# Milky Way's kidding countdown



## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I talked to the guy I bought her from, and she hasn't come into heat since July, putting her right at about December, *maybe* November, depending on when exactly she was bred, so we're expecting Christmas babies from her, if we're lucky.

She's still not wide (just fat. I swear her armpit fat has gotten bigger....), so I'm only expecting a single, unless it was the nigerian buck, and if it was, it's anybody's guess (there are only 2 culprits-a PB reg. Nubian, or a PB reg. Nigerian, and only one's registerable).

Jenny should also be bred, but she's as wide as a house right now, and I still don't know why. Could just be hay belly (even though she won't eat the expensive oat/timothy hay I just bought), could just be her maturing, could be she was bred months ago. Either way, she's a little fatty.

Sorry the pics are bad. It's almost 30 degrees right now, and I was finding it hard to hold still (the mess is from us cleaning out our barn to make room for more hay/goats, and yes, we have been chunking it everywhere. The goats think it's hilarious, and they've been playing with stuff).

They're all poofy, but Maverick's roaning shows up more when he imitates a plush pillow









Sadly enough, they still hate each other. Maverick doesn't like her either. Sometimes I swear he goes out of his way to pop her one in the chest. Never hard, but enough that she runs the second he looks at her...









Since it has to be so horridly cold and nasty out, everyone's tucking under themselves like this. Makes it kinda funny to watch them walk. I'd cover them, but it's gonna be 60 by this afternoon, so I'll just let them tough it out for now. No one seems to care that much.









NOT wide. At all. Better be a doe kid, is all I'm sayin'.









Don't you just love what I have to clean up, in the cold? Someone found the alfalfa cubes, and thought they'd make great porch decoration...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

pretty girls..... :thumb: 

I can't wait to see babies in Dec.... :wink: :greengrin:

The brown doe.... I see she is bagging up.... :hi5:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Sadly enough, she's not. It's what's left over from her being dried off. I mean, it's filled up a bit more, but this doe is flat weird about that, so I don't know what to think about it (she's a second freshener, and so is Jenny, so I couldn't tell you when they'd bag up)


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Even with a deflated udder, you will know when they start filling. Unmistakeable. They look good and I hope you get some girls out of them


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Then she's starting pretty early...she gave me a heart attack last night, too. Started screaming her head off and wouldn't stop, at least not until I came out to see her. :hair: 

Not worried about it though. I'm pretty well convinced that she's going to kid the second I leave for work


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I know I already made a post, but I went outside to check on everyone and realized it was a fair bit warmer than yesterday, so I got some better pics.

Oh, and Milky Way IS bagging up, and I swear Jenny is too, but I can't really be sure... Milky's still lopsided, but it *should* go away when she does freshen, and if it doesn't, I'm gonna be playing favorite sides until it does. I don't like the way her teats angle out much either, but she's got enough going for her the judges probably won't care a whole lot.

Like I said, lopsided...left's definitely filling, not the right. It may not be her filling at all, it could just be from when I milked her out to even her up...









Jenny's teenie weenie udder...is bigger. Not much, just a bit. It's actually peeking out of the hair, rather than being snuggled up in it. This summer, if you'd looked at her quickly enough, she'd have looked like she'd never freshened.









This is why I know she was bred (and her bred date is actually the day after I joined here). She's already getting a belly. She normally has nothing, not even when she was on full hay, not when she was getting full browse (an apple branch a day...), not ever. Her genetics are to look like a skinny walking skeleton. Not a skinny walking skeleton with a belly.









And, to top it off, Maverick's cute white nose spot. He's got one on his forehead, too. And right in the middle of his bits, and one on his martingale.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Milky Way may be due sooner than I thought...she's started separating herself from the others (they don't actually like her, but she's always tried to be near them) more and more. Still no belly, though.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

It's *definitely* gonna be sooner than I thought...her ligaments are loosening! I'm expecting her to kid around the end of November for now.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

she is looking good -- well both are.

as to when she will kid -- if her ligaments are loosening now then it will be much sooner then the end of the month


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree....babies soon... :clap: :greengrin:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

She's gotten HUGE. Not a little bit bigger, not a hay belly bigger, but more like she swallowed a beach ball big (believe me-this doe has been skinny as a rail from the top view-she's not anymore). Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll be pure nubian kids after all!

Also, I've been having fun tapping one side of her and feeling it on the other...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

wow.... don't take into a toy store.... they may accuse her... of stealing a beach ball...LOL :laugh:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Like I said...beach ball. I can barely wrap my arms around her middle anymore.










Just for reference, this was a few weeks ago...sunken in and "squishy".


