# Pregnancy Testing



## Ariel301 (Nov 29, 2010)

I have a doe that I just am not sure if she is bred or not. She was with the buck for a month in August. She hasn't come back into what I'd call a real heat, but she's been sort of flirty a couple of times, kind of a semi-heat, but she was not interested in being bred when I took her over to the buck during those. She seems to be getting rounder maybe, but I just don't know, and it is very vital to me that she be bred. Normally it wouldn't be such a problem, I'd just leave her in with a buck, but this year I am using one that does not belong to me, so I don't have access to him all the time. 

So, I'm going to have to break down and pregnancy test her I guess. I know I can draw a blood sample and mail it in to a lab like BioTracking, but the with the shipping it is pretty expensive, and I have very little budget to work with, with only my husband working right now and he just got cut back to 15 hours a week at minimum wage. :/  

Does anyone know if a livestock vet would be able to do this test in their office if I took a blood sample in, and would it possibly cost less than having to ship samples out of state?


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## Calliopia (Nov 29, 2010)

Depending on when in August she was bred then she's about 3-4 months along.  You should be able to feel movement either now or very very soon.


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## Ariel301 (Nov 29, 2010)

It was actually the last week of August into the beginning of September, now that I look at the calendar, and I marked that she was bred multiple times while in heat on September 1...so she'd be due end of January/beginning of February. The other does bred at the same time are obviously pregnant, getting really fat and I am just starting to be able to feel something in there, and they have not cycled again...but Grace is keeping her secrets! She's rounded out some, but I'm not sure if that is pregnancy or just being super full of food because I've been feeding her extra to get more weight on her since she milks herself down to a walking skeleton by fall. :/ Last year she never really looked pregnant even though she had triplets. 

None of the local vets handle large animals on a regular basis. I make trips into other larger towns in the area at least once a month, so it would be possible to drop a sample off with a vet in say, Las Vegas in a couple of weeks, if I could find one that would do the testing in office for a reasonable price. I'm just curious if that's something a vet could do before I go through the phone book calling dozens of them. 

It's really too bad they haven't developed a test for goat breeders to use at home. It would be so simple then!


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## Renegade (Nov 29, 2010)

The BioPryn test for goats is $7.50 and Priority shipping would be less then the test depending on the size box you put it in.
I spoke with BioTracking a few weeks ago and they told me they have not released the goat pregnancy test to anyone yet. 

Donna


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 29, 2010)

It really shouldn't cost more than $5 to ship it. I can't remember it ever being more, even when I send multiple samples at at time.  Do you live somewhere that makes it extraordinarily more Ariel?


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## Ariel301 (Nov 29, 2010)

I live in the middle of the desert in northwest Arizona. Their map shows the nearest lab being in Utah...would I not have to overnight ship it to them to keep the blood from spoiling?


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## ksalvagno (Nov 29, 2010)

Do you have one of those freezer packs that isn't water? Just put a freezer pack in with the blood.


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## Ariel301 (Nov 29, 2010)

Ok, I found the information I needed on their site, it took a little searching around. It can apparently be fine in the mail for two weeks without chilling, so shipping would not be a big deal. I guess I will go with that. 

Goats can be so frustrating lol. I think they do it on purpose.  At least this year I know everyone's breeding date so I have a clue when they are due, last year was a mess with not knowing on half my does. Hoping for healthy, numerous, and female kids in a couple of months--last year I got all boys from six does!


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 30, 2010)

Ariel301 said:
			
		

> Ok, I found the information I needed on their site, it took a little searching around. It can apparently be fine in the mail for two weeks without chilling, so shipping would not be a big deal. I guess I will go with that.
> 
> Goats can be so frustrating lol. I think they do it on purpose.  At least this year I know everyone's breeding date so I have a clue when they are due, last year was a mess with not knowing on half my does. Hoping for healthy, numerous, and female kids in a couple of months--last year I got all boys from six does!


Good luck!


