# How Big Can It Go?



## doxiemoxie (Sep 1, 2012)

I have a first freshener who isn't due for at least another week, but her udder is already HUGE!  when she pees it mashes into the ground.  Anyone have experience, words of wisdom or caution about this?


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## Stacykins (Sep 1, 2012)

It almost looks like it isn't the size that is the issue, but it is poorly attached? New to looking at udders, so don't take my word on it. I have heard of people who have made slings for does who have udders with poor attachments, so it doesn't drag on the ground or anything, and can support it so it doesn't get worse.


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## autumnprairie (Sep 1, 2012)




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## Catahoula (Sep 1, 2012)

I don't know anything about birth or udder...maybe she is going to have 3 or 4  kids???


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## Queen Mum (Sep 1, 2012)

I wouldn't say poor attachment.  I would say she is just BIG.  She's obviously going to have plenty of milk and is due anytime now.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 1, 2012)

Wow hopefully she's making lots of milk for extra babies! What breed is she by the way? She's a very pretty girl!!


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## doxiemoxie (Sep 1, 2012)

That's my Rachel- she's pygmy/nigi.  And yes, there are lots of babies in there.  I want to get her a "wide load" sign! The attachment is good; there is room in the udder itself for her to fill out, it's just that she's ....   HUGE!  There's so little clearance between her and the ground.

 And for those watching for delivery date, I saw her bred on April 13th, although she may have had a go-round a few days earlier (Buck introduced on April 3rd).  And by the way these pics are already 4 days old.


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## dhansen (Sep 2, 2012)

Bet she will kid in the next day or so!


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## Pearce Pastures (Sep 2, 2012)

Wow, that is a ready-to-work udder!  Pretty doe.


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 2, 2012)

I would say, although her udder is big, it still isn't really really tight looking.  the tightness may occur 24 hours before she kids or just a few hours or while she is kidding, so it is kind of hard to go by udder size and tightness. What I do find more predicatable is the dropping of the belly and the over all looser look of the vulva and hip area. She still looks a bit high to me. This normally occurs 48 to 24 hours before they kid. There hips will start to look bony as if htey have lost weight, and their belly will actually appear smaller, because the babies have moved into a different position and will be more underneath her. I would say you are set to kid on September 10th or 11th, just like your April 13th breeding would indicate.  
I would doubt that she is carrying a single, your for sure have 2 or 3 kids on board. I have noticed with my does carrying triplets that they are a litle more likely to kid a couple days earlier. Normally ours will go to day 152, but a doe carrying multiples may kid on day 149 or 150. 

She looks really healthy. Congratulations.


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## doxiemoxie (Sep 2, 2012)

Thanks 20kids!  my concern is that when she comes into her milk that udder is going to hit the ground!  In your opinion will it "swell" out more than down?  I am worried about the teats getting abraded if they hit the ground, as well as if the babies will have to lay down to nurse.  Currently the clearance is about 5 inches.


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 2, 2012)

doxiemoxie said:
			
		

> Thanks 20kids!  my concern is that when she comes into her milk that udder is going to hit the ground!  In your opinion will it "swell" out more than down?  I am worried about the teats getting abraded if they hit the ground, as well as if the babies will have to lay down to nurse.  Currently the clearance is about 5 inches.


I think it is going to be a pretty low udder, and probably not get any better with her age. I am not a dairy expert, but I don't think she looks to have the best udder attachement. But I don't think it is going to drag on the ground either. You may need to releive some pressure off her udder for a few days, while the kids nurse, she looks like she is going to have a lot of milk. 
To directly answer your question, I think the day she kids and the first few days after she kids it is going to get bigger and a little lower.


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## babsbag (Sep 2, 2012)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> I would say, although her udder is big, it still isn't really really tight looking.  the tightness may occur 24 hours before she kids or just a few hours or while she is kidding, so it is kind of hard to go by udder size and tightness. What I do find more predicatable is the dropping of the belly and the over all looser look of the vulva and hip area. She still looks a bit high to me. This normally occurs 48 to 24 hours before they kid. There hips will start to look bony as if htey have lost weight, and their belly will actually appear smaller, because the babies have moved into a different position and will be more underneath her. I would say you are set to kid on September 10th or 11th, just like your April 13th breeding would indicate.
> I would doubt that she is carrying a single, your for sure have 2 or 3 kids on board. I have noticed with my does carrying triplets that they are a litle more likely to kid a couple days earlier. Normally ours will go to day 152, but a doe carrying multiples may kid on day 149 or 150.
> 
> She looks really healthy. Congratulations.


