Pregnant Goat or No?

[CountryCait]

Hi everyone. So I have owned wether goats in the past and recently acquired two does. Both Nigerian Dwarf does. One of which I was told was bred and due to kid “end of September/beginning of October”. Her first freshening (as well as mine, haha). So I bought her around September 1, 2018 and was told she was due to kid around, let’s say, “October 1, 2018” just to stamp a date on her, since it wasn’t made very clear. Well today is September 23rd. Which means she is due in about 1 week!!! BUT she does not look bred at all... she’s a little swollen in the belly on both sides, but not huge. Her teats look longer than when I first got her, but no bag/udders. Her Vulva area doesn’t seem very swollen or protruding. I’ve tried palpating for kids in her belly, but I can’t tell a thing. She just started mounting my other doe which is really strange behavior for her. I’ve read they sometimes do that when close to kidding but also do that when they are in heat. ??? Now, she is also pretty wild so I can’t get close enough for good pics of her behind. But I thought I’d ask for others’ opinions and keep updating my thread in case other people are going through a similar ordeal. Seems silly to pay for a blood test or ultrasound when she is so close. The wait is torture though, haha.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Hi there! If she is a ff she probably won't bag up until a day or 2 before and not very large. Seems the older and more kids they have the bigger they bag. Goats are so tough to tell via looking at sides etc because this time of year they are trying to fatten up and start putting on winter hair. I have kidding info on my site . look for the tab at www.lilswatara.com

Good luck! Did you give her a cdt shot at a month b4 delivery date?

 

[CountryCait]

Hi there! If she is a ff she probably won't bag up until a day or 2 before and not very large. Seems the older and more kids they have the bigger they bag. Goats are so tough to tell via looking at sides etc because this time of year they are trying to fatten up and start putting on winter hair. I have kidding info on my site . look for the tab at www.lilswatara.com

Good luck! Did you give her a cdt shot at a month b4 delivery date?

Thank you, I will check out your site! And yes, the previous owners administered the cdt . She should be all good. I just wish I knew if she was bred bc I wouldn’t spend money on a bunch of stuff for kidding . Like molasses, extra feed, new stall addition etc. oh well I suppose, I’ll be ready for future breedings .

 

[cassie]

My experience is with full sized goats, not minis. A doe will usually start developing an udder when she is three months along. You will see the first signs of growth and changes in the udder tissue from the rear where it attaches to the body. I had one doe that did not develop much of an udder until just a few hours before kidding, but that is the exception. Try standing behind the doe (you will have to catch her first) and clasp your hands together under her belly just in front of the udder. Push up sharply. If she is pregnant you can feel the kids as they come back down. That said, I've been fooled before but I don't think your doe is pregnant or if she is, she is not due now.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thank you, I will check out your site! And yes, the previous owners administered the cdt . She should be all good. I just wish I knew if she was bred bc I wouldn’t spend money on a bunch of stuff for kidding . Like molasses, extra feed, new stall addition etc. oh well I suppose, I’ll be ready for future breedings .

ok just make sure on that date for CDT because it is needed a month before due date to cover the kids she has... Good Luck!

 

[cassie]

ok just make sure on that date for CDT because it is needed a month before due date to cover the kids she has... Good Luck!

Just a comment. I gave CD/T to my kids the day they were born or shortly thereafter and then every three or four weeks until they were four months old. I lived in an area where entero was so common and so deadly that if a goat was sick we treated her for entero before trying to determine what else, if anything, was wrong with her. The reason i gave the series of shots is because the maternal antibodies can interfere with the kid's ability to develop a full immunity. The CD/T given to the doe will help the kids, but I certainly wouldn't depend on it.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Wow I've not heard about giving it before 3 weeks. Thanks

 

[Flockandfowl46]

You want to give plain tetanus antitoxin at birth then cdt at 3 weeks

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Applying betadine to the naval and cord after birth through the first 48 hours will also help with disease prevention

 

[cassie]

You want to give plain tetanus antitoxin at birth then cdt at 3 weeks

Just a comment. I gave the CD/T to my kids at birth and then every three weeks on advice of my veterinarians. If I waited three weeks to give the first CD/T shots, I would have had a lot of dead kids. However, most goat owners would not see the incidence of entero I did. I was told by a state vet that it had to do with the pH of the soil in our area.