How do I know if my goat is about to kid?

[glenolam]

First...calm down!

You sound like you have a smart head on your shoulders so give yourself some credit.

Next - look over this site. www.fiascofarm.com There's a lot of useful information about kidding on there. It's a little dated and the owner no longer raises goats, but most, if not all, the information is still correct.

As for the coughing, it could be anything from nothing to pnuemonia to lung worm. Take her temperature. If it's elevated, take her to the vet for a check up. If she doesn't have one, take a look at here eye lids and compare them to the FAMACHA chart. Google FAMACHA if you're not sure what I'm talking about. If she's still fine, how's the weather there? Swampy? Dry? Is her cough only after she eats?

Now...why do you want scissors???? For the umbilical cords? You can usually just shred them with your fingernails or simply tying them with the dental floss will be sufficient. Don't waste any more $$.

ETA - has she had her CD&T vaccination yet? If not and you think she's within 4 weeks of kidding I'd give her a booster now.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

My responses in your quote are bolded.

Quote:
=======

Thank you so much. We were up most of the night with her. She's outside right now, on a lead, with another doe nearby. Food (sweet feed), water (with vitamins), alfalfa pellets, extra-large dog kennel with hay in it. Mostly laying down, getting up, etc. We think (but aren't sure) that she's close. I keep looking out the windows to check on her.

Wondering once she starts, how long from start to finish (kid)?

THANKS!

 

[glenolam]

Great job on figuring about the hay. I wouldn't take away all hay and only give her pellets, though - just trade out those bales for other, less dusty bales. Goats need hay/browse all the time; they can't simply live just on pellets.

I went back and browsed over the replies but I don't see that you metioned much about her udder......has she even started filling her bag yet? It is true that some does won't fill up until the day of or after kidding but that's not as common as does who start to fill up about a month prior. If she hasn't yet started to build and udder and you're already up everynight with her it's gonna be a long few weeks!

Do you have CD&T on hand? It's great she got her vaccination at her 'boyfriend's' house, but she's going to need a booster shortly before kidding. Some say 4-6 weeks prior and some say 1 day - 1 week prior. Since you aren't positive about when her breeding took place you can base her vaccination on her ligs/udder development. For example, I have 2 does that were with the buck for about 5 months (I, too, could never guess their heat cycles and, in addition to that, the bachelor pad these bucks were staying in was being remodeled and it took way longer than expected) so their due dates are anywhere from Feburary to June. Well, obviously they didnt' kid in Feburary or March; they just started building udders and one sister has a bigger udder than the other so I vaccinated her yesterday (I give her about 4 weeks) and didn't bother doing her sister. When she starts building more of an udder I'll vaccinate her then. As long as you vaccinate the doe no more than 6 weeks out the kids will be born with some protection and can wait until they're about 6-8 weeks old for their CD&T vaccinations.

Now, if you miss it completely there's nothing to worry about.....it just means the kids will need their vaccination around 3-4 weeks old instead and the mother should be vaccinated as soon as she kids.

I don't worm unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm one of those believers that worms are developing a resistance and want my goats to be as hardy as possible. That means unless they're showing positive signs of worms I'm not deworming them. Of course, I do deworm my does the day after kidding and follow up 10 days later - that's my only exception.

 

[chickpeaz]

Any update on your goat?

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thanks for asking!

She still shows no (gross coming ...) slime so I think she's pregnant from the second time she was with the angora. That means it will be another 2-3 weeks before she kids.

She's HUGE tho ... she had 4 last time so since she's so big, we're thinking she's gonna have 4 this time too. That would be wonderful! We're hoping at least 1 girl so we can keep her. We'll sell the rest.

I'll try to take some pix this weekend. Don't want to post them here but I'll email to anyone who e-mails me (NOT pm ... I'm about out of PM room).

Will update as I know anything.

 

[weimarmama]

I haven't posted on BYC in awhile (a lot of family stuff & busy with our goats), but everybody's given you great advice & the link that glenolam gave you has a TON of info about goats & great pictures of what a goat looks like that's close to labor. I would suggest just in case of an emergency, if you haven't already, to find a vet in your area that is experienced with goats or one that's at least willing to learn about them with you. Most vets will never treat a goat & some will never even see one their entire lives so sometimes it can be hard to find one that's willing to work with goats. But everything should be fine. Goats usually kid without any problems at all & pretty quickly, too. We had 7 kids born in January & 1 born on March 22 without any problems at all & we have another 2 does due. 1 of them is a first timer that we raised from a bottle baby (she still thinks I'm mama) so I'm planning on buying a baby monitor to put in the goat building just for her. As far as signs of impending labor, all of our goats' bags have filled out before they kidded, the ligaments loosened up, some became more standoffish or grouchy & some became friendlier, a lot of them pawed at the ground in the weeks leading up to labor, some went off their feed the morning of & some didn't, & most all of ours become more vocal. Each goat is very different & you just have to learn about what that particular goat does. We have one goat, our Alpine X named Millie, that doesn't really show any signs other than she becomes very vocal 1 day before & sounds just like an old lady screaming. We take care of my grandmother & the first time we heard it it scared us to death because we thought my grandmother had fallen in the yard because it sounded just like her.

Just relax, read up on everything to be prepared & have your supplies ready, & enjoy the kids when they get here

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thank you so much.

We are starting to relax a little bit. It's nice to know we miscalculated her due date. It's obvious it was the second time she was with the angora that she got it so now we have another 2 weeks or so. Enough time to make more adjustments to the "kidding pen" we're setting up ... just a 6x10 dog kennel but it's tarped and right in the goat pen. This doe hates to be away from her herd, so it'll be convenient.

Read the info at fiasco farm and copied a lot of info. I have my supplies in a big tub, and this week am typing lots of notes to put in a binder to go in the tub. Kinda a reference book.

I've never held a newborn goat before. We are real excited.

Didn't get a chance to take pix this weekend but who knows what I might be able to do this week.... with LOTS of things to do in the garden and mucking the goat pen and chicken coops and everything.

Thanks again.

 

[glenolam]

My goats kid right in the barn with only a cattle panel separating them from the herd. Each person is different, but I feel that they do much better in the company of their herdmates. Especially if the doe is a first freshener - sometimes the older does who've 'been there done that' will nuzzle with the FF and sorta give them pep talks.

Just to be safe, though, I would still keep a really close eye on her. I had my first experience with a doe who didn't really bag up until the minute she kid and she shocked the heck out of me - I thought she still had a few months to go. As soon as she starts acting any differently or paws the ground or any of the signs I'd move her to the kidding pen. I actually kept a baby monitor in the barn and would keep the doe in the pen at night and let her out during the day time only if she didn't look close.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thing is she paws the ground all of the time, but usually before she wants to lay down. She broke out of the kennel when we put her in too early but we haven't repaired it yet.

When I fed them this morning, she got up on the milking stanchion (which she hates!), turned around, and rubbed her butt on that head-holder-thing. Her eyes practically rolled back, she was in such ecstasy!

Afterwards I looked and she's still not "slimy". I'll continue to keep a watch.

Thanks.

 

[glenolam]

Do you know how to check ligaments? That would be a good way to check her progress. Keep in mind that goats are liars and she could have "lost her ligaments" one minute and they'll be back the next, but the more soft they are the closer she is to kidding.