# how close are they to kidding..and other questions



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

i have a herd of 9 Nubian goats. several of them are pregnant and i have no idea of a due date. they were running with the buck all year. (long story short...we built a new house and finally moved in a week before x-mas. yay!! but while the house was being built all of our goats were staying at my parents property and they were being kept together). Now that everyone is moved out to our new home with us, the buck and his wether friend have been separated out and are in their own pen. 

Several of the girls are showing signs of being pregnant. Is there any way to estimate when they are due? I know how to check for ligaments when they get really close, but I have to be able to catch them to do that. After about a year of being untouched out at my parents place the younger girls wont let me anywhere near them. the only ones i can catch without a rodeo right now are the 2 experienced milk goats. I am more worried about keeping a close eye on the first timers than the experienced moms. 

A couple of the first fresheners are developing an udder. How long before kidding do first fresheners usually get an udder? 
I will try to get some pictures of them tonight after work if I can to see what you all think.

I would also love any recommendations when it comes to deworming and copper etc. I know they haven’t been given anything out at my parents place. All of the goats are in desperate need of a hoof trim and while I do that I want to go through and deworm everyone, give them copper, and give them a dose of vitamin E/selenium gel. I don’t know how that would affect the pregnant moms though, especially since I have no idea when they are due.

any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated 
thanks


----------



## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I have a FF due the end of February, and I noticed this morning that she is starting to get an udder. That time frame is normal.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

Here are some pictures Of the 3 first fresheners that have started bagging up. Sorry the pics aren't great. It was already starting to get dark out so I only had the barn lighting. I had to throw food for them and sneak up behind them with my phone while they were eating to get the pictures. I drew a color dot on each of the pictures to make it easy to identify who is who for you guys. 

All 3 girls were born in 2015. Red and green are twin sisters. They are the 2 girls from the triplet birth when my goat Mocha had all of the complications with toxemia. I had a thread about her during her whole ordeal. 
Blue is one of the premie babies that was born from another goat of mine right before Mocha became so sick. 2015 was a crazy kidding year for us.


----------



## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

They can trick you, but they look less than two weeks from kidding.


----------



## Summersun (Apr 24, 2014)

Looks like the red dot will kid first. I would say 2 weeks to a month. Then the blue dot after her and the green dot last. But they could switch up.


----------



## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Yes, the green dot goat's vulva looks less plump--but they all look like it will be pretty soon so have your birth kit ready. So it sounds like they all got pregnant early in the breeding season, which makes sense with only 7 does for one buck?--I'm awful at math.


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I think they all could go this month.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Copper & selenium are good ideas while you are trimming those hooves. They are fine for pregnant animals and selenium is a very good idea to prevent weak kids (white muscle disease) and other complications. Also, booster their CD/T vaccinations if they haven't been already!

I would consider creating some temporary kidding pens to get the young skiddish gals contained in the next week or so in case they need assistance and for you to be able to feed and work with them more closely. 

I would check FAMACHA score while you have them caught for trimming etc. and would hold off on deworming until they kid unless their FAMACHA is very poor/anemic. I personally like to use Valbazen within 24 hours of when the doe kids at 1mL per 10lbs orally but definitely don't use that on possibly pregnant animals. The rush of hormones when they kid can make them susceptible to a parasite bloom if there is a worm load.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

*Update! First set of babies arrived*

The red dot girl (also known as Twinkle) just had her babies about 45 minutes ago. Beautiful twin bucklings. Babies and momma are doing great so far.

Now I just have to wait for the other girls to "pop". Anyone want to take a guess? It might be fun to see who gets closest to the actual kidding day. I will try to get some updated pics of the other 2 girls tomorrow so you can see how they are progressing.

Here are some pictures of our newest additions.


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Wow congrats


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Beautiful baby boys!!!!!! Congrats!!!!


----------



## StCroixUSVI (Feb 16, 2015)

Too cute!


----------



## Lisalisa89 (Oct 18, 2016)

Those are some beautiful babies!!! Between all my friends having human babies and being in this group I am growing some major baby fever but for goat lol done with the actual human kids.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

Thanks everyone! They are such sweet little bucklings. It's probably a good thing they are boys so I'm not tempted to keep them lol. 

Here are some more pics of the other 2 girls. The black one is Nova. She was the green dot girl. I think she still has a ways to go. 
The tan girl is Munchkin. She was the blue dot girl. I think she is getting really close. Her bag is visibly more full today than yesterday and her ligaments are getting real soft

Edited to add: I have no idea why a couple of the pics are sideways. They all show up right in my camera roll.


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Congrats on the boys they're cute and Munchkin looks like maybe in a week or so


----------



## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

What adorable bucklings! Love those spots! Your other goats are pretty too!


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

thanks everyone!
i checked on the goats before work this morning. 
ligaments are gone on Munchkin so i think she may be getting really close. fingers crossed we should have more babies soon.


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Oh my. They are SO stinkin' cute. I actually find myself thinking we should get Nubians again. SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!!


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

*Munchkin had her baby!*

Munchkin gave birth last night. She had 1 big healthy buckling. I didn't have to help at all. She is a very good mom so far and is taking very good care of him.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Adorable, and all the goats are nice.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Awww!  All very cute!!


----------



## Luckthebuck234 (Jul 15, 2015)

Wow, what beautiful adorable nubians. I feel like I really really need some nubians now! Hope your next doe does good too, can't wait to see what she has :-D


----------



## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Such cute babies! Pretty does, too! How is the 3rd doe doing?


----------



## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Beautiful goats! I can't wait till my Nubian have there kids!


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

Nova still looks like she has a ways to go. i will try to get another picture of her for you guys when i get the chance. 

i noticed something about the goats that i am curious about. i gave all of the goats copper boluses and selenium/vitamin E gel the first week of January. i have noticed a difference in the way they all carry their tails since then. i attached some drawings to show what im talking about (i found a goat picture online and used paint to draw the tail on).
when i brought them all home a lot of the goats were carrying their tails like the "before" picture. within a couple few days of giving copper and selenium/vitamin E all of their tails look like the "after" picture. 
has anyone else ever noticed something like this before?


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Yes, supposedly a kink mid-tail is a sign of selenium deficiency based one what I have read. But there isn't a lot of information out there on that particular sign!

Did you also start them on good loose goat minerals when you brought them home too? Just wondering because I didn't think just 1 dose of the oral selenium gel would correct a deficiency that suddenly! But the combination of loose minerals plus the oral gel might.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

SalteyLove said:


> Yes, supposedly a kink mid-tail is a sign of selenium deficiency based one what I have read. But there isn't a lot of information out there on that particular sign!
> 
> Did you also start them on good loose goat minerals when you brought them home too? Just wondering because I didn't think just 1 dose of the oral selenium gel would correct a deficiency that suddenly! But the combination of loose minerals plus the oral gel might.


thats part of what i was wondering. i didnt think i would see a difference in them so quickly. i do try to keep loose minerals out for them when possible. they were all gobbling it down like candy when i first brought them home. now they have finally backed off and are leaving it alone minus a quick munch here and there.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

Here are a couple pictures of Nova from tonight. One of the bucklings decided to photobomb the pics lol. He's such a little ham. 
She is definitely getting bigger but she's not there quite yet.


----------



## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

What adorable spotted kids! & Summer Sun was right about who would kid first! Congratulations!


----------



## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Getting closer! I just LOVE that little buckling!


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

GoatCrazy01 said:


> Getting closer! I just LOVE that little buckling!


he is a beautiful little guy. i wish he was a doe so i could keep him. he can be a little turd sometimes but he has a great personality.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

*UPDATE. Getting really close*

I think it may finally be time. Nova is showing signs that babies are getting really close. Her udder has doubled in size today and her ligaments are just about gone.

I attached a picture of her udder from week or so ago and a picture from just now. Her udder hasn't changed much at all in the last couple weeks but got huge today between the time I left for work this morning and when I got home just now. I noticed that her teats are really lopsided in size. They weren't like that yesterday or this morning. Is that something to worry about? Will they maybe even out again?


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Lopsided is normal for FFs. It should even up in time.


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

She had her baby! He arrived early this morning. Another beautiful buckling. I was really hoping for a doeling that my daughter could keep and raise for 4H but we didn't have any luck for girls this year. 

Here are mom and baby


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Congrats


----------



## Luckthebuck234 (Jul 15, 2015)

Oh my!! How gorgeous he is!!! 
And another buckling to boot :/ Sorry you didn't get a doe :tears:


----------



## Bekahbear (Jan 15, 2014)

Luckthebuck234 said:


> Oh my!! How gorgeous he is!!!
> And another buckling to boot :/ Sorry you didn't get a doe :tears:


haha thanks. its a perfect example of Murphy's law. if i had wanted a boy they all would have been girls


----------



## Luckthebuck234 (Jul 15, 2015)

True! Maybe I need to start telling the goats, "Please give me some little bucklings, girls!"


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute.


----------

