# Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid)



## Jekka_Lynn

I have a nanny named Gracie who is 5 month pregnant but i'm not sure her exact due date. I went online to look for signs of labor on Thursday when I noticed her stretching a lot and wagging her tail funny, I looked and there was mucous but I don't understand the ligament check. They are softer then my other nanny, Goober, but she is preggers also, we think she is due a few weeks after Gracie. Gracie is hard as a rock on one side of her other with nothing in the other and her udder is tiny, we don't know what breed she is and we think this is only her second time having a baby. Thursday I swore she was having contractions but then she stopped. She was eating and pooping normally all day. This morning before work she didn't eat normally and she looks twice as fat today, the baby is in a totally different position. When I got home from work she didn't eat the grain I offered her and she kept following me around and called to me when I left the barn. Right before I left she pooped but it was less then half of what she normally poops and it was really soft and not formed into balls at all. I have helped dogs, cats, horses, and cows give birth and I know that not eating, and soft small poop is a sign that they will have the baby soon in all of them so i'm assuming it is the same with Gracie but I'm not sure what other signs to look for or when she will have it based on those signs.She is looking at her belly also and she keeps burping. At first I thought she was grinding her teeth cause I kept hearing grumbling but then I realized she is burping...a lot...cie was my first ever goat and is my Queen of the herd and my own personal darling. Goober was raised by all men so prefers my hubby to me most of the time and Robyn is a wild thing who is just starting to accept people touching her, but Gracie comes running whenever she sees me and cuddles right up to me and rubs her face against my hand if I don't pet her and closes her eyes and just lays her head in my hands when I pet her and tries to groom me when I scratch her back and has always been my baby so i'm just as worried about loosing her as I am about loosing the baby.... Last night she seemed to be lying down peacefully enough and wasn't pushing at all so me and hubby went to bed then got up to check her in 2 hours. We checked her every two hours...well my hubby checked her. I woke up the first time but slept through it the next time the alarm went off. Which is crazy because usually someone opening the door of my bedroom is enough to wake me up completely. Still no babies and I had to work this morning. Thankfully either my hubby, brother-in-law, or father-in-law are going to be there all morning keeping an eye on her for me. Yesterday the babies had moved and she looked WAY fatter, the babies where being carried kinda high in her sides. Today after I got home from work the babies have dropped. Her belly is hanging down and her sides are sunk in. Also she yawns a lot.


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

its all prelabor stuff - nothing to worry about.

she sounds like she will go any time now or wait a couple days - its really up to the individual doe how fast she will go from prelabor to active labor.


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## liz

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

Yep...she's getting ready! Could be tonight, tomorrow or even the next 3-4 days, if you don't see her pushing or in distress all is well. You will definately know when she's ready, as close to you as she is, she just might wait til you are with her to deliver.


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

I wondered about that but she tends to just go to sleep when I am there.


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## liz

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

She's just getting ready, I had a very special, close to my heart doe that actually grabbed my pantleg to get me to follow her to her stall when she was ready to deliver for the first time. It is wonderful that she feels secure with you....a special goatie for sure!


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## toth boer goats

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

I agree with the others.... :hug:


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

*Sigh* Still no babies but she is stretching constantly and yawning a lot.


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## toth boer goats

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

That is Normal... :hug: :wink:


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

Okay so today the babies have dropped down so far she barely looks pregnant but she is eating grain like crazy and pooping/peeing regularly, maybe a little less drinking. She is stretching constantly though, like every few minutes and yawning a lot.... does this mean she is close? She is kinda jumpy too, when I walked into the barn she sprang to her feet and ran away from me (first time she has ever done that) then turned and stared around at anything that made noise or moved. Her eyes where HUGE. I talked to her and she calmed down and went to eat the grain I gave her but she is normally only upset by dogs coming near her, anything else is okay. I just checked her again and I talked to her before I came into site but she still sat up with her front legs straight and checked everything out for a minute or two before she relaxed and lay back down. Yesterday she had picked a spot to sleep up against the gate separating her from the other goats. Last night she started laying on the other side as far away from the other goats as she could get. Today she made herself a nest out of her hay in the farthest corner form the other goats and where she can see anyone who comes in through the barn door. So I gave her more hay because she had lain on it all she ate a little bit so I went back inside. When I went to check on her again just now she had added it to her nest. She is chewing her cud and didn't get up when I came in other then to sit up and check to see that everything was normal. She seems really focussed on something but she doesn't seem to be straining and her hind legs are tucked up against her side like usual.


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## crocee

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

Sounds like babies soon.


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

What I'm trying to figure out is how soon. Should I skip church which I would have to leave now for and would be gone 3 hours? Or do you not think it will be that soon? She is shewing her cud...at least I think she is...she is burping a lot and keeps swallowing.


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## crocee

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

I would go ahead and go to church. If she has a huge string of "snot" reaching to the ground it will be within 6 hours.


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

No string but Hubby isn't done making lunch, lol, he didn't realize how late it was getting and just started a bit ago so we will be missing church anyways. Is there always a string 6 hours before they give birth?


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## PattiXmas

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

This was our first year to have kids as well. The long string of snot is a real nasty mucous looking thing. Snow did eat up until she kidded, she only stopped eating while in "labor". She was eating soon after as well.

