pregnant goat no looking it at due date??

[5acresandadream]

Hi everyone! So I've been out of the goat business for years, but last summer I was given the opportunity to get a small herd started. 2 registered dairy does in milk for 25$ apiece ( sanaan is named April, lamacha is named Daisy), and a free blue eyed Nigerian dwarf buck (Borris). In August, my girl April, the sanaan came into heat, i think so anyway its been a long time since I've dealt with all this, and Borris tagged her on the 18th. I didnt notice any other heats as the rest of the months have gone by, but I could have missed them. So her due date is Jan 15th, a couple days away and she doesnt "look" pregnant. Her ligaments are still tight, no udder, no real belly. BUT I have felt her right side, and under by her udder and I do believe I have felt what feels like a single kid moving around. Sometimes it feels like ripples, others its a defined "boop" of what I am guessing would be a foot. I am very certain that it is a baby. My questions is has anyone ever had a doe that shows no signs of kidding suddenly pop out a kid? or did I pen her up in the birthing pen a month early...Could the smaller buck be the reason she isn't showing much, since the babies are smaller than normal?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Since your does are dairy breeds they should bag up pretty well before they kid, but some do it in the last few days. Her vulva should enlarge and become soft before she kids too. You can usually bump the kids on the right side in the last month. Since the come in heat about every 3 weeks she could have gotten bred later and you didn't notice.

Generally I used to look for the pelvic ligaments to sink so they look hollowed out on both sides of their tail, there will be a discharge, her belly will suddenly disappear as the kids move into position to be born, and she will start talking to the kids as well as doing a lot of digging and laying.

The kids won't necessarily be smaller at birth, though they will probably mature somewhere in between the two sizes of parents. The crosses I had we closer to the bigger breeds in size as adults.

 

[Zoomie]

Is this doe a first freshener? You don't say... If she is, she may not show much until the last possible moment. Otherwise I go by checking teats and vulva regularly. Generally speaking and taking one thing with another, the teats will tell the tale.

I once rescued a doe, and she sure did not "look" pregnant, but two weeks after I brought her here she had TRIPLETS. So remember that due to the rumen, you may not see much before she kids. (Doe was fine, all three kids were fine, and it was amazing considering how incredibly skinny and horrid that poor doe looked.)

 

[5acresandadream]

She is 5, and when i got her she was milking so I'm sure she has had babies before. Still no milk bag, tomorrow is her due date. Looking like I might have penned her up a month early. I'll update either way. Any tips are appreciated

 

[Zoomie]

Ah I see. Well in that case, yeah. She may not be due quite yet.

 

[FishMtFarm]

FYI, we have dairy goats and I have an alpine doe that doesn't bag up until 48 hours before she kids so an udder does not have to be present. We have another doe who was u related that wouldn't come into milk til after she kidded. Once they latched on to nurse her milk would start to come in and she would have a nice bag within a couple days. Just keep and eye on her and if the "pencil" like ligaments along her tailhead cant be felt anymore, she will kid within 24 hours. We use this technique and haven't missed a kidding yet.

 

[5acresandadream]

Thank you for the advice! Today is day 150, no signs yet. Maybe a little bit softening of the ligaments but not much. She did get super friendly though when I fed her, kept rubbing he head on me, which is out of character for her. We will see what happens!

 

[FishMtFarm]

Yes please keep us posted! I love kidding season!

 

[FearTheChicken]

I'd go by ligaments. Bagging up isn't always the best indicator, as I had a doe not bag up until after she kidded (2nd freshener). Go to Fias. Co farm's website for detailed ligament instructions.

 

[5acresandadream]

Still no big changes today 151. I do notice that her ligands feel just a littler more, flexible? Maybe that's the word I'm looking for. Instead of them feeling like hard pencils they have a little bit of "give " to them. Ugh. Hopefully I see some major changes soon. Baby/babies are still kicking like crazy when I feel down by her udder. Hoping for some healthy little ones!