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## mommaB (Oct 1, 2009)

Oh wow!!!! What's her udder doing?? Good luck!! will be watching!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Her udder's doing diddly-squat. It's a little bit fuller and a little less uneven, but it's still looking like it hasn't really filled in at all. She's probably gonna wait til the last second and blow it up like a balloon.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

she is getting big..... :wink: :thumb:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I hope she delivers when you expect her to....She's definately much rounder!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I'm hoping so too....if I have to wait another 2 months because she's playing around with me, we're going to have to have words....


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

*Re: Milky Way's kidding countdown *pooch pics**

Just updates on the two of them (pooch pics included). I took Milky Way to the vet to get blood drawn (an absolute ANGEL-I was barely holding her, and she didn't flinch once) and fecals done on everyone-tiny tiny light roundworm load, so everyone was finally caught up on worming with Ivomec today. It's only been since about September-ish since anyone was wormed with anything.

The vet couldn't confirm a pregnancy (to her credit, she doesn't know goats very well at all, and she doesn't have an ultrasound machine), so we're sending in samples to Biotracking (BTW, fridge or freezer for the samples? I put them in the freezer like the vet told me, then BioTracking site said to keep them in the fridge, and by the time I switched them, the sample was already frozen-don't know if that affects anything, I've only got a bajillion more needles and tubes ready).

And this time I KNOW her ligaments are a bit looser. I may have been hallucinating last time, but she's definitely a bit squishier this time, though even Jenny's ligs feel kinda loosish to me too, so maybe I'm getting the wrong spot or she's just playing hard to get.

Jenny's pooch. It's still at least only a month along, if at all, but at most it'd be 3 months. Kinda really doubt it.








Milky Way's. While pregnancy is still about 99% confirmed, she still refuses to let us know when...








Her udder. It's filled more! I know it looks like it's only filled by maybe five drops or so, but it's more noticeable (probably at a better angle) that her teats are finally on the same level, and the side that wouldn't fill is filling out more.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

It's been a LONG couple of months, but after ultrasounding, and testing, and poking, prodding, and annoying, we finally have a due date and a breed!

She's due in 2 weeks (roughly), and the kids have absolutely perfect swiss-type ears and faces, so it was definitely the nigi's fault. Unfortunately, there's up to 3 kids in there, and the first one is HUGE. I'm afraid he may end up being too big for her.

STILL no udder! If anything, it's shrunk down. But, she's got a couple weeks to build it back up, but I may want to buy a couple of gallons of milk just in case.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Congrats on getting some answers! And I've read here and there that some goats may not get much of an udder fill until they are in labor, so maybe she is one of those types? 
I hope you have no problems getting the big baby out, this is one of the things I worry about too, especially with the doe who is expecting any day, she's a BIG girl herself, and our buck is known for throwing big heads and shoulders!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

She probably is, from what I understood, her dam wouldn't build an udder until well after she went into labor, so we'll see.

And of course, the kids can't be registered now...I KNOW they're mini nubians, but swiss ears are disqualifications...I'll probably just register them as recorded grade and let someone else show them.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Just a quick update on her-still nothing. At all. A couple of kicks here and there, a tiny bit of discharge, ranging from white/yellow to dark brown, a lot more teeth grinding, and she's started squatting to pee with pretty much nothing coming out. I did include update pictures, and sorry for the horrible mess, I'm just starting to clear out the part of the garage I want to turn into kidding stalls. All I need now are some pallets. They are recent as of this morning.

Also, the guy I bought her from said he thought her due date was the 15th, since he thinks the nigi buck he bought with her got to her in the trailer, but he also said the buck could have done it any time that week, he was out loose a couple of times.

















Her udder approximately 2 weeks ago








Her udder this morning. Maybe I'm hallucinating but it looks wider to me, and it feels fuller towards the top. From her udder alone, I'm going to guess she got caught waaay later than anyone thought and she'll kid in February....let's hope I'm wrong and she'll kid in January.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I too agree that she will likely go in February BUT because she has freshened before, you can't see the udder development like you can on a FF.
Watch her as you have been, her udder will fill right before your eyes, believe me, I have Binkey due the end of February and theres no change to her empty udder, this is her 5th freshening. 

Even though the kids can't be registered, just think of how small they will be, Milkt Way looks to be a big girl, having 1/2 nigi kids should make for a fast delivery. :hug:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I can probably dual register them as recorded grades/experimentals or register them with the miniature association, provided their ears grow a bit before she kids. I'm pretty sure they'll be over height, though, the first kid we saw on ultrasound looked like a monster, especially for what's supposed to be a little mini goat.

Maybe I'm just getting impatient, this doe has been "due to kid any day" since October...


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## mommaB (Oct 1, 2009)

Awwwwe, sorry she has kept you waiting so long  It can get discouraging. I would think that the kids being half nigi, she would be able to deliver fairly easily? I guess you never know? Maybe the little monster is normal, and the others are really small! Whatever it is, good luck and keep us posted! Can't wait to see what pops out!


