# Day 138 and showing signs of labor



## city girl (Apr 25, 2012)

Our Nubian Jeanie is on Day 138 of her gestation, and is showing signs of labor-- putting her head up and back, staring off into space, a little bit of discharge, and her belly has dropped. 
Day 145 -151 is when they are supposed to give birth. 

We're worried. This is a first birth for all of us! I called the vet and he seemed unconcerned. He doesn't do house calls. 

Any advice from experienced goat midwives?


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## redtailgal (Apr 25, 2012)

I wouldnt panic yet.

I've seen other posts on here with goats that did what you are describing for as long as a month before kidding.

I expect some others with more knowledge on goat birthin' will be along shortly, and will have better advice for you, but for now I'd just keep an eye on her.


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## Mitransplant (Apr 25, 2012)

Java did what you described for about two weeks before kidding and she was a first timer as well, Had a beautiful little buckling.  She did well even though she had him outside on the dirt.  Relax and in time you will have a baby(ies).  GOOD LUCK!!!


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## city girl (Apr 25, 2012)

Thanks for your replies.... but now she is pushing, but does not seem to be dilated.... ahhhh. I called the vet but he is off for the afternoon. Called the other vet (a friend) who is 45 minutes away, and left a message.


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## redtailgal (Apr 25, 2012)

Keep us updated.


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## terrilhb (Apr 25, 2012)

Please let us know what happens. I hope and pray the vet calls you back.


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## city girl (Apr 25, 2012)

Very very sad news. She and her kid both didn't make it. A goat farmer-friend and a vet both came over to help.  

This vet was trying to figure out what was going on, and then we were deciding whether to do a c-section right there or take her to the vet's office 45 min away, when Jeannie, the goat just plummeted. 

The vet thinks it was ketosis. In hindsight, the signs were there. In recent days she had gotten lethargic -- but everyone said momma goats just sit around and get real slow the last couple weeks so we didn't worry. And why was she going into labor a week early, with no dilation? But the vet on the phone (the more local vet) was unconcerned. Even my goat farmer friend was unconcerned, but then decided to come over and check. 

The vet did a post-mortem c-section. One beautiful little boy kid. Couldn't save him, although we tried, so hard, for so long. 

These two goats were my 13-year old son's project. He wanted goats forever, and he got these two doe-kids for his 12th bday. We bred them last winter, and we have all been so so anticipating the arrival of the kids. My son wants to train any wethers we ended up with, to pull a cart. He wanted desperately to bottle feed them, which we were opposed to. For the last 3 months my normally-late-sleeping son has been getting up at 6:30 am to do all our barn chores, to prove that he is responsible enough to take this on. Not a day has gone by for months that he hasn't talked about how excited he is for the kids. 

I am as sad for him as I am for Jeannie and her beautiful little kid. We buried them together in our pasture, and my daughter, 8 years old, asked if we could plant a permanent flower bed there. Of course we can.


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## ragdollcatlady (Apr 25, 2012)

I am so sorry to hear about your losses! Hugs to you and the kids!


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## PotterWatch (Apr 25, 2012)

I'm sorry!


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## manybirds (Apr 25, 2012)




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## Blue Dog Farms (Apr 25, 2012)




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## redtailgal (Apr 25, 2012)

So sorry. It would be so much easier if they could just tell us what was going on.


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## Mossy Stone Farm (Apr 26, 2012)

I am so sorry... Give your son hugs from me.. It is just so sad.. I wish they could just tell us when something is wrong


Hugs


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Apr 26, 2012)

So sorry. It sucks that you and your so had to learn about the not so fun stuff on your first kidding. Do not give up. How is your son doing?


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## AdoptAPitBull (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear that. 

I don't think it was anything that you did or anything you could have done. Sometimes nature just pulls a fast one and socks us in the face.


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## terrilhb (Apr 26, 2012)

I am so sorry.  It is so hard not knowing what is going on.


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## that's*satyrical (Apr 26, 2012)

Awww,


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## Missy (Apr 26, 2012)

So sorry for your losses, and for your son's losses.


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## mama24 (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm so sorry! Is your son doing ok?


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## Pearce Pastures (Apr 26, 2012)

So sorry.  Pass along a hug to your son too.


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## marliah (Apr 26, 2012)

Awww I'm sorry  our first kidding experience went badly too. Our momma delivered triplet bucks and they were all dead when we reached the shed. It's so difficult to start off that way. Thankfully our momma was ok. Please don't give up! We since have gone on to have a healthy kidding which was so healing for all of us. I'm sorry for your loss.


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## aggieterpkatie (Apr 26, 2012)

So sorry to hear that.   Please tell your son we're sorry, and don't let it discourage him from wanting to raise goats. Sometimes these things happen, and they're a learning experience.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 26, 2012)




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## Queen Mum (Apr 26, 2012)

So sorry for your loss.  That is just sad.  I hope you will have another go at it.  Give yourself and your son a hug.


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## BrownSheep (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm sorry  . We lost our first lamb. You'll treasurer the ones you do get even more. I was only a little bit older than your son when it happened. It's a painful but valuable lesson. Don't be discouraged .


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## drdoolittle (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm so sorry.   I hope your son isn't taking it too hard, although sometimes it is difficult to understand why something like this happens.


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## city girl (Apr 27, 2012)

Wow, everyone, thanks for your warm words and thoughts. 

We are all still so sad. I am tortured by memories of Jeanie's imploring look at me -- 'help me!' -- on the morning it happened. And of her struggling in labor while we slowly figured out something was really wrong. And just, why didn't I catch it days ago?!!! 

But I've been reading and reading about ketosis, and i'm still not sure what went wrong. She only had a single kid, she wasn't over- or under-weight. The vet couldn't figure out what we might have done wrong. 

The breeder we got our goats from said that even if we'd caught it a week ago we might not have saved her, that it's really hard to bring goats back from ketosis. And that the kid was probably already many hours dead. 

Our other doe is due in about 10 days. She looks good -- the vet checked her out before she left on Wednesday. I bought ketone-sticks to test her urine. So far so good. And we're walking her around a lot and giving her access to whatever she wants to forage. 

My human kids are doing okay. We are all sad. My son is pretty pragmatic. He locked himself in his room and cried a lot the first day, and now is kind of resigned. 

BUT we were worried about our other doe, Ruby, being alone. When we were burying Jeanie and her kid, my and my kids just totally crying as we tried to so gently put the soil around them, we could hear Ruby in her stall crying for her best friend. One of the sadder things I've experienced. 

So... we got a couple wether kids from a neighbor goat farmer. She had a bumper crop of them this year, and ... we needed some cuteness, and Ruby needed some goats nearby. They are going a long way toward making us all feel better. (Ruby wants to butt them, but also sits contentedly watching them.)

We will never forget Jeanie, though. 
this is her pregnant







just a week ago, hanging (and eating! no ketosis yet) with our chickens







and last summer chilling with my son and our other goat, Ruby






We will really miss her.


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## BrownSheep (Apr 27, 2012)

Cuteness helps it always helps  .


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## drdoolittle (Apr 28, 2012)

Those pictures of Jeanie are wonderful----a way to look back on the good memories.  I'm really glad you got the wethers----it really will help ease the pain (I had to put my lovely GSD down in Jan, and suprising even myself, went out and got a GSD puppy a few days later----he was a great therapist!)


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