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## Renegade (Nov 30, 2010)

I think you missed my point. You must send all goat pregnancy samples directly to BioTracking in ID. It is the only lab that can do goat pregnancy testing. The other labs listed do other testing for them. Believe me I've already made this mistake myself. This was told to me by BioTracking itself just last month.
You do not need to overnight samples.

Donna


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## Emmetts Dairy (Dec 1, 2010)

All Boys!!! UGGG!!!  Good luck!! Hope you get all girls this time!!!


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## Ariel301 (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks! I need girls, I've got two senior does I want to replace after this next season.


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## dhansen (Dec 6, 2010)

In our area, the local 4H club does ultrasounds by a vet at a member's house.  You don't have to be a 4her, just pay the $10 for each goat.  It's pretty accurate by 3 months.  The 'pooch" test is also an option.


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## Ariel301 (Dec 6, 2010)

Wow, that's a cheap ultrasound. I wish someone here did that so cheap! 

I'm generally good at pooch testing, but this doe has been through a LOT of kiddings, and had a rough one last year, she delivered stillborn triplets without dilating fully, and got pretty torn up from it, and she never really went back to normal looking back there, she's always sort of poochy. This will be her last kidding. I'm awaiting test results on her, they should be running it today.


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## Ariel301 (Dec 11, 2010)

She's pregnant.  Come on, doelings!


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## rebelINny (Dec 13, 2010)

Congrats! Here's wishing you doelings  and lots of pink dust coming your way. If you get bucks well it may be time to send the buck daddy


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## Ariel301 (Dec 14, 2010)

After losing one of our favorite doelings recently, my husband gave me permission to keep ALL doelings this next round. And my neighbor who loaned me the buck has hinted at the possibility of trading my babysitting skills for a kid or two in the spring, so I'm wishing for doelings from my favorite in her herd too. 

Here's the parents-to-be, she was bred to kid January 29th. I'm expecting some nice things from this match. The bottom one is the doe. She's kind of thin, so I'm cramming as many calories into her as I can to get her back in shape.


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## Livinwright Farm (Jan 4, 2011)

dhansen said:
			
		

> In our area, the local 4H club does ultrasounds by a vet at a member's house.  You don't have to be a 4her, just pay the $10 for each goat.  It's pretty accurate by 3 months.  The 'pooch" test is also an option.


What is a pooch test?


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## glenolam (Jan 5, 2011)

Ariel is famous for being able to tell if a doe is pregnant or not by looking at a picture of the doe's hoo hoo. 

I think if you search "pooch test pics" or something like that you'll see what I mean!


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## Livinwright Farm (Jan 5, 2011)

gotchya! thanks


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## Our7Wonders (Jan 5, 2011)

glenolam said:
			
		

> Ariel is famous for being able to tell if a doe is pregnant or not by looking at a picture of the doe's hoo hoo.


  The FAMOUS Ariel!!  

Our does were purchased bred, so we were waiting PG confirmation before we brought them home.  When I first found out about Ariel's pooch test I found myself searching the entire boards for ALL the goatie hoo hoo pictures.  My husband began to become a little concerned about my new fettish,   Thankfully I was able to give it up once the vet did the ultrasound and little goatie babies were seen!


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## Emmetts Dairy (Jan 5, 2011)

Our7Wonders said:
			
		

> glenolam said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


       Thank goodness for the ultrasound!!!


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## Emmetts Dairy (Jan 5, 2011)

Congrats!! 

Hope everything goes great this time for her!!!  

*THINK PINK!!!!!  *    (Two for good luck!!)


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## Livinwright Farm (Jan 5, 2011)

Congratulations!! Let us know when the doelings arrive!!


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## Ariel301 (Jan 5, 2011)

Hahaha I had no idea I had a reputation. 

I can usually tell...This doe kept me guessing a good long time though. I learned about the "pooch test" from some people on another goat forum, but I came over here because people are a lot more laid back, there were too many people over there that were kind of snippy. 

This doe and two others are due the end of this month. Udders are filling up, and the bellies (and appetites!) are getting bigger by the day.


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