# Pregnant but no big belly?



## Daffodil_Dairy (Jan 27, 2015)

Hey everyone!

I have a four year old first freshener who might be bred and due in mid February. However, we aren't sure because she doesn't have a bulge on her right side. She has always seem to have a precocious udder, but in the last two weeks it has filled up drastically. Has anyone else had a doe that kidded but didn't have a much of a tummy?

We aren't sure about her due date because we pen bred her with a young buck who was still 'trying to figure it out'. But because she started building her udder around 120 days after we introduced her, we think she should be due around Feb. 14th.

Any advice is appreciated!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I highly recommend doing the blood test to confirm she is bred. Even if you are pretty sure. The piece of mind is worth the little bit of trouble.

I had a doe this year that we AI'd and she didn't come back in heat, so I figured she was probably bred. She never got the "look" that other does did that were bred at the same time or later. I did several blood tests including her and she was confirmed pregnant. Even late she never got that obvious pregnant belly. She had a nice big single buck kid.


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## springkids (Sep 12, 2013)

I would think that since her udder has filled she is most likely bred. I have a few dairy goats that never get as wide as my boers and some of my other dairy goats. They can really hide those babies. I had a doe once on first freshening that was the same way. The hubby said she would have a single kid. He was wrong she delivered triplets. As mentioned above a blood test or perhaps an ultrasound performed by the vet to confirm. Is it possible that she has a later due date?


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## MeganA19 (Dec 25, 2014)

I have one definitely due February 9th. No bulge on her right side at all. However my doe is deep, and has gotten a bit of a pot belly through out her pregnancy. I think she has more than one in there too, but we'll see. 

On top of it, the people I got my doe from weren't even sure if she was pregnant, since they NEVER saw her come into heat. The only clue was her teats were a bit more swollen (she now has a nice little udder) So I don't think you can ever really tell by looking at them.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

My Kiko doe and my Saanen/Nubian doe when they first freshened, showed NO signs that they were pregnant. Couldn't tell by looking at their stomachs (no matter HOW you looked at them, lol ) that they were pregnant. 

Only a small udder that filled up about 12 hours before they kidded  That was my only go-by sign  the silly goats!


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## MeganA19 (Dec 25, 2014)

@Cedar Points Kikos that's to funny, my OTHER doe a saanen/nubian is also pregnant and SHOULD be due on Friday. Her ligs are gone but there is NO udder. -_- Sneaky little thing. Maybe mine will be like yours, lol.


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

BTW, one of my FF does that is due Feb 26, started building her udder around Christmas to New Years. Her sister, who is due Feb 19, is BARELY doing anything in ANY kind of udder development. I know when I bred them.

Molly, the black and tan doe below, is the one due Feb 19. Her teats are just now pinking up. Her vulva has been pink since a month or so post breeding. She is barely wider than before, but is confirmed pregnant (I dropped off the blood sample a week ago tomorrow). She still bounces and bounds through taller grass, for crying out loud. 

Silvie, the flashy black and tan with white over and mixed in her coat, is the twin to Molly. She has a undeniably round belly, and has been developing an udder since Christmas or New Years. Have not blood tested her, as that belly, her udder, and her pinked up vulva say babies on board.

Bree is an unrelated doe, going on four years old, who hasn't been blood-tested either. Bred for a due date of Feb 20. However, her udder never went down after we stopped milking her in late December (5-6 weeks ago), she is as big as a barrel, and her vulva has gotten pinker and puffier and has dried on mucus. Her temper has also gotten worse. I am assuming bred with her.

Point being, even in my small herd, there is such a variety of pregnant girl looks. I only pregnancy tested Molly, as I am pretty darn sure the other two are bred, and I wanted to double check with Molly to see if she was due to the lack of udder development. It appears that the two heavily pregnant does are the type to carry deep within their ribs, due to being deeper bodied does. 

We'd love to see a recent picture of this girl if you have one.


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## Daffodil_Dairy (Jan 27, 2015)

She isn't showing any obvious labor signs yet, but her udder is becoming lopsided, so I hope that's because she's filling out one side quicker than the other!

Here's a few recent-ish pictures:


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