Is my goat pregnant?

[cassie]

I have 2 friends with goats and I have been showing them pics and they both said the same thing. I don't think she pregnant myself. But the lady we got her from said she "knows" she pregnant. I have no idea how she knows when she's can't even tell me when she was last in heat. I told my husband I'm giving her a few more weeks and if something doesn't change I will be giving her a call because I bought a pregnant goat not a maybe pregnant goat.

I don't know where you live or what in the way of veterinary services is available to you, but one option would be to have an ultrasound done. That would tell you for sure. Whether it is feasible from an economic standpoint is another thing. I am sending you a Private Message of some other things you might consider.

 

[cassie]

I am having trouble sending you a private message. PM me and I will respond.

 

[cassie]

Oh phooey!! Since I cannot send you a private message, I will just go ahead and post to the forum. What could it hurt?

I really do not like to be the bearer of bad news, and I hope I am wrong, but that discharge could be a sign of a uterine infection. If that is the case it would be the reason why the doe, even though she was living with the buck, is not pregnant. If the infection is serious, that doe may not ever breed again. Please understand that I am not saying that this is the case, but it is something to consider.

Meanwhile you might check into what you have to do to file a claim in Small Claims Court. To sum it up: you bought a doe guaranteed to be pregnant, she is not pregnant, and she may not breed again. One other thing. Is the person you bought the goat from a member of the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA)? If she is, if necessary, I can help you file a complaint if it comes to that. I am not a big wheel in ADGA but I know people who are.

 

[NatJ]

Meanwhile you might check into what you have to do to file a claim in Small Claims Court. To sum it up: you bought a doe guaranteed to be pregnant, she is not pregnant, and she may not breed again. One other thing. Is the person you bought the goat from a member of the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA)? If she is, if necessary, I can help you file a complaint if it comes to that. I am not a big wheel in ADGA but I know people who are.

Or wait an appropriate amount of time, and talk to the seller again, before resorting to any of those ideas. If a nice request will get a refund or partial refund, there is no need to escalate things over what is probably an honest mistake on the part of the seller.

I told my husband I'm giving her a few more weeks and if something doesn't change I will be giving her a call because I bought a pregnant goat not a maybe pregnant goat.

That sounds like a good plan to me!

 

[cassie]

Or wait an appropriate amount of time, and talk to the seller again, before resorting to any of those ideas. If a nice request will get a refund or partial refund, there is no need to escalate things over what is probably an honest mistake on the part of the seller.


That sounds like a good plan to me!

I wasn't suggesting the OP do anything immediately, but to take some time now to learn what options may be available. That is why I tried to send this post as a private message. It is only because I couldn't that I posted it on the forum.

I'm curious. Just what do you consider to be an appropriate amount of time? This goat was sold as due to kid very shortly after the OP bought her. That obviously didn't happen. It is my understanding that the doe was kept penned with the buck. Average breeding season for dairy goats is from about September through February. I have had some does breed in August and a few, not many, breed in March. The very latest this doe is likely to kid would be in August. This is almost July. If she is going to kid in August she should be showing at least some subtle signs of pregnancy by now and she isn't. The breeder may have made an honest mistake. I have no reason to think otherwise. The breeder should definitely be given an opportunity to make things right. It is up the OP to decide when is the right time to approach the breeder and what a fair settlement would be. I was just suggesting that she take this time to learn what her options are before she talks to the breeder.

One thing that concerns me is that this doe was pen bred, not hand bred. If she was hand bred it would be possible to miss it if she returned in heat. This doe was kept with the buck. Apparently she didn't settle. The reason she didn't settle is what would worry me, particularly since she has a persistent discharge.

 

[NatJ]

I wasn't suggesting the OP do anything immediately, but to take some time now to learn what options may be available.

Ah, that makes more sense. I thought you meant to start doing something with those options right away.

I'm curious. Just what do you consider to be an appropriate amount of time? This goat was sold as due to kid very shortly after the OP bought her. That obviously didn't happen.

Probably another week or so and then call the seller again. Alternately, get a pregnancy test or talk to a vet, and call the seller as soon as the results are available.

I know someone with a goat who was told it would would kid "any day" (according to an experienced goat keeper who saw the animal in person.) It actually took about two weeks. So I can easily believe that "any day" might be two to three weeks, even if the goat was nearing the end of pregnancy and the seller was experienced with goats.

(I cannot tell a pregnant goat by looking, so I'm mostly going by "seller said due any day" and "buyer doesn't think it looks pregnant.")

 

[two j farm]

Thank you both for the information. I have thought about a blood test to see if she's pregnant, I may just give my vet a call tomorrow and see wait she thinks I should do at this point. A few people I have talked to said most owners know their goats and if they are pregnant and some goats hind it well, but due any day should be showing some signs I would think. I think she just thought the goat was pregnant because she can't give me a date now that I think she's not. I will be ask for some money back if she's not pregnant.

Just to add she's hasn't had anymore discharge.

 

[cassie]

Thank you both for the information. I have thought about a blood test to see if she's pregnant, I may just give my vet a call tomorrow and see wait she thinks I should do at this point. A few people I have talked to said most owners know their goats and if they are pregnant and some goats hind it well, but due any day should be showing some signs I would think. I think she just thought the goat was pregnant because she can't give me a date now that I think she's not. I will be ask for some money back if she's not pregnant.

Just to add she's hasn't had anymore discharge.

Goats do not read the books and with them anything is possible. However, even goats that "hide it well" if pregnant will show signs of life at the top of the rear udder. This goat, I am sorry to say, isn't. The changes in the rear udder are easy to miss if you aren't looking for them.

 

[cassie]

Thank you both for the information. I have thought about a blood test to see if she's pregnant, I may just give my vet a call tomorrow and see wait she thinks I should do at this point. A few people I have talked to said most owners know their goats and if they are pregnant and some goats hind it well, but due any day should be showing some signs I would think. I think she just thought the goat was pregnant because she can't give me a date now that I think she's not. I will be ask for some money back if she's not pregnant.

Just to add she's hasn't had anymore discharge.

Does the vet clinic have a sonogram or someone that comes in periodically with one? Something to consider. If you are going to the vet anyway, ask about getting a culture of the discharge if she has it again. The vet can give you a sterile vial and tell you how to collect the sample.

 

[TheDuckGuy]

Does the vet clinic have a sonogram or someone that comes in periodically with one? Something to consider. If you are going to the vet anyway, ask about getting a culture of the discharge if she has it again. The vet can give you a sterile vial and tell you how to collect the sample.

This has stressed me out IS SHE PREGNANT OR NOT