You must really study your goats up close and personal. Can I send you pictures next year when we are ready to kid so I can know what day to take off from work?  I am in awe of your watchfulness.

On a serious note, I have also noticed the boney hips as they get close, but I have never really counted the days in between that observation and the kidding. Maybe next year I should do that.


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 2, 2012)

babsbag said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nothing more frustrating to me than finding a doe out in the field kidding or had already kidded and I didn't catch the signs. Last year out of the 25 does we kidding, I missed the signs of 2 of them. One was in the process of kidding, had a dried off single kid, but clearly wasn't done. I am so glad I count my goats at night before putting them up, or I would never had noticed her missing. She just wasn't one that I was expecting to kid in the next 24 hours. We had to bring her in the barn and assist her delivery of the 2nd kid. The other one was a young doe that I never even noticed had kidded and I think she kidded the night before or in the the early morning hours and it was well into the afernoon before I even noticed an extra kid in the barn. She had a large single buckling, who was bigger than some of the other kids that wer already several days old. The does carrying singles can be especially tricky to tell. We don't sit with every delivery, but I am around the house and can check in on them through out the day. 
Good luck with your girls and certainly feel free to post lots of pictures for us to all guess when they are going to kid.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 5, 2012)

Did she have them??! Awefully curious over here.  I want to know haw many she was planning to feed.

ETA:


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## autumnprairie (Sep 5, 2012)




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## doxiemoxie (Sep 6, 2012)

Today her udder is getting wide, but not lower.   In the last couple of days she has dropped but her behavior is still the same.  Vulva still small and closed, discharge minimal.  I think she will go tomorrow, late morning. (doe code cautions here)     I have actually had 3 lambs (from 2 moms)  and another set of goat twins born that i need to get pics posted.  And did I tell you I'm moving?  ha!!


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## doxiemoxie (Sep 6, 2012)

OK, I'm gonna cheat and post  some of the other baby pics here.  I think you can see more on my "page"






This is the sheep family; 2 moms, 1 dad and three bouncy baby boys







And my pygmy/alpine/whatever cross had twins that look almost identical, except one is a boy and one is a girl, AND they have WATTLES! (oops pic of same baby- let's just say I'll owe you one )


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## Missy (Sep 6, 2012)

Adorable.  I love the last one's little face...He/she was telling you what he/she thought of the photo op


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## doxiemoxie (Sep 6, 2012)

Twins! doelings! pics tomorrow~ p.s. udder works great


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## marlowmanor (Sep 6, 2012)

Congratulations!  Can't wait to see pictures tomorrow.


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## Missy (Sep 7, 2012)

doxiemoxie said:
			
		

> Twins! doelings! pics tomorrow~ p.s. udder works great


  Hurray for you! I hope I am that lucky!


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 7, 2012)




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## Bridgemoof (Sep 7, 2012)




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## Pearce Pastures (Sep 7, 2012)

That is awesome!!  Kid pics please (I need a fix).


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## bonbean01 (Sep 7, 2012)

Congratulations!!!!  Okay now...I was off on the day...but get points for twin girls...woo hoo!


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## doxiemoxie (Sep 7, 2012)

Thank you everyone!  you all get lots of points for being such awesome watchers...  Rachel delivered the first baby shortly after 1 and the next followed right behind.  Then she carried on for hours with irregular contractions and we were not sure if there was another baby in there having difficulties or not.  But finally in the early evening she mellowed out and today she is doing great! everyone is.

















The end!


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 7, 2012)

Okay, they are sooo cute.  But the black one, with the silvered ears is coming home with me!!!!!!


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## Tmaxson (Sep 7, 2012)

Very cute, congratulations


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 7, 2012)

Awwweeee!!!!!    :bun  Now where do you live??


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## bonbean01 (Sep 7, 2012)

Awww....they are so cute   And I see by the photo with the Mama in it that her udder is not touching the ground...whew!  Thanks for the photos!


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Sep 7, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> Awww....they are so cute   And I see by the photo with the Mama in it that her udder is not touching the ground...whew!  Thanks for the photos!


Yeah I noticed that too! Except it looks like it should be on a full sized dairy doe!


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## Pearce Pastures (Sep 7, 2012)

Oh so sweet!


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## marlowmanor (Sep 7, 2012)

20kids can have the black one. And since you'd be down on this coast to drop her off you could drop the white and black one off here!   They are both adorable!


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## Missy (Sep 7, 2012)

Beautiful babies, congrats!!


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