We noticed that the bigger the hollows, the sooner she was getting. She hadn't looked "real dairy" until she really was close. Her hip bones were visible and she appeared "skinny".

I think it was about 4 to 5 hours after she started stringing, that she started laying down and doing little "grunts" before the "bubble" appeared. The bubble was only visible for a few seconds, as she was laying down and soon out came an amber color of stuff. After that, the real labor began.

It is scary, and we were scared but were amazed at how "natural" and automatic your mind gets. It was almost like we knew instantly what to do. Fortunately, she presented correctly, first one tiny white hoof and then the next. After that every time she contracted we would gently pull one foot and then the other. Next thing you knew, we had a nose with a tiny pink tongue sticking out. That she really got down to business and with our help pulling on Eve, she practically popped right out. We had a bit of a scare when she first had her little hooves out, as she was kicking and squirming and then suddenly stopped. The kids were with us, and I got a bit afraid that Eve had passed away as the kids were saying that she was alive because she was kicking and then they both got quiet. Fortunately every thing turned out fine, and I am sure you will have no problem. This board has been a wealth of information - much better then my vets or our 4H leaders.


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## toth boer goats

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

she is definitely getting close....usually when does refuse to eat... is when the real labor begins..... It is so hard to tell ...exactly what hour does will kid ....but she to me... if the babies dropped from her sides...the babies are on the way... to the birth canal.... :wink: :hug:


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

She stopped eating when she was repositioning them but then she started eating grain again, she still isn't much into the hay but is eating a bit.


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

no not every goat gets a mucus "string" but if you see it then its a good indication kidding will happen within 12 hours


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

:sigh: in other words she could have her baby at anytime with no warning at all....so this isn't helping my stress level's any


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

have you checked her ligaments? what does her udder look like?

YOu can know when she will kid according to these two things 99% of the time


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

on my website I have links and pictures and links to my videos on goats from heat to birth

http://www.endofthelinefarm.com/fromheattobirth.htm


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

Stacey I am a member of two goat sites and I was wondering if I could post that link and the other site I visit.


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

you want to post what link?


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

For your website thing with the video's


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## StaceyRosado

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

of course you can use anything on my website that is informational and pass it onto others


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## Jekka_Lynn

*Re: Pregnant nanny acting funny (she is my first goat to kid*

thank you


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## Dakotahoss1

*Same kinda issues new goat owner please help!!!*

So I believe that my nanny is getting close. I have the billy an two other does. Yesterday I noticed my billy was extremely interested in my "believed" preggo nanny. He was trying to mount her again ad she was running away. She's definitely acting differently. I'm still really new to all of this. Please help me haha


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## Di

Good Morning! And Welcome to TGS. I was a little confused when I was reading this post and looked at the date! You could start a new topic and probably get more replies.

First off, if your buck is with your does, you should move him out. He will try to breed the doe's and that can cause stress and they don't need that now. You don't want him stepping on babies when they are just born, and he will try to breed the doe as soon as she kids. So, let's get him out of there...he is not welcome.

Ok, if you are a total newbie you should watch some goat births...here is a website that has them...with a tutorial www.fiascofarm.com.

There are many signs of impending labor in goats. Learn how to check for the ligaments (there is a "sticky" with that info), it's more of a pressing down move.

Your doe will make a nest, scratch, scratch, lay down, get up, scratch, scratch, etc., Her udder will suddenly enlarge and look shiny, tight. Her "topline" will rise up a little, toward the tail. Her "cha cha" will elongate, and look loose. It may spread open a little, and look puffy. She may start to have "discharge" when it starts to look like "streaming gooh" she's ready.

She may continue to eat or not. She may look at her stomach and start talking to it. She may get very attached to you, licking and grooming you. But, she will start to segregate herself from the herd as time approaches.

95% of goat births go smoothly, with little help from humans. However, that other 5% can be tricky. Your birthing kit should include some latex(nitrile) gloves. You may have to "go in" and check on her progress. Sometimes, you have to "rearrange" things inside...especially with the smaller goats. Don't be afraid! But, recognize early if you can't get the kid out and call the vet! The sooner the vet can get a stuck kid out the easier it is and a better outcome. We've had 2 c-sections here, saved 1 kid, lost the other, both does OK.

You will need lots of towels. Get the kids face cleaned off first, clear the airway. Snip cord, disinfect cord stump.

If your goat is in labor and not progressing, don't wait, do an internal check. Should have 2 feet and a head, in "diving" position, you can usually get them out with just the head or head and 1 foot. If you only see feet, check to see if they are front or back feet (back feet, toes point down), get a breech kid out quickly! Just front feet? Go find the head, get it in position (DON'T LET GO OF IT!), bring it out. Always pull WITH the contraction.

Maybe a mod can move this to your own topic. Keep us updated, and we love pictures! Good luck!


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## ThreeHavens

I agree, watch goat births. I would also get some TUMS in her for calcium.


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## liz

Dakotahoss1 said:


> So I believe that my nanny is getting close. I have the billy an two other does. Yesterday I noticed my billy was extremely interested in my "believed" preggo nanny. He was trying to mount her again ad she was running away. She's definitely acting differently. I'm still really new to all of this. Please help me haha


Yes...please start a new thread in Kidding Koral

Posting questions on old threads won't get you the replies, if you start a new one, I can merge any replies to_ your_ questions :thumpup:


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