# I think it is getting close to baby time!



## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

I have been waiting on pins and needles for days, but I think tonight may be the night! My doe, Elliott, who I wasn't even sure got bred is finally in labor! She's been building udder for a month or so, and has been loosening for weeks , but tonight she's positively miserable. I can't even touch her sides without her flipping out and running away. She's pawing the stall floor and backing up. Her udder looks rather pink and much firmer than it has been. This is my first kidding since I decided to get back into goats. I'm hoping my boers do just as good, if not better, than my mixed breeds I had several years ago.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Good luck!


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Still waiting... I really thought I would have babies today. I'm sure she's waiting for the weather to turn to crap. It's supposed to snow today, I think. 

Question: is it okay to leave Momma's bestie (my other bred doe) in the stall with her? I tried to separate them, but they both started stressing out.


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> Still waiting... I really thought I would have babies today. I'm sure she's waiting for the weather to turn to crap. It's supposed to snow today, I think.
> 
> Question: is it okay to leave Momma's bestie (my other bred doe) in the stall with her? I tried to separate them, but they both started stressing out.


I have goats like that. I'm sure goat anxiety is a thing! As for not touching the sides... yeah, my does don't like their right side being touched. Ever. No-go zone.

The answer to your question really depends on the size of your kidding pen. If it's a decent size and the does get along well, it shouldn't be an issue. I have my girls come out into the group pen now when their babies are 1+ days old however that's not newborn and it's a huge pen...


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

This girl usually likes attention , but now she's like "admire me from afar, human."

They do get along pretty well, and the stall is about 10×12 I think.


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> This girl usually likes attention , but now she's like "admire me from afar, human."
> 
> They do get along pretty well, and the stall is about 10×12 I think.


Haha, don't you love goats? That's exactly the tone I take when I imagine what my girls would say too.

Sorry, I'm british, I'm not following what units you guys usually use. XD Is that feet?


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Oh and by the way, good choice of breed  Have you got a picture of her?


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> Haha, don't you love goats? That's exactly the tone I take when I imagine what my girls would say too.
> 
> Sorry, I'm british, I'm not following what units you guys usually use. XD Is that feet?


Yes feet. Sorry.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I just wanted to chime in on the leaving the girls together thing. I only have two and they are inseparable. Keeping them apart was pretty much not an option because of the crying and panic that would ensue. My mini nubian, Eliza, kidded first. Her bestie, Anabelle (boer/spanish), who is the gentlest, sweetest, animal I have ever met, decided she was going to murder those horrible kids Eliza had. Thankfully I was right there and kept her from harming them. Even now that she has had her kid and they are all weeks old, they both HATE each others kids and will try to hurt them every chance they get. If you do keep them together I would be extremely careful! From what I can tell, goats are amazing, smart, wonderful, and completely crazy! Lol


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> Oh and by the way, good choice of breed  Have you got a picture of her?


I love these girls! 
I loved my Heinz 57 varieties too, but this is more exciting because I am trying to get high quality kids on a bare bones budget. Lol

This picture is the other bred doe. I'm can't figure out to get to Ellie's picture.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

New-goat-mom said:


> I just wanted to chime in on the leaving the girls together thing. I only have two and they are inseparable. Keeping them apart was pretty much not an option because of the crying and panic that would ensue. My mini nubian, Eliza, kidded first. Her bestie, Anabelle (boer/spanish), who is the gentlest, sweetest, animal I have ever met, decided she was going to murder those horrible kids Eliza had. Thankfully I was right there and kept her from harming them. Even now that she has had her kid and they are all weeks old, they both HATE each others kids and will try to hurt them every chance they get. If you do keep them together I would be extremely careful! From what I can tell, goats are amazing, smart, wonderful, and completely crazy! Lol


I am hoping Mischief (that's the other momma-to-be) doesn't act like that but it is a concern. 
And I agree with you, goats are wonderful and crazy!


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> I love these girls!
> I loved my Heinz 57 varieties too, but this is more exciting because I am trying to get high quality kids on a bare bones budget. Lol
> 
> This picture is the other bred doe. I'm can't figure out to get to Ellie's picture.


Fair enough! She's not a bad looking girl 

I would agree with what new-Goat-mom said. As with everything to do with goats, you need to keep an eye. Some goats will try to kill others' kids whilst others don't care. If you're worried and the pen is big enough, you could make a baby goat pen in it for the kid(s) to hide in? Or have little cubby holes for them eg under a standing feeding trough. That has worked well for me this year.

In the past I had a doe scream because she couldn't baby her best friend's kids. As you say, crazy and they're all unique!


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

20180306_171851




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Crazy Little Goat


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Mar 12, 2018







I have no idea what I am doing here... I am TRYING to post a picture of Elliott, but since I am on my phone and not the computer, I really haven't a cluewhat is going on. Ha ha ha .


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

20180207_173717




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Crazy Little Goat


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Mar 12, 2018







If this is the picture I think it is, then Elliott is the one in front.


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> 20180306_171851
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What phone?


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> What phone?


I have a Samsung but for some reason, I am having trouble getting it to play nicely with this website. No big deal, just inconvenient.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Good luck


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> I have a Samsung but for some reason, I am having trouble getting it to play nicely with this website. No big deal, just inconvenient.


Has she made any more indications of kidding?


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> Has she made any more indications of kidding?


Not really, she looked about the same this morning.
I have to work, so I won't know anything more for about 8 hours. My guess is she's going to wait until the temperature drops to freezing (or below) and then decided to kid.
Her sides are looking more hollow, and her udder is looking great, but she doesn't have any discharge at all. Last night she was pacing quite a bit but this morning she was all about her food. As much as I want some babies, I'd really prefer it if she'd hold off until I get home at least, or better yet, until I figure out how to divide the stall she's in so both does can see each other, but Mischief can't get to the kids when they do finally come.

This waiting game is NO fun!
It's funny, but I don't remember being this worked up over an impending birth before. Even my own kids didn't come with this much anxiety. Ha!


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> Not really, she looked about the same this morning.
> I have to work, so I won't know anything more for about 8 hours. My guess is she's going to wait until the temperature drops to freezing (or below) and then decided to kid.
> Her sides are looking more hollow, and her udder is looking great, but she doesn't have any discharge at all. Last night she was pacing quite a bit but this morning she was all about her food. As much as I want some babies, I'd really prefer it if she'd hold off until I get home at least, or better yet, until I figure out how to divide the stall she's in so both does can see each other, but Mischief can't get to the kids when they do finally come.
> 
> ...


Working on goat logic, it is definitely best to kid when it's freezing! (seriously though, mine always like the cold days!)

Honestly I'm this worked up in the lead up too. Every time. XD It's not until the last few does that I think, okay, "a full night sleep would be nice now, get on with it". But don't count on the gunk too much, I had a doe over winter who began arching her back slightly so I thought, "I'll feed this other pen of goats and then come check on you". Ten minutes later she'd had a gorgeous baby girl! XD

Back arching is the best sign IMO. That means they're either uncomfortable and a little sore or actually contracting.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> Back arching is the best sign IMO. That means they're either uncomfortable and a little sore or actually contracting.


Thanks! That's good to know. I swear I must have either not paid any attention at all, or completely forgot all the signs from my last herd. I had probably 8 does kid one winter and I don't remember ever knowing when to expect the kids or anything. I just remember them dropping and being the cutest things ever. We DID have to make one doe stand to let one kid nurse, but we got them both through the worst of it, and ended up with all healthy kids. I had 20 head in my hay-day, then a coyote killed one, so we ended up selling the herd. They didn't want to stay were they belonged anymore, and kept laying in the middle of our highway.


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Crazy Little Goat said:


> Thanks! That's good to know. I swear I must have either not paid any attention at all, or completely forgot all the signs from my last herd. I had probably 8 does kid one winter and I don't remember ever knowing when to expect the kids or anything. I just remember them dropping and being the cutest things ever. We DID have to make one doe stand to let one kid nurse, but we got them both through the worst of it, and ended up with all healthy kids. I had 20 head in my hay-day, then a coyote killed one, so we ended up selling the herd. They didn't want to stay were they belonged anymore, and kept laying in the middle of our highway.


They were so cute that your mind blocked the icky lead up out!

Anyway, the things I personally look out for most are the back arching and the does "talking" as they search for their kids. Who ever said goats were smart? Another good sign if you suspect she's close (based on my girlies) is to check the teats for the white teat plug-I don't know the official name-that forms there (if you can get near enough). From personal experience this is usually a sign of semi-imminent kidding in the next day or so. You may have to hold her of course since they develop an awareness of personal space in the last few weeks of pregnancy and won't go near you, as your girl is so helpfully demonstrating! Obviously don't stress her out catching her if you do ty this!


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Well , she had twin bucks probably about a half hour before I got home from work yesterday. She had them pretty well cleaned up but they were still wet when I got there. Now , she'll only let one nurse but the other one doesn't really act interested in looking for food. He just stands catatonically or lays down. He's not crying or anything.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Shucks, I hit post too soon. 
We're going to try to milk momma on the full side and see if we can get some in the little guy.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> Working on goat logic, it is definitely best to kid when it's freezing! (seriously though, mine always like the cold days!)
> 
> Honestly I'm this worked up in the lead up too. Every time. XD It's not until the last few does that I think, okay, "a full night sleep would be nice now, get on with it". But don't count on the gunk too much, I had a doe over winter who began arching her back slightly so I thought, "I'll feed this other pen of goats and then come check on you". Ten minutes later she'd had a gorgeous baby girl! XD
> 
> Back arching is the best sign IMO. That means they're either uncomfortable and a little sore or actually contracting.


Thankfully she kidded yesterday afternoon, before it got really cold, but I'm concerned they aren't staying warm enough. I'm also worried because one just isn't acting interested in nursing. We did get about 2 oz down him, but looks like we may end up doing it again in an hour or so.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Congrats.

Tie up mom, also one back leg so she cannot kick and milk some out, then feed it to her kids with a 12 cc syringe(no needle) slowly at the back corner of their mouths. Relieving pressure helps, then try the kids on her. 
She may be too tight as to why she is not allowing them to nurse.

Does her milk look good?

Do you have a heat lamp? If so, I would use it until you know the kid is nursing well on it's own. They can go sub temp so quickly without food.


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