneath. If I took a picture you couldn't tell a difference with all her fur. I wish you could see a picture of how thin she looks though so I could hear if everyone thought she looked okay. It's not that she looks too thin just not pregnant. She has never had a big barrel like my other girls. 
For anyone who had a small doe did you find that when she kidded she did well milk wise with feeding the kid and making some extra. I know only time will tell but she has me impatiently waiting. I had a doe last year that carried twins and barely looked pregnant and had two 7 lb kids. So you are probably right she just carries small.
Thanks


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That last sentence right there i agree with! I wouldn't be worried right now, it sounds like you are feeding her plenty even if you cancel out the grain. But she could very well just be hiding those kids. I have given up on trying to figure out how many or how big the kids are by looks. Ive had ones that i swore were going to give me a litter and have two small twins and ones that I have just been shocked to walk out and find that they had nice sized quads. I would say if she is in good body condition, try not to stress and milk wise, cross that road when you get there. You can up her grain after she has her kids (slowly) to get more milk if you need to.


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## whiteclover (Jun 28, 2016)

Okay, I appreciate all the reassurance. She will only be my 2 nd goat to kid and I've seen so many pictures of giant pregnant goats, I am still trying to establish normal and make sure I'm giving these girls proper care because feed recommendations tend to vary so dramatically from person to person in opinion.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Goats are alot like people. 

I have a friend who just gave birth to a healthy, decent sized child and she never had to even wear maternity clothes. I have another friend who just barely showed. Both of them were very slim ladies. I have another slim friend who has had 5 children. Every single time she was so huge that people tended to stare at her. But each time she had a little 6 pound baby. 

And I won't talk about myself or the comparisons of my pregnant body to a barn... (and I had a single child each time. Not fair!)


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

lol groovey I hear ya!! Although I was huge and had decent sized babies but when I craved ice cream it just didn't help things out lol
Yes the whole feeding thing will drive one nuts!! Different things work for different people for different reasons lol you will get there it's just a long road of figuring it out. And of course once you think you have it then you get a idea and have to try that out as well lol


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

How is Dahlia developing? Have you had a blood test done to confirm she is pregnant?

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## whiteclover (Jun 28, 2016)

Thank you for the information on uploading photos. Unfortunately I think my connection is too poor to load them. Perhaps if I go somewhere with my phone in better reception I can load them.
Dahlia is not confirmed pregnant but she does have a very small udder forming. She is also puffy in her tail area. In the past few days I can see very obvious fetal movement more pronounced than any of my other goats probably due to her being more slender.
She is still no " pregnant" looking but she does seem full and you can't see any bones on her hips in the area of dairy goats that you usually see. She is due in 24 days. I really hope she develops a better udder. Now it's only orange sized and you can't see it protrude,, you have to lift up to feel it. Thanks for thinking of helping me so long after the original post!


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