# Hope's Waiting Thread...



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Hope is a FTF who turned one year young on January 8th.








She is 50% Oberhasli, 50% Nubian. 
Bred to an AWESOME Alpine buck that belongs to an even MORE awesome friend.
She is carrying wide, and Low...

Due-Date: April 16th.:baby:
38 Days Remaining...

:think: Any Guesses on the number of kids, colors, and genders? :shrug:

PS: Waiting is hard! :coffee2: (Though not as hard as last year! LoL)
To be honest though, I am REALLY nervous about this years kidding. All 3 does are FTF's. I can only hope that everything goes smoothly for all 3 of them!!! ray:


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm gunna guess buck/doe twins for her


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

And there it is!
The growing little udder! 
Only 29 days to due-date!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Nice little udder! Good luck!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

18 days left and counting! 
Udder is significantly larger now.
Ligaments are much softer.
One thing has me worried.... Her teats are SO flipping teeny TINY!
The length is fine, but the width has me worried. They are smaller than my pinky! LoL
If I leave babies on Mama instead of bottle-feeding (which I prefer to do), will the kids suckling make the teats larger?
Or am I doomed to have to hand milk out of those midget things!? LOL


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Getting closer! The kids will help but it will be over the years that they get bigger.


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## Maureen (Jul 6, 2012)

Any pictures of the buck? 

Waiting is hard. 

Good luck!


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## dsturgiss (Feb 10, 2014)

awww she is cute! i have a FF who is oberhasli/nubian as well. I think she is due soon...it was a opps pregnancy! Good luck to you and I hope all goes well!!


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

She's a pretty little doe! I'm guessing twins as well. Good luck with all your ffs, they can be worrisome!
Btw now you got me worried, my yearling bred doe looks WAY smaller than other ffs I've seen on here :/ ....


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I have 2 other FF's due right after Hope (one 10 days later, and the other 7 days after that), and they are smaller than her. They have me worried as well. The smallest one (Sage) I swear, doesn't even look pregnant! I swear she has a single kid in there, and that has me REALLY worried! 
Not to mention, neither of them has an udder to speak of! It's frustrating and nerve wrecking!!! Only Hope seems to be doing what she's SUPPOSED to! LOL

I really wish I didn't have to breed them to get milk. Kidding Season is always so stressful for me! Eeeek!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

If it makes you feel any better, Ginger had little to no udder - then a few days before delivery BOOM, milk. :laugh: And she delivered by herself. 

I know how you feel, though! That's why we're aiming to milk through who we can.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks! That does make me feel better. 
And I feel lucky, because the mother of Sage and Penny, as well as the grandmother, are really good milkers.
I have not bred Chloe (the mom) for this spring's kidding due to various reasons.
1) She had a hard kidding last spring, and I felt she needed a year off...
2) I was NOT going to EVER go without milk EVER again! (I almost died last time! No! Really! I was going BONKERS!)
And 3).... I really want to see if she will milk for 2 years at a solid gallon a day, like her mother did... She has so far been milking for a year, and still going STRONG, delivering a steady gallon a day... 
I am hoping for those fantastic capabilities to be passed on to her daughters!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Here are some updated Pics. 14 days remaining!
I feel SO bad for her! Even though she doesn't look it from the pictures, she is so heavy that she fell back on her hind legs, and is walking on the backs of her hooves! 
You can see how bad her back feet are in the last photo!!! 
And she spends 90% of her day laying down. (unless food is involved! At that point I don't think she would care if all 4 of her legs were broken! She would DRAG herself using her TEETH if she had to to get to it!!! LoL) 
We pumped her full of Selenium / Vit E, and Copper before kidding, but it breaks my heart to see her so uncomfortable! I'm thinking if she's going to have twins, they're going to be some BIG kiddos!
She is larger than Chloe was when she was carrying triplets! :shock:
I just pray that her feet are going to go back to the way they used to be!


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I don't see the pictures.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Pretty girl! Good luck!


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## FriendlyFainterFarm (Mar 2, 2014)

She is very pretty  Good luck!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Oh poor thing. Mine did that too a little this year.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks guys.  I'm hoping for an easy kidding too.
Does anyone happen to know how long it will take for their feet to straighten back out again after they kid? I can't stand seeing her feet like that.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

11 days left...
Anyone know when I should start watching her like a hawk???


