# confirming pregnancy



## that's*satyrical (Sep 8, 2011)

What is the best way? How far along must a doe be before you can feel the babies on her side? Is it expensive & is it worth it to have a vet run a blood test to confirm??

thanks


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## jodief100 (Sep 8, 2011)

Cheapest thing to do is draw blood and send it to BioTracking.

http://www.biotracking.com/goats

My vet will do an ultrasound for $8 plus the office call but most will charge more.


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 8, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> What is the best way? How far along must a doe be before you can feel the babies on her side? Is it expensive & is it worth it to have a vet run a blood test to confirm??
> 
> thanks


Typically you have to wait 2-3 months before you can really start feeling kid movement.

A couple ways to know if she is bred:
(1) Obviously a pregnancy test  {typically runs $5-15 per test depending on who you go through}

(2) Tummy typing test - get doe on stanchion(or stand over her facing her rear), place hands on her underbelly, right in front of her udder, and start typing on her belly as if you were using an old style typewriter. If the area feels "squishy", she is not pregnant... If the area feels firm, she is pregnant. {you can know the difference by doing this same test on a doe that you KNOW is not pregnant and one that you know IS pregnant}.

(3) Observe her 18-23 days after you know she was in standing heat... if you don't observe her showing signs of heat again(peeing a lot, almost non-stop bellowing, poofy vulva, flagging to the boys), odds are she is pregnant.


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## that's*satyrical (Sep 8, 2011)

Oh my, I wish they just made pee sticks for goats that would be SOOO much easier....lol  Thanks for the information!!!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Sep 8, 2011)

Like Jodie said, BioTracking is the best way.  It's cheap, easy, and RELIABLE.  I've never heard of fetal movement being easily palpated until 100 days bred and even then you may have to repeat the palpation numerous times to feel anything.  I find that fetal movement is most easily/readily felt the last month of gestation- by which time you'd already see udder development.  Livinwright's does must be far more dramatic than mine- we don't have any nonstop bellowers during heat cycles.    The most obvious clue that ours are cycling is the appearance of their lady parts and the amount of time they spend at the buck's fenceline.  I have, however, had does exhibit false cycles post-settling and I HATE guessing, so BioTracking is our method of choice.


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 8, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> Like Jodie said, BioTracking is the best way.  It's cheap, easy, and RELIABLE.  I've never heard of fetal movement being easily palpated until 100 days bred and even then you may have to repeat the palpation numerous times to feel anything.  I find that fetal movement is most easily/readily felt the last month of gestation- by which time you'd already see udder development.  Livinwright's does must be far more dramatic than mine- we don't have any nonstop bellowers during heat cycles.    The most obvious clue that ours are cycling is the appearance of their lady parts and the amount of time they spend at the buck's fenceline.  I have, however, had does exhibit false cycles post-settling and I HATE guessing, so BioTracking is our method of choice.


Tummy typing is reliable, as long as you have practiced it on a known pregnant doe and known open doe. The difference is quite unmistakeable.


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## fortheloveofgoats (Sep 8, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> Oh my, I wish they just made pee sticks for goats that would be SOOO much easier....lol  Thanks for the information!!!


 Right? Actually I wish they made thing's a lot easier with goats. Like de worming for example. lol


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 8, 2011)

I also use Biotracking. It's so easy and cheap and reliable.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Sep 8, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

> n.smithurmond said:
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If the OP has a confirmed bred doe and a confirmed open doe nearby to use for comparison then maybe that can be an option... that is if they want to keep wondering for 3 or 4 more months if they got it right.  

And FWIW, you don't need your vet to draw blood.  It's very easy to do and you can get the supplies quite easily from your vet's office or directly from BioTracking.  We use a regular (sterile) 3mL syringe and 20 gauge needle, plus a red top vacuum tube.  BioTracking emails you the results within a week, sometimes sooner depending on what day they receive the sample.  Easy, cheap, and best of all 100% conclusive if they're 30 days pb.


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 8, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> Livinwright Farm said:
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Like I said, the difference is unmistakeable. It has proven to be 100% accurate(to the point of not needing to run a blood test) for each of my does.  It is nothing like palpating for kids. There is a very definity change in the firmness of the underbelly. If you check out your open does vs your preggers does, you will see what I mean by "squishy" vs firm.  I am not a scientist, so my next comments are pure assumption on my part: The firming of the abdomen is an added protection for the babies, since pregnant does will battle to keep or gain position in the herd, potentially granting their kids a higher status upon birth. We all know how herd queens like to give pot shots.  The firm belly acts like a shield for the forming little ones.


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## RPC (Sep 8, 2011)

I have never heard of the tummy typing but I think I am going to try it since in the past 31 days I have only seen my buck breed 1 out of the 4 does he is with. I don't know if they are just being sneaky and doing it at night or if I am really having problems with them. I have also not seen any of them in heat so I don't know that their deal it. I will try it on my Jr. does first since they are 100% not bred and then try on my does in with the buck.


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## kstaven (Sep 8, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> Oh my, I wish they just made pee sticks for goats that would be SOOO much easier....lol  Thanks for the information!!!


I would like to see these for goats. http://www.knscanada.com/bio/hepatic_n_gi.php


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## that's*satyrical (Sep 9, 2011)

Interesting. That would not help me in this particular case because my doe is not in milk, but it is interesting. Thanks for sharing.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 9, 2011)

I would think the firmer stomach is due to more fluids and tissue in the abdomen causing everything to expand....you know, like how pregnant women have very hard bellies?


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Sep 9, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> I would think the firmer stomach is due to more fluids and tissue in the abdomen causing everything to expand....you know, like how pregnant women have very hard bellies?


That makes sense... or perhaps something to do with changes in uterine tone?  Just a guess.


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## Hoover67 (Sep 10, 2011)

I am in the same boat.  I bought two doelings and one who has been exposed to a buck.  I was just going to be patient and see how things develop, but now I am getting a little anxious!  I sure hope she is bred!  I used to draw blood from people so maybe I could draw it from Candy????

Michele


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## angeleyes1307 (Sep 11, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> Oh my, I wish they just made pee sticks for goats that would be SOOO much easier....lol  Thanks for the information!!!


so that got me thinking...are blood HCG levels comparable to human for measuring pregnancy (+/-).  you know, if I were a human lab tech and had access to that test....anybody know?


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## that's*satyrical (Sep 12, 2011)

No. lol, I already checked on that. You need to test for a protein & it is specific to goats. I don't remember the exact name though.


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