# Kidding: Labor from start to finish



## goatmommaivey (Dec 17, 2016)

Kenya is a two year old registered Pygmy. First freshener. Her bag was big for about three weeks, she's been leaking small amounts of clear discharge for several days and her ligaments were soft. And of course she was huge. 

5pm: ligaments gone
8pm: into the kidding pen she went, more thick clear discharge 
9pm: eating lots of hay and chewing ferociously, pawing, breathing fast
2am: long strings of yellow discharge, small contractions that appear uncomfortable but not painful 2-3 min apart
4am: frantic, still eating hate and chewing fast and hard, pawing a lot, up and down
5am: red blood discharge (about silver dollar size when it hit the ground) now I'm freaking out but FYI, this is from the hymen on a first freshener, contractions 1 min apart and seen painful now
530am: she lies down and starts pushing, sac appears

This is where it gets hectic. She pushes hard for 30 min and only about a silver dollar size portion of sac comes out. I can tell she's not progressing so I go in. Only finger deep and I feel nothing but a fluid filled sac. Now hand deep and I can feel hard parts inside the sac but stuck on the pelvic girdle. I try to run my fingers along her pelvic girdle to free up what's stuck. She continues to push and only gets a softball size sac out. All I can see is fluid in the sac and the kid is still stuck several inches back. Then a head appears and I can see an ear. There are no legs. The sac bursts and I know I have to get this kid out. I go back in and hook one leg with my finger. Out she comes! And beautiful brown agouti doeling. The cord breaks on its own. Momma is tired and in shock by now. I put the kid in front of her but she's paying it no attention as she's started to push more now. I clean the kid myself because it's 30 degrees and she cannot stay wet long. She's healthy and starts to try walking immediately. 

Then another sac appears about 30 min later. This time it's obvious that there are two hooves and a nose in it. Out comes a grey agouti doeling. Momma is exhausted. I break the sac and clean it because momma is just lying there now. I wait for the cord to stop pulsating. It's still in momma. I shred the cord with my fingernail and clean this kid. I then place the kids in front of mom but she's exhausted and not interested. They're both learning to walk already. I try to get them to latch on. Don't force it. Just put their faces up to the teat and they'll find it eventually. Oh and her teats were clogged. I just scratched them gently with my fingernail and the plug came out. I squeezed a couple drops of colostrum from each teat to make sure they were flowing. The cord is still hanging from momma. Leave it there. Sometimes it takes a while for it to expel. I have momma warm molasses water and it helped tremendously. I had to drench her because she was too tired to drink. I gave 20ml. 

I then went inside and watched from a baby monitor. After a few minutes, the doelings started to attempt nursing. Now it's two days later, momma is doing great and kids are nursing wonderfully. She's started to lick them and stand still for them to nurse. 

I read and read and read before this first birth for me. I knew it all, or so I thought. The first time you have to go in is scarier than you can imagine. Close your eyes so you know what you're feeling. It helps. You can do it! And now, I've experienced the crazy kidding my first time. Phew I'm glad that's over and I'm more confident for the two more does that are due in the next few weeks. 

I hope this helps someone! I'm thankful for two beautiful doelings and a healthy momma, but I couldn't have done it had I not had wonderful sites like this to research before.


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## goatmommaivey (Dec 17, 2016)

Kids, momma having a contraction and me freezing while she labored (don't leave a heat lamp on...this was only for me to stay warm while I was in there with her for hours)


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Wow - you are a champion!!!!! Beautiful kids, congrats - they are precious


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## goatmommaivey (Dec 17, 2016)

I was blessed to have good help! Thank you!


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

That's great. When I first got goats I am so glad I had this site because I learned so much before my first kids were born. I was lucky and didn't have to go in to help get a kid out until my 5 year. I am glad everything worked out and thank you for this post I am sure it will help others in the future.


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## The-Goat-Posse (Aug 30, 2016)

Adorable kids and great information! Hopefully this helps me prepare for my first kids (Mid-January!)


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cuties!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good work.


Cute kiddo's


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