# Utter Of my Pregnant Goat



## AZHomesteadergal (May 18, 2012)

My toggenburg milk goat is in her last month, I dont know what day because The man I bought her from told me Nov was when she was bred but he couldn't remember the day, but she didn't kid last month so it couldn't have been.  We Bought her Jan 8, so I figure any time between now and June 8th to kid we will have had her 5 months then and if gestation is 5 months.... Anyway she has had an utter for 2 or 2 1/2 months now, 2nd pregnacy, Her utter is not like the pics I have seen, its big but 1 teat you can see hanging out just past the right back leg, the other teat is coming down from the utter underneath about even with her stomach... is this something that happens with some goats or is it something bad? She is a medium sized goat so the utter doesn't hang down past her knees...so she isn't dragging it. Her teets the last 4 days have filled up and her utter has gotten bigger since yesterday morning... and she has the symtoms of kidding except the plug hasn't came out...but she has had the symtoms for 2 month so I cant go by that, I guess I just have to wait until I see the plug come out to know she will be kidding soon I hope..... I hate not knowing when she will kid.  I think I am more excited than she is lol... I wish the man had written it down when she was bred. 



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   Co-qwner with Husband of E & D Broken ~A~ Farm/Homestead
We have 2 female horses, 2 female sheep, 2 female goats, 3 adult chicken, 96 White Jersey Giant Chicks, 
2 adult female Chihuahua's, a 3 month old female Chihuahua and a 3 month old male Chihuahua.


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## ksalvagno (May 18, 2012)

Can you get some pictures. That doesn't sound right at all. Is there a vet you can have look at her? Did her udder always look like that since you got her? Did she have some type of udder when you got her if it doesn't look like it does now? Have you taken a temp on her?


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 18, 2012)

No she didn't have an utter until the end of march, we bought her Jan 8.  In March it was also turned that way. The vet here is only use to cows and horses, so he really doesn't know he said. No I haven't taken her temp, I dont even have a themoitor.  Her teets just started filling up 4 days ago and today their bigger and the utter is bigger now than yesterday morning. I took pictures but I dont know how to load the pictures.


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 18, 2012)

ok I did it in Photo bucket, I hope this works and hope the pictures will give you an idea of whats going on.


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 18, 2012)

Another one of her and her left teet, I hope some one has seen this before and knows why her utter is turned almost 
completely side ways and hopefully it wont be bad, the man also said she was a good milker and gave a gallon a day
last time which was her first time.


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## ksalvagno (May 18, 2012)

It is looking to me like you have a female that has a deformed attachment of her udder.  While it will probably be fine for home milking, if this is a registered girl that you want to show, you would never want to take her into the show ring. Any male that she produces should strictly be wethers.


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## ksalvagno (May 18, 2012)

How much are you feeding her? She is looking very thin for being pregnant. Do you have loose goat minerals for her? What type of hay and feed are you feeding her?


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 18, 2012)

She was bigger then about 3 0r 4 days ago she looked smaller, we give her alfalfa hay 3 times a day and some sweet feed in the morning with her hay, we also put oat straw in her hut for bedding and she eats that to lol she eats alot, when we first got her she was skin and bone, the man had all his goats in differen't yards to eat the weeds and didn't feed them anything else so we started feeding her like above and she got all filled out and like I said she was filled out until just a few days ago. No change in her diet we still feed her like we did since we got her. I dont know what happened it was like over night.


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## ksalvagno (May 18, 2012)

How much sweet feed are you feeding her and is it specifically made for goats? Do you have loose goat mineral for her? She could probably use some mineral. Goat Mineral by Manna Pro at Tractor Supply is a good mineral for them. Give it free choice. I would also suggest giving her the alfalfa hay free choice. She is going to need a lot to have milk for her kids and then for you. That is great that you were able to put on some weight since you got her.


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## Roll farms (May 19, 2012)

If she looks like she's dropped weight and her udder has swollen considerably in the last few days, she should kid very soon.

Unfortunately it looks like he knew she had a 'bad' udder (looks-wise, anyway) and sold her for that reason before it became obvious.

Like Karen said, she'll be fine for a home milker, but def. not a show doe or breeding stock producer.

I also agree that to reach her production potential (and for her health, she does look thin) she needs some extra groceries.  If you can't get alfalfa hay, she needs alfalfa pellets or some truly good goat-specific feed, along w/ the mineral.  Never forget the mineral.

Best of luck w/ her kidding !


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 19, 2012)

Thank you both very much, and yes she eats alfalfa hay all day long, it seems she never stops eating. Then like I said she even eats her oat hay we put in for bedding ( when we bought it we couldn't find straw so bought the oat hay it looks a little like straw) then the grain but I read something yesterday about stopping the grain 2 weeks before she is due to kid, what do you do on that. I even read where someone said add some molasses to her diet what does the molasses do for her?. There sure is alot of different things people do different than what others do lol.


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## ksalvagno (May 19, 2012)

How much grain are you feeding her? I would NOT stop the grain. She needs everything she can get into her. You almost want your goats a little overweight going into kidding since they lose so much weight while they are milking. If she is a full size goat, I would be giving her at least 4 measuring cups per day of a goat feed that is at least 16% protein. I would break it up into 2 feedings. So give her 2 cups per feeding twice a day or increase that if you are already giving her that much. My full size goat that I'm milking gets 6 cups of grain per milking which is twice a day. So she is getting a total of 12 cups of grain per day and she is on the thin side (can't keep weight on her while milking and she went into this a little overweight). I use a measuring cup for my scoop so I'm talking measuring cups here. Again, I can't stress the mineral enough. Her coat looks like she is a bit mineral deficient.