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I feel like you've already been watching her like a hawk; I guess now it means you'll be sleeping with her lol!
Look for nesting and pacing, disinterest in feed, mushy ligaments and a tight shiny bag. She will also "drop" her kids, and when you see streaming amber discharge , it means labor is beginning.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

LOL thanks canyontrailgoats. 
I have been thru kidding a few times with various does, so I know what to look for there, just wondering how many days prior to the due-date I should start "Sleeping" in the goat house! (Yes! I am planning on it! LOL)

Hi. I'm Ash, and I'm a Goat-O-Holic!
Yes, I've come to terms with my addiction! LoL


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## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

I have at least 1 doe that is due in 11 days as well! Mine likes to lie down ALOT, until it's dinner time...then she is right up there pushing her way to the feed dish, lol. I have a baby monitor on in the house so I can listen during the night. And I am outside lots during the day checking. Seriously, if there was room in the shelter for a cot, I would be bunking in with my girls as well, haha...but the weather is still to chilly at night. Good luck and happy kidding!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I just purchased a Video Baby monitor set on eBay! LoL
This is the one I got: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-4CH-2-4...or-/190647982339?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120

I paid for 1-day shipping, and it should be here Monday!
I'm going to be watching her 24/7! Sleeping either in the Goat house, or on the couch in the living room! (or both!)

2 more FF Does to follow her! Should be an interesting, sleepless month! Eek!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

8 days left...
Monitor arrived today too! Yay!
What's the soonest she can pop?
I going to lend the monitor to a friend whose doe is a day overdue... I hope I dont miss my own kidding!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

How's she doing?


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Doing well with 7 days to go. 
Eek!
My best friends favorite Doe gave birth to two bucklings around 2pm. One of them is just about the cutest thing EVER! I mean, WOW!
I will have to take some photos and post them.
It was sad though, and broke my heart, because she really, REALLY wanted a doeling out of that goat. And I really, REALLY wanted her to have one!
She only has 2 dairy goats, and now both of her does had twin bucklings this year, so that's a double disappointment.
However, me and her had an agreement. One she CAN'T back out of! I wanted to gift her a bred Doe for her Birthday in March, but she would not accept her, saying she was my best doe, and I spent all that time raising her, breeding her, etc.... So we agreed that if Oasis (her baby, the one that just kidded), did NOT give her a doeling, then I would GIFT her a doeling that was born at MY place! Ha! So now I am going to give her one of the doelings born to one of my 3 does (if I am lucky enough to have one born).
Seems like there are a LOT of bucks being born this year!

In turn, I am getting one of the bucklings born to her doe (the really adorable one). A Half brother to Chloe, my main milker, and oddly enough, also a half brother . 
He is 50% Oberhasli, 25% Alpine, and 25% Nubian. I wish I could explain his coloring, but I can't. He's beautiful though! He's got a Steel-Grey front, with a black undercoat, is Jet-Black in the back, with a black dorsal stripe, and a tiny white spot that looks like a paint splatter on his back, just a bit after the jet-black coloring starts. He is Really adorable!  I've been thinking a lot about getting a buckling for a pack-wether, since I want to start doing a LOT of hiking over the next few years with my kids, and I think I found him! 
He was going to be one of our meat-goats, but I just fell head over heels in love with the little chipmunk, and can't let him get eaten! So I begged, and begged, and now he's going to be my new (and first) pack wether! Woo Hoo! 

Now to wait for Miss Hope to POP.!!!
7 Days and counting!
According to my research, they can safely "pop" anywhere from 143 days, to 157. Since she is on day 143, her countdown starts TODAY!
Cameras installed, and she is on Watch!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

good luck! you're going to have to take pictures of your new pack wether!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I am SO going to have to take pics of him!  He is just too cute to toot! 
I am also going to try to 'trick' Hope into accepting him as her own kid by covering him with her afterbirth as soon as her kids are born... (my friend will bring him over as soon as Hope goes into labor) He will be a week old when Hope's kids are born, and if she accepts him, it will be easier to integrate him into my tiny herd...
I was determined NOT to keep any kids this year, considering I have all the milking goats I can handle at the moment, but now I am going to have to keep another kid as a companion to the little dumpling. Can't have the little dude grow up a lone kid!
Who knows, perhaps I am going to fall in love with another little boy, and will end up with 2 pack wethers! LoL

My friend told me that Hope is close to her heart, so I am REALLY hoping that Hope gives me a daughter (or two) to gift to my friend! (If Hope has 2 girls, I am going to give her both of them!)

6 Days left.... Urgh... 
So far, there is a LOT of laying down, and even more 'cud-chewing'. LoL
I feel bad for my beloved Hope. She is dangling at the bottom of the food-chain, even though she is the biggest doe in my little herd of 4... LoL She was such a little fire-ball as a kid.... Who knew she would turn out to be such docile, sweet little love-bug!  She is just SUCH a sweetie pie!
I don't even want to go to sleep. I just want to sit there, glued to the screen, watching her. I do NOT want to miss her kidding! (even though it is only day 144, and I am sure we have a ways to go still...)

Tomorrow we are cleaning the Goat House, and separating half of it into a 'birthing' area...

This whole FF thing is stressing me out SO much!!!
I am Cool-Beans with does that have kidded before, but the first-timers make me nervous as heck!!!!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Got some pics of my the little guy that I am bringing home from my friends house. He is SO freakishly adorable! I have named him Amander! 
He looks white in the photos, but he's actually a really cool steel-grey color with the black... 
Going to start a new thread on him. LoL

Back to Waiting on Hope!!! 4 Days remaining til Due-Date!

Please, please Pray for Doelings for me you guys! I desperately want to Gift a Doeling (or two) to my friend. I know her heart was crushed when all she got this year from her does were bucklings!


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

what a cute little guy!!! 

thinking pink for you.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## kenzie (Sep 22, 2013)

Hes soo cute!


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

2 Days left...
Ligaments are gone. Kids appear to have dropped. Udder is nice and full, though not tight yet. I am LOVING that udder, it's nice and big, and even the teats are getting bigger!  Not too shabby for a first-timer. 
She is getting Restless, and can't seem to stay in one place for longer then a few minutes. Eating like a piglet though! 
A few minutes ago I went out to check on her, and she had a white-ish colored discharge. Like Vanilla pudding...
I ran to get my camera, and she rolled in the hay, so the discharge was gone. Bummer...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Hopefully she will give birth at a decent hour for you.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Well considering I am staying up all night and watching her on my baby monitor-camera thingy, she can kid any time. I have a helper on stand-by as well.  She is coming over as soon as I see labor start.


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## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

happy kidding!


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## oakshirefarms (Jul 5, 2013)

Our Skye seems to be behaving in a very similar manner to Hope. Can't wait to hear what happens. Will keep her in our thoughts and be thinking pink as well! Best of luck.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Due-Date is tomorrow...
She's driving us NUTS!!! We've been up for days staring at the monitor! I want to rip my hair out! LOL But mostly, I just wanna sleep!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

My friend asks for volunteers to help 'hold and squeeze' to get them kids out! LoL


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Tell her you are going to take a nap. Maybe she will kid then.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Tried it. She didn't fall for it. LOL
She's had stringy discharge since yesterday. Kids have dropped. Ligaments are gone. Udder is FULL. She is up and down every few minutes, and just to keep things interesting, and to make absolutely certain she keeps us awake and on our toes ALL flipping night, she occasionally paws at the ground, and gives a long yawn!!! LOL
Pain in the BUM is what she is!
She is SOOOOO lucky I love her so much! Or I would slap her!


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## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

Mine hollered at me ALL day and as soon as I went in to see what was going on, she shut up. Then when I left, she would start again. I was ready to through the monitor out the window lol. Ligs are gone here too, mushy, babies have dropped and a little bit more clear mucus. All I hear now is cud chewing haha


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

15 minutes after I posted here she went into active labor. Half an hour later we have twin kids. Doe/Buck. Healthy and happy!!!!!
She dropped the second at 4:30pm, and it's 7:00 now. No progress on the afterbirth yet. When should I start to worry???


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## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

congratulations!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Ok. Afterbirth passed with some serious udder massage. We got over 2 quarts of colostrum. Gave some to the kids. Froze the rest for emergencies.
Will post a birth announcement on these 2.


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## FriendlyFainterFarm (Mar 2, 2014)

Congrats


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