# Surprise pregnancy? Help!



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

Hi, I'm new to the board, but I've had my small herd of 5 Nigerians since January, and it seems one of my girls is going through an unplanned kidding... any advice would be helpful, since this will be my first, and I really don't know what to look for:
I've had my goats since the end of January, and one doe, Jill, has not shown any signs of heat, so I haven't attempted to breed her. She's had several sets of kids with her previous owner, but because she wasn't registered, they allowed her to dry off and hadn't bred her this year. A few weeks ago, I noticed her udder getting larger, and yesterday, my usually outgoing, grain and attention motivated doe, didn't greet me at the gate with the others. She just stayed off in the corner of the barn stall, getting up, laying down, yawning, and just acting strange. When I looked behind her tail, I saw some thick white mucus. 
I've been reading all about goats for the past few months, and I knew these were signs of labor... but as I said, she hadn't been bred! I contacted the breeder, who said that some bucklings had gotten loose last winter, and there was a chance she'd been bred already when I bought her... so that explains the udder and the odd behavior. I put her in a pen by herself with fresh bedding, and have been watching her constantly since yesterday morning. Last night I tried checking her ligaments, and they seemed soft, but I've never done this before, so I'm not sure that I did it right. I also felt around under her right side when she was laying down, and thought I felt something hard and bony (kids?), but again, don't really know what I'm looking for. 
I figured things were going to progress really quickly, but it's almost 10pm the following day, and still no contractions and no more mucus. Since I don't really even know for sure that she was or wasn't pregnant, I'm not sure what to do- keep watching her? Call a vet? How long can labor take once a doe shows all these symptoms? I don't want to assume it's pregnancy and have her actually be sick, but I don't want to assume she isn't pregnant and have her go through birth all on her own either.
Advice, anyone?


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

First off welcome...... :thumb: :wave: 

Your Doe sounds to be in the process of getting ready ..... keep a close eye on her....
She may be in pre- labor... it is a process they go through...to help shift the babies to the birth canal.....this can go on for many hours.... 

If all of a sudden... she looks thin... if you look at her from behind...the kids are not up on her sides anymore ...and are going to the birth canal...

Is she eating or drinking water?

Has she started pushing at all?.....
Once she does this... she should progress within a 1/2 hour or less..... and if nothing happens within that time then you must go in to check to see what is wrong....


Is she under duress?

take her temp to rule out an illness.....


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Welcome from NJ :wave: 

Gestation is around 145-150 days give or take a few on either side. Does the breeder you got her from say when the buckling was loos with her?
Can you post some photos of her from behind?
Sounds like she is preggo and being off by herself sounds like she may be getting close. I notice the udder fill a lot more in the last say or so before kidding. You will know once her contractions start and after they star it should very soon.


----------



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

I took some pictures... but I can't figure out how to upload them!?


----------



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

Ok, I think I figured the images out? Hopefully this works:


----------



## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

With mine they usually seem to go quick once the white mucus (plug) comes. But I know every doe is different..I have one girl that is due any day..If you can find out when the bucklings got out from the breeder that will help you in figuring how far along she would be.

Good luck....keep us posted


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yup she is preggy 

as to when she will kid, well she could just be uncomfortable or she could be in prelabor right now. Hard to tell when you just dont know exactly when she is due 

But going from when mines are due I would say she is very close


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

How is she acting today?


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yes..she is preggo for sure.... how are things with her? :hug:


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I always get a kick out of the previous owner saying :well...a buck did get out once so he may have gotten to her." why they can't say that right off the bat is beyond me!

She does look pregnant from your pictures. I have one due on Sunday and othe than her udder filling up, there are no other signs. By your discription, your doe may go within the week. Just keep an eye on her! If she has kidded before, she knows what to do! Good Luck!


----------



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

Well, today she's acting totally normal, begging for grain and wanting to be with the other goats, so I let her back out with them. Good to know she's pregnant at least, and other than watching her, I guess there isn't a lot I can do... I read a thread on here with a poor lady waiting a month for her goat to kid, with all these kind of signs, so I'm not going to get TOO anxious. There was DEFINITELY mucus yesterday, but maybe she was just feeling a little crampy when the plug came out, and the babies aren't actually on their way yet? 
How far along do you think she is? I suppose she could have had a "through the fence" breeding at our place too, but if that's the case, she won't be kidding until at least the end of the month or later. It'd be good to have an idea of whether or not "Dad" is one of our guys.
onder:


----------



## Kingsmeadow (May 30, 2011)

I know how you feel. I am new to the goat world myself. About 3 weeks ago, my friend and I picked up 3 doe's from a guy that just used them for clearing land. None of them had kidded before. He decided to tell us that they had been free to roam with his buck and thought 1 may have been pregnant because she showed signs of lactating. My friend has that doe, while I have the other 2. It is possible that any or all of them could be preggo's, but it's just too soon to tell. So, I'll sit here and play the waiting game. Lol


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Well, today she's acting totally normal, begging for grain and wanting to be with the other goats, so I let her back out with them. Good to know she's pregnant at least, and other than watching her, I guess there isn't a lot I can do... I read a thread on here with a poor lady waiting a month for her goat to kid, with all these kind of signs, so I'm not going to get TOO anxious. There was DEFINITELY mucus yesterday, but maybe she was just feeling a little crampy when the plug came out, and the babies aren't actually on their way yet?
> How far along do you think she is? I suppose she could have had a "through the fence" breeding at our place too, but if that's the case, she won't be kidding until at least the end of the month or later. It'd be good to have an idea of whether or not "Dad" is one of our guys.


 her udder should fill more.... if you see it getting real tight looking all of a sudden...and have a shiny appearance around the bottom... that is a good indication she is getting closer.....they can have a discharge quite a long time prior to kidding.... when you don't know a due date... it is a constant on watch thing.....

Also sometimes the kids will push on her internal organs and make her uncomfortable.....


----------



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

I missed it! Went out to see the goats today and found (I'm pretty sure, this is my first time) :kidred: :kidred: !!!!!
I have no idea what time they were born, because yesterday I saw zero signs of labor, didn't check them after, say, 8pm, and didn't check them this morning because they generally graze and don't get their grain until afternoon. They are dried off, healthy, and walking around. 
Here's my question: Mom seems totally fine (except hungry), but her udder doesn't look all that taut or full. Is there any way for me to know if they nursed already? What does an udder look like after the babies have ate? If they did just eat, will I be able to check to see if she's producing colostrum, or do I need to wait for it to fill back up again? Would they be dry and walking around happily if they hadn't gotten anything to eat yet? How long before they will try eating again? 
I'm SOOOOO excited, I have to get back out there and hold them and love them and stare at their rear ends to make sure they are really girls, and probably poke and prod their mother until she gets annoyed with me.


----------



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Sounds like the kiddos have a full belly - congrats on the healthy kids  piccies please!!


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Congratulations!!! She did very well...though she snuck them out on you!


----------



## Thesuz (Jan 27, 2011)

I did see them nurse, so I feel much better  
Here's Mom looking so proud!


----------



## amylawrence (May 19, 2011)

Congrats on the babies, sounds like they're doing well if they are up and around. I hate that you missed your first kidding - it's one of the best things about being a goat owner (right up there with watching the kiddos trying out their legs the first few weeks!)
:leap:


----------



## Kristenkay26 (Jun 16, 2011)

Congrats they are beautiful!!! Yay to the new momma! :grouphug:


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Congrats!!


----------



## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

Your baby's are very cute! The tan and black one is very pretty! Are you keeping either of them?

I purchased a '09 Nigerian doe last fall that was "possibly bred", well her full brother from '10 was never separated until he was over 5 months old. The owner didn't think he bred her, but offered to Lute her for me if I wished. I decided against it because I didn't have a buck to use and it wasn't a sure thing she was bred. Right on the money she kidded, I arrived at the barn to do a mid day check right as she was making grunting/pushing noises so I grabbed my kit that was already out there and got to work. After the first one was born and being dried I decided to check the gender under the tail and it was a boy, I did the same for the next one too, another boy. So great, 2 inbred boys.... I got ready to leave them and my Mom showed up to see them and help out, she stated that the first born looked really tiny compared to the second. I shrugged it off and she kept bringing it up so I looked again and told her they were both boys. about a half and hour later I noticed I could see the second boys testies but I hadn't seen the first boys. I picked up #1 and looked - no testies or pizzle, so I looked at its rear and saw a slight pink color line down the middle :leap: He was truly a she! I ended up staying out there a little longer to spend time with her and now she is the underfoot type of goat.


----------



## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Those are darling babies!


----------

