Pics included! Cinnamon is pregnant!

[Duck Keeper]

I've been watching Cinnamon (Boer/Nubian mix) and Tansy (Boer... uhh... something) like a hawk since I noticed their udders enlarging a few days ago, still no milk or anything though.
Checking their tail ligaments and such at least twice a day, they're still firm.

Cinnamon is nice and wide, looks like she's pregnant, but this is my first round ever of goat births, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect. I've always read that goats are pretty much wide no matter what..?

Tansy was a little on the thin side so I've been feeding them half goat pellets and half CalfManna pellets for about two weeks or so now twice a day, she's gaining more weight and looking better.

Any advice?
I already had to suffer through finding one doe dead one morning of what I suspect was pregnancy toxemia or ketosis. She was thin. Now I've been keeping better track of their weight and feeling a bit paranoid about losing any others. I love 'em, the crazy little buggers... If I had known ahead of time what to do for Nutmeg, I would have been on top of the situation way faster than it took me.

ETA: Gave them a shot of CD/T today, hopefully it's in the four week window so it's passed down to their kids (if they are pregnant).


Update: Cinnamon has babies in there!

Something kicked me five or six times while she was laying down with my hand on the side sticking up/her right side.

 

[Peaches Lee]

I am by no means a goat expert, however I will share my experience of having a naughty little goat. Said little goat was eating extremely rich second-cutting alfalfa hay--well, lo and behold she developed a bag and later on produced MILK!! She was not pregnant as we have no bucks (or even goats for that matter) in our entire neighborhood. So what I'm saying is, they can definitely have an udder AND produce milk even if not exposed to a buck. And yes, my goat is very fat.

If you are uncertain if your goats are expecting, I would treat them as if they were to be precautionary. But hopefully more experienced goat peeps will chime in.

 

[Duck Keeper]

They unfortunately ran with a buck from the time they arrived here in June (Tansy anyway. Cinnamon came along in October). He was just little (all of my goats were born March of last year) and grew up alongside the girls, but if they did get bred, I wouldn't know when.

I have no clue when to expect kids, if any at all.

So I'm pretty much just treating them like they are pregnant, but assuming they aren't so I don't get my hopes up.

That's really weird for her to lactate spontaneously like that! But hey, free milk!

And no stinky buck smell.

EDIT: Tomahawk (buck) met his maker on January 1st this year.

So I could be expecting kids all the way into early June..?

 

[Lifesong Farm]

If they are developing udders then they are preg and due anywhere from tomorrow to a month. Keep an eye out for reddish snotty looking stuff arounf the tail and anus. That is the plug. After they lose that then its a day to three days with my goats.

Your issue with your doe that died is prob hypocalcemia. I had a doe with it and didn't know it ill it was to late. Between that and an incompetent vet I lost her and a kid. Saved one kid and just had a doe give me two today. I have one more to go and I am keeping an eye on her because she started to develope an udder 2 weeks ago.

Are the others still fat and sassy or are they dropping weight also? If they are boost their calcium intake.

Another thing to watch for is just before they kid they get an indention just in front of their back legs. That happens because the baby/ies have moved and are ready.

Eta another indicator is the ligaments. Just like horses when the ligaments on the tail go mushy they are ready. They are found about an inch or so from where the tail meets the body up towards the back. (Hope I explained that. It is easier to show.) There is one on each side that extens out from the spine.

 

[Duck Keeper]

I'm going to get some alfalfa for them very soon, and I've been checking their ligaments fanatically since I noticed the udder development...
But here's the kicker - literally.

Cinnamon came by me while I was sitting in the pasture today and lay down next to me with her big ol' belly sticking out. Every time she exhaled she would "ehh" a little/make some sort of noise. (Poor Nutmeg did this too a long time before she died, but she never gave birth)
I felt up her huge stomach and felt this little bump... Which then promptly withdrew from my touch and proceeded to kick me about six times!!

IM SO EXCITED.

This thread could quickly turn into a "waiting and watching" type thing.

I can only assume that Tansy must be pregnant too - which would explain the udder growth - but she was wild when I got her. She's come around and likes me now, but refuses to let anyone "molest" her... Unless she's tied up and can't move, but even then I'm sure she would protest.


Edit: Cinnamon has never had a problem with her weight, but Tansy has always been scrawny for a Boer, even if she DOES have something else mixed in. She's been gaining weight slowly with the CalfManna pellets added to her regular feed. I'm going to go back to sweetfeed once their current plain rations are gone.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

If the buck has been gone since New Years Day then you can expect babes no later than the end of May first week of June. It takes 5 months or 155 days -/+ 2 usually. I'd get them on loose minerals if they don't have them yet. I did not see you mention that, and have free choice baking soda for them also. They need a good hay and the alfalfa is a good idea. To have healthy babies and produce enough milk for them their nutrition needs special care taken in the next several weeks. Sounds like you should be expecting some kids soon though

Congrats! Here is a handy website to teach you what to expect if you don't already know www.fiascofarm.com

 

[Duck Keeper]

Aha, yes, fiascofarm.

I'll get some minerals out there tomorrow, but I only have a little left! Need to get more then.
As for baking soda, I'll have to throw some of that out too, since I know they'll eat it if their bellies get upset.

Okay so... List so far is Alfalfa, loose minerals, and baking soda. Anything else?
Besides some random kidding kit items I still need to gather together.

Thanks everyone!

Edit: They have free-choice hay from several round bales that were originally bought right at the start of winter (and kept covered under a tarp) to get them through... Turns out they didn't even really eat two whole ones! So I'm not too worried about the hay, just about them getting enough GOOD stuff while they need it the most.

Ironically, they prefer the coarser, older bale to the nice, leafy hay the guy I bought it from was selling to people for their horses... Hmm.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it

We expect pics ya know when the goaties pop

 

[Duck Keeper]

Absolutely!

I'm going to put up a pic of her big bus sized middle when I can get around to it.

She's funny, when she happens to bite/scratch herself like they do, she's saying the whole time "Mmhmrrmmmhhmmm"


I don't know what to expect color-wise... Tomahawk (buck) was a traditional black-headed Boer, and Cinnamon is just a plain mottled/agouti/flea-bitten brown with a dark dorsal stripe and a white sock on one foot. Her dad was a spotty Nubian, so I'm really hoping for spots, but that probably won't happen.

 

[glenolam]

I give my pregnant does a mixture that's made of a 50# bag of regular lactating goat grain (not sweetened!), about 25# of alfalfa pellets, and about 12-13# calf manna. It's done wonders to my girls and helped produce healthy happy babies so far this year.

I also offer minerals free choice, but I don't offer baking soda free choice. Mine ignore it most of the time and it gets all clumpy and nasty. I usually save the baking soda for emergencies or if a goat seems to need a little rumen soothing.

If Tansy is still a tad on the thin side, separate her during feeding time and increase her grain ration. If you are feeding them through the community method you have no way of knowing if Cinnamon is taking all the grain leaving Tansy with very little.

My goats also prefer the more coarse hay over the finer stuff - I've read that type is "hotter" and fills them up. Creates less waste for my goats, too, as they don't pull out one bite and have three bites fall to the ground where they waste on it.