Are you kidding??? Goat birthing questions, pics included....

[Yeagerfamily7]

Hello! I'm a first time poster here at BYH, but have been actively reading this site, along with BYC. We have a couple of Nigerian dwarf does, Sadie (Brown and white) and Sophie (tan and white) and a Pygmy buck, Billy. Sadie has kidded before (thrown twins each time) but not while we owned her. She is currently pregnant, though we do not know the conception date. We've watched her ligaments and checked her regularly. However, I cannot seem to find a clear answer to my question.

Sadie's ligaments have been progressively loosening. Today when I went to check on her, her ligaments have seemed to tighten, but she feels and looks like the baby has dropped. Her bag has re-filled (We had been using her as a diary goat, let her dry up about a month ago when we noticed baby movement...that's when we realized she was pregnant), and she's looked sloppy for quite a few weeks. Long story short, is this baby coming soon or are we safe to go on our camping trip this weekend?

Her right side has a sunken appearance where the baby has dropped

Her bag seems to be pretty much completely full

I'm really starting to feel like a pervