# I'm pretty sure we have little ones on the way!



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

My husband thinks I'm insane (and I'm starting to feel crazy too) since I've been saying this since last summer!!!

Being new time goat owners has been a steep learning curve. Due to space limitations this winter our buck has lived in with the does, he's a very needly little fella and wouldn't do ok on his own! He's lived in with these does his entire life!!

So that leads us to the is she or isn't she debate. We *thought* they might be pregnant when we got them, but since no babies have arrived apparently not! 
Adam (the buck) went into rut in September and I saw signs on mounting on two of the does in early October, which would make for early March babies if the goat due date calculator I used is right 

Today I noticed that the teats on one of the does are much larger than last time I saw them and she looks much bigger all of a sudden! She was panting and rubbing along the fence and her vulva area looked quite engorged and strained.I called my husband in a panic and then second guessed myself because she went back to eating. So I'm going to post pictures and hopefully there will be kids sometime before the middle of March!!!!!!

Meet Mia


----------



## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

She looks pregnant to me but she's got a while to go.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

So maybe a March due date sometime then??? I wish I had a magic wand to know whether she was actually pregnant or not!!!


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I would also say bred. March babies likely....


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

You can run a blood test, it's not very expensive. Bio Tracking offers it.

She def looks pregnant to me though but probably a ways to go yet.


----------



## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

You can draw blood and send it to a biotracking lab to test for pregnancy. Pooch test isn't always accurate. I've been fooled before!

Edit: Danya posted before me!


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Where do you draw blood on a goat? I'm an ER nurse so I guess as long as I could get the anatomy right and find a vein I know how to do the rest!!!!
I'll check into the blood test  
Thanks everyone!


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Ok I've found the website and it explains it all. Can't see where you actually order the test though.....I'll figure it out if we decide to do that. Might just do the wait and see game again!!!!! 
Thanks for the input, I'll update if there are any changes


----------



## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

You draw from the neck. I had to shave a little patch so I could see the vein. Dave posted a great video of himself pulling blood you could watch. Just search for 'drawling blood' or something like that and you should be able to find it. There are also videos on YouTube.


----------



## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

They have different labs. I think there is a tab called 'where do I send sample' that will bring up the lab list. Pick one that does the biopryn for goats. You may want to call to confirm pricing and when they run specific tests.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We did the Biotracking blood test back in the fall and it was really easy! We watched videos on youtube, just to a search for how to draw blood from a goat, etc. and watch how they do it. I know there is a really good video there 
There should be instructions on the site that has the forms to print out. 
We put the papers & payment in one plastic baggie, and put the test tube in another baggie, then wrapped the tube in some bubble wrap that we had and put it in a small shipping box. They called us with results within a few days. 

I'm going to say your doe is bred too, but it would either be late March or early April depending. We have a doe due Mar 11th, and she's already got a decent little udder going. - first timer.
Have you felt her udder to see if there is any growth? It's so hard to tell with so much hair.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

I felt her udder yesterday, there is about a handful of growth there!! Very exciting to feel!!!! So far the udder fits into my entire hand. 

So now I'm scrambling to find a vet in our area who deals with goats and to give the vaccinations needed and get a kidding kit ready to go just in case!


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

All that's needed is proper nutrition during pregnancy and a CDT shot one month prior to kidding. Nutritional needs increase in the last 40 days....just do a search on here or online and watch some kidding videos. You'll be fine 

Keep up with Selenium and copper...enough calcium and loose minerals...


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

All right, so after reading for hours about nutrition during the last part of goat pregnancy I had a complete panic because here in Alberta it doesn't seem like I can find ANYTHING for goats.

So tomorrow I'm going to the livestock vet to get Bo-Se and the other vaccinations so that we can give that this coming week. I'm going to try to find dairy ration and I've already started adding some sweet feed, alfalfa pellets and BOSS to their trough in the morning. I have a mineral block out but I'm going to see if I can find some loose mineral for cattle (or goats if someone surprises me and has it!). 

I checked eyelids this morning on the two I am sure are pregnant and they were quite pink, didn't look anaemic to me so I'll get wormer from the vet too.

I'm a little stressed!! hahaha, I'm sure we will be fine. Got some long mid forearm length gloves from work that we use in isolation rooms, got lube, got prichard nipple and bottle, milk replacer, thermometer, disinfectent. Now I just need to find colostrum and a kid/lamb feeding tube in case it is needed.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

AHHHH!!!! 
Her ligaments are gone!!!!

I'm not picking up the vaccine until Wednesday!!! What if she kids before then?

How long do you normally have once the ligaments go? 
Or can they come and go for a few weeks before the birth???

I can fit my fingers around her entire tail bone area which I couldn't do before, I can't feel any ligaments there anymore and I've been checking daily. They were soft yesterday but I figured they would stay like that for a few weeks before disappearing completely.

I'm completely freaking out now!!! hahaha


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

Are you feeling for ligaments in the right spot? Her tail seems pretty high. Mine always get sideways floppy tails before kidding. Her udder doesn't look too ready either, unless she's a late filler. Good luck


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Right at the top of the tail, where the spine meets the tailbone.... I could feel the ligaments the other day, I just couldn't feel them today. It does make sense that her tail should be floppy if the ligaments have shifted......hopefully I do have more time then!!! I'll check them again tomorrow


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I was feeling wrong for a while, until I had a friend show me. I go back from the tail about two fingers , and feel down about the same distance. The ligaments feel like pencils running the same direction as the spine


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Thanks!! That sounds like where I'm checking but I'll go by your guidelines when I go out there in a bit and see if I can feel anything


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Oh thank goodness!!! I could feel the ligaments further back, soft, but definitely there!! That's awesome because it is currently puking it down with snow here, not very fun kidding weather!!!!!
Her udder still isn't very big either so I'm hoping we still have a month ish to go


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

Glad you found them  that tail should get really floppy


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Usually you give the vaccine and BoSe about a month prior to kidding. 

Good luck!


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Well we've given the vaccine after finally getting it from the vet. They had no Bo-Se and are expecting it in tomorrow so I'll stop by and hopefully pick some up!!!


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

So we checked the udders this morning and ligaments. The dark one (Mia's) ligaments seem very soft but they were still there and udder seemed bigger than last time I checked. Came home this afternoon and it looks like her udder has gotten much bigger than earlier!! Is that even possible!? 
The opening to the vagina also looks more open to me, does this start happening in the weeks before labour? By my notes she would be due March 4th, but when I posted her pics on here everyone thought she had a month to go. 
Do does who have kidded before go quicker than first timers (like humans??)Could she bag up really quickly and BAM, lose the ligaments and kid?? She's nearly 5 years old and I know she has kidded at least once before (twins). 
I have to go into work tonight and hubby is on strict checking schedule to make sure! 
Her twin- the lighter coloured one has a big streak of mucous coming out just today. Same estimated due date. 

Neither really showing signs of labour, but the darker one has been isolating herself in the dog shed they have rather than in the shelter with the rest. 
I can see now why having an actual breeding date is handy, this is uber confusing.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Well I'm still freaking out today, I swear Mia's udder has tripled in size since yesterday morning. I've been checking on her every few hours. She now has mucous coming out from her behind. I couldn't catch her to check her ligaments.
The wind is blowing snow at 36 km/hr and it is supposed to be -30 degrees with the windchill tonight :'( I'm TERRIFIED that she's going to go into labour when I'm not here in this weather. 
I'm considering moving her into the shed where we have set up two makeshift kidding stalls out of hay bales. It isn't heated but it is out of the wind, which makes it significantly warmer than their shelter. I plan on moving all of the feed out of the shed so they can't access it and I'll have to rig up something up for water. I think I might put her twin sister in the next stall so they can "talk" to each other. I'm assuming just allowing them access between each other's stalls isn't a good idea? If Mia were to kid would Charlie hurt the kids, or could she just accidentally hurt them by stepping on them???
I hate being new at things, I have so many questions!!!


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I would say put them in the kidding stall just to make sure they don't kid outside and the kids freeze. It sure sounds like you are getting close.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

I've got them in the kidding stalls after a lot of running around in the freezing cold! 
The one doe's teats are getting very firm, ligaments are VERY squishy and I can fit my hand around her tail and her hip bones are sticking out. I'm seriously hoping she holds out until Wed/Thursday because it is supposed to warm up!!!!!
Water in both stalls and fresh hay to eat. Straw as bedding and it is out of the wind. We've checked on them every two hours so far, might check again after midnight, then again at 3am and then first thing in the am!!!! 
Got the Bo-Se from the vet today, I'll give it in the morning. Didn't want to give it at night and then leave them overnightThey gave me doses to give the kids too.


----------



## CanucksStar-17 (May 3, 2013)

She definitely looks close to me


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

And here I thought I was jumping the gun by putting them in the kidding stall......She kidded twins sometime after 11pm tonight. Twin 1 died since we weren't there to help and I think it got smothered or too cold since its -27 here tonight. 
I set an alarm to go check on her at 2am since I was paranoid about the whole thing, thank god I did or I think there would have been two dead kids in the am 

We ended up moving them into the heated floor garage because it is just TOO cold out for a little one. They both seem much happier now in the garage and baby has eaten and is sleeping


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad you found them and 1 is ok. Sorry about the one you lost.


----------



## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

girl or boy? need pictures please


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Well I am glad you moved them to the kidding stalls and check or you may have lost both. Sorry about loosing the first one but good luck with the remaining twin.


----------



## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Here are some pictures! We've been so worried we haven't taken many more. I'm hoping he'll come around today. He peed quite a bit and pooped so that MUST be a good sign right!?!?!?


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Sounds like he will be fine now that he is warmed up


----------



## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

Aww he's so cute


----------

