# Labor Signs?? First time mom and my first kidding!



## CJLFarms (Sep 7, 2016)

I bought a Boer doe at an auction on July 15th, 2016 (Today is September 7th, 2016) (I went with my neighbor to just look at stuff but saw her and fell in love), the auctioneer said she was pregnant but the owner wasn't there to answer how far along or when the breeding took place. Well, I have confirmed she is pregnant by her udder and I could see babies moving.

Now let's fast forward to now. I have her in a kidding stall (She's been in one for the past week just because I have no idea), yesterday and today she has been up and down constantly, breathing fast and heavily, her privates are poofy, ligs are gone (I see the dip on the sides of her tail head and I can feel my fingers touch when I squeeze), her stomach is shallow around the hip bones, hip bones and tail head are VERY prominent (She looks super skinny because of it but this girl eats constantly), yesterday she was grinding her teeth a lot and burping and yawning just as much, lots of chewing cud, and pooping A LOT but it's still normal poop. I have been looking up all these signs and she's doing most of them. Is she in labor??

I have not seen any mucus, but anytime I try to look she freaks out and tries to kick me and won't let me feel her udder (she acts like they do when they're trying to wean kids). 

Is it okay if she is in labor if I haven't seen any mucus? Also, her udder has gotten bigger (I take pictures of it and her girl stuff everyday to use as comparison) but it's not nearly as big as other goats I see, it's actually pretty small but she has milk. Teats seem like they have gotten bigger. Is it common for first timer's to not bag up completely until they have given birth? 
onder:

Since this is my first time I'm sort of freaking out so any help would be greatly appreciated! 
Pictures are attached, with all this rain she's muddy so I moved her into a kennel we keep in the pasture for them to go in, last night so I could let the stall dry up (washing her later today)


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Usually the udder gets huge, tight & shiny. Can you get an udder shot?


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

It's just so impossible for us to say! To me, based on those photos and especially that udder, kidding is not imminent.

All her behavior your describe tell us that the babies are growing and she is getting pretty uncomfortable at this point. 

Have you seen her arching her back or murmuring at her sides at all? 

If she has been stalled up for a week, I would definitely let her out for some exercise at least for a few hours. Movement is critical for the kids to get into birthing position.


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## CJLFarms (Sep 7, 2016)

I let her out for about 6 hours a day in the pasture (well an extended area off the barn that's fenced in) outside the stall and leave her door open, her stall is 10x10 but I still let her out daily. She stretches a lot, arching her butt more and sometimes when she's laying down she'll prop up on her elbows and stretch. I saw a lot of rolling on the right side of her stomach yesterday and the day before and online it says it's kids moving into the birth canal(?), as for talking I haven't seen it, she's not a big talker at all, the only time I've ever heard her talk since I've gotten her is when she sees me coming out with the feed bucket. She's extremely skiddish, I'll spend over an hour just trying to catch her and the past 4/5 days she's been super lovey (in the stall) and rubs against me and licks me constantly, but as soon as I let her out she's right back to her skiddish self. She looks at her stomach all the time and will stare for a few minutes but I've never heard any murmering unless it's SUPER quite.
Would the udder get huge even for a first timer? It seems like it's barely gotten any bigger in weeks. I was talking to someone I got my pygmy from and they used to have Boers as well and they said she was about 125 days along probably, which would put her at about 146 now, should it be much bigger now? Even if there's only one kid?
This is all a new experience for me, I never had goats until April and didn't get a doe until this doe and of course she had to be pregnant lol. Even if I knew when she was bred it would put my mind at ease


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

There is just no standard for udder development and without a breeding date it's all a guessing game. Some does will get a nice tight shiny udder 24 hours before kidding, others won't completely fill until they are in labor. It is all individual. All you can do is continue watching her for additional signs such as amber or clear discharge. 95% of births go off without a hitch so don't get yourself too stressed out!

I would plan to deworm her when she kids. Has she had any selenium supplementation while pregnant? (BoSE injection or selenium oral gel?)


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Good that she is getting plenty excercise.
Yes nothing is set in stone. That's why it is called The Doe Code of Honor.
My girls normally dont talk to their bellies. So when she did, I put her in stall & she kidded within a couple hrs or less.
Then there was the one who I just knew was ready. Installed her, then spent two nights with her. Every time I'd get up to leave she'd start grunting. "Hey it's time dont go away!"
Ten days later we came home from an outing & there she was out in the middle of the pen cleaning up kids.


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## CJLFarms (Sep 7, 2016)

For some reason I'm not getting emails when there's reply's and I was before. 
But I just took these about an hour ago, I still don't see much of a difference. I've let her out in the pasture for a couple days instead of putting her in the kidding stall and figured I'd just put her in when I notice more changes. One of these pictures are from yesterday (hopefully it'll let me do comments on it) but does it look like dried mucus? Also, am I in the right area for the ligaments? I've been looking at pictures and watching videos and it looks like this is the area (it's VERY soft) but I'm not sure if I'm too far down. Her udder doesn't look any different to me, but I look so much that I may not notice the difference
Sorry for all the questions


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Udder isnt there yet.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I wouldn't drive yourself crazy based on those photos. Take a good luck at her backside twice a day until you see that udder get a lot bigger.


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