The man who sold her to you must have really been something and I'm sorry you are having to make up for what he didn't do. But she needs groceries and she needs extra vitamins and minerals. Especially copper. 

Slowly increase her grain. You can't go from giving her 1 cup of grain to 4 cups of grain (just an example).

Have you done any worming for her? I would suggest getting 1% Ivomec cattle injectible. Give it at 1cc per 20 lbs orally. I would do it now and then again in 14 days. She could probably use a good worming too. Also, do you plan to vaccinate? She would need a shot of CDT if you do. Do you know if the man you bought her from vaccinates? If not, she would need one shot and then a follow up shot 3-4 weeks after the first shot. You give 2cc of CDT.


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 19, 2012)

Thank you very much, No he didn't do much of anything with them I guess except put them all together male and female into other peoples yards to eat their weeds. I will never buy anything else from him again. I give her 1/2 a cup sweet feed for goats in the morning and 1/2 a cup in the evening, I guess I need to raise it to a cup in the morning and a cup at night and work her up to the needed amount. I asked the man what I should feed her during her pregnancy he asked what I was feeding the sheep, I said their not pregnant but they get alfalfa hay like the horses do. and he said well Alfalfa is very good and all she needs, but I thought of the sweet feed my self. The little Lamancha we bought along with her was 6 months old so now she is 10 months she eats alfalfa all day to and a fat little thing, but then she isn't pregnant and doesn't need as much as Jenny does. I wanted to buy a milk goat already milking, but he didn't have one and I didn't know of anyone else who sold goats so when he offered her to me for $75 pregnant I said ok then sold me the little Lamancha for $50 so took her to she was so cute and kept coming to my husband and I to be petted and of course we couldn't resist lol. So now I guess I need to learn alot more about taking care of Jenny better before she kids then after too. Hopefully she will be alright. 
Again thank you so very much. Deanna


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## ksalvagno (May 19, 2012)

I know you are trying to give them your best. You can look through threads here. Also books like Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats are good. Anyone here is happy to answer any questions too.

Goats really do need more intake of food than most people realize. The main diet should be hay and grain should be a supplement but when they are thin or nursing or milking for you, they do need more. If your little LaMancha is fat and happy, then she definitely doesn't need as much grain. But the mineral should be out for everyone. They truly do need plenty of minerals. I have those plastic 2 dish mineral feeders on my walls and they always have some mineral and kelp in them. I use the Goat Mineral from Manna Pro and buy kelp from a local place that sells it. I have found that giving both seems to really help my goats. They still need copper bolusing with Copasure and BoSe shots (selenium) but the minerals make a big difference with day to day.

If you can take a fecal sample to a vet and have a fecal test done and also look for coccidia, that would be good too. Then worm appropriately with the findings of the fecal test.

Good luck with her. Sounds like she is in a much better place than she was before.


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 19, 2012)

Ok Hubby and I talked and we will be going out to town soon we will be getting more sweet feed, Ivonec and CDT Shot. We want to 
make sure she gets better and not worse. If only we had known all this in January when we bought her and the tiny Lamancha. We 
are learning the hard way and Jenny has to suffer from it. What if she is going to kid soon is the CDT shot ok to give her now? or should 
we wait until she kids? Should we give the little Lamancha all these too?


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 19, 2012)

Sorry didn't see your last post before my last one. Thank you so very much, and yes we are trying our best to provide all our animals with the best care we can.
  We love our animals dearly and dont want to loose any of them.  Thank you very much again. Deanna


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## ksalvagno (May 19, 2012)

Yes, I would also give your little one those things too. You will need syringes and needles too. You have to draw up the Ivomec with a needle and then take the needle off the syringe to give orally to the goats.

I would get Bar Vac CDT for the goats. Both goats would get 2cc's. Use a new needle/syringe for each goat. Give 2cc and then 3-4 weeks later give another 2cc's. Go ahead and give both goats now. I would also go ahead with the Ivomec. If you can weigh the little LaMancha, I would do that. I would put the pregnant female at at least 120 lbs for guessing weight. It is better to give a little more than less with dewormers. Dose the Ivomec at 1cc per 20 lbs.

So when you go to the store get:

Bar Vac CDT
1% injectible Ivomec for cattle
syringes and needles
Goat Mineral by Manna Pro (if going to Tractor Supply)

Make sure you take a cooler with ice in it. The CDT vaccine must stay cold.


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## AZHomesteadergal (May 19, 2012)

Well we got the Pro Natrual Goat Ration, but they didn't have any of the other things, they have to be ordered at the time you ask for them and it takes 2 to 3 weeks to get them. They said people around here dont normally ask for those items or they buy them in the larger towns or by mail. There aren't that many with goats around here, and the ones that do dont use those items. hmmmmm. I cant even use the de wormer (I dont know if she has worms but I guess it wont hurt her to be dewormed, but that will be in 2 to 3 weeks. that stinks. I am going out soon to get her some feed and a little molasses on it, the vet said the molasses is good for her to but start out slow and work up. It will help her to fill in to. He said her pellets dont look wormy though so she should be fine until the order comes in. He said if she was filled out more and just resently got the hallow look it could be that the kids are in the birth canel getting ready be delivered. All we can do at this point is wait and see. She has always liked being petted but now she requires alot more attention and petting lol. Will keep you updated.


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## ksalvagno (May 19, 2012)

If you have extra virgin olive oil, you can put some of that on her food too. Start out with a teaspoon and then work up to a tablespoon. Make sure the olive oil is not rancid. It is amazing how fast that stuff goes rancid if you don't use it much. You can also get black oil sunflower seeds and add some to her feed as well.


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