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

I have a 3rd freshener due the end of February thats starting to fill. It starts a little at the top, but she's starting to fill into the teats now too. I think it's different on each doe. My doe has a really soft udder that milks out completely and she dried out like a pancake, so It's more noticable in her. your doe will get there. :hug:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

We'll see what she does. Supposedly today was the day the guy thought she got bred, since this was the day in August they got her home, but her ligs are still fairly tight (not as tight as Maverick's, and yes, I've been using a buck to check how tight ligs are-Lord knows his are easy enough to find). They're not rock-hard, but they're not real loose, either.

Did I mention her genetics point towards last second filling? Her dam and granddam both filled roughly a day or so before each kidding, every time. Before long it won't be my hair being pulled out....


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

And what, pray tell is this junk (pictured at the bottom)? It's thick, stringy, yellow and looks like what I've been hacking up for a week now, just more opaque. Is it just more normal discharge or has she finally let go of the plug?

Also, more updates-her udder's filled more on the sides, it feels like it's coming along nicely, though still pretty slowly. Her ligs are soft, but still there, and when I checked for movement, I swear I felt those suckers in her hip (I had my hand on the top of her hip to keep her still and me balanced. They're definitely healthy and active, that's for sure.

Also-I masted the 5 minute hoof trimming. I didn't want to stress her, but she needed it BAD, so I clipped off as much of the toe as I could, skipped the heel, and accidentally nipped the quick in a back foot (barely-she had like 2 dots of blood).

(sorry these are so big, you can't tell what's what with the smaller version)


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The plug is more of a sticky whitish mess...the snot I see there is normally what I see in the hours before my does deliver, of course each doe is different with how thay present labor signs but if she were mine I'd be on alert the next few hours. It's likely early yet though and with the change in her udder that you noticed and the kid movement up high, you might see kids in the next 12 hours or the next few days. It's so hard to pinpoint exactly when :sigh:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Oh she had better not, she's still got no udder, and I've only got enough milk replacer for maybe a day or two...guess I gotta go out and find her then. She's been hiding in the barn all day with the other 2.

Ok, just checked on everyone-no more discharge, *maybe* her udder's a bit bigger, but I went and checked her ligs, wasn't too sure, so I check Maverick's-of course, as a buck, they practically had flashing lights and neon signs. I checked Jenny, due in March, just as hard, but apparently that's the refresher course I needed, because Milky Way has had super-soft ligs for a while now. I mean, if you push hard, you can kinda feel them, but that's it.

All that aside, I still give her another week, she'll probably push it to two.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

i just came in from checking my does and daisy had a little yellow discharge just like your pic! she's only at day 140 today so i hope she waits a few more days. good luck with yours!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

That's probably about how far along Milky is, which means I won't have long to wait then. Now if only Jenny were this close to kidding, she's the one I'm really waiting for. Her kids don't have to be bottlefed and they'll be my first homebreds with excellent lineage.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Wish I had photo updates, but I shaved her udder last night, and even from then, it's gotten plenty bigger. No real change in ligaments, other than I am having issues finding them (I know they're there, it's not super mushy and I can't wrap my hand around anything yet), and the kids were kicking awful hard today, harder than any time before now. Hopefully she won't keep me waiting too much longer....

Almost completely forgot-she's been having some peeing problems...now I remember when I was pregnant I was peeing every 10 minutes for virtually no reason-are goats the same? I don't see how often she pees, but when I do see her, it's often just a splash or two, rarely nothing, sometimes a teeny tiny stream. Should I be overly concerned, or are kids just using her bladder as a springboard? Her bladder looked perfectly fine on her last ultrasound, and she's not acting sick, just grinding her teeth like she has been for the past 2 months.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

My Doe's pee alot...close to kidding.... :scratch: 
it could be... that her kids are shifting and laying on her bladder..... just so ...she can't pee very much.... :wink: 

has she been peeing like that all along? If so... she may have urinary stones...Does can get them...it will make them pee less volume....when she does pee... is it a good splash or is it barely a squirt?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The frequent squatting with little or no results this late into her pregnancy is the kids putting pressure on her...stones are a possibility but to ease your mind, give her a bucket full of warm kool aid water or weak molasses water...she'll really be peeing after sucking down a few quarts, no harm done, and the extra fluid intake will clear the lines, so to speak.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Went out and checked everyone this morning. Jenny's as big as a house, and she's not due 'til March 17, so there'd better be twins in there, I wanna take her to some shows this summer, see how we do.

Milky Way looked that much more sunken in, but then again, she feels like she's lost weight, so that's probably where it came from. I didn't feel any kids, but then again, she was shivering (I brought her inside, and she doesn't like the temp change) so they may have been kicking me without me knowing. Her udder looks almost the same, but it feels fuller through the top, and the actual "baggy" bit felt like it might actually be starting to fill again-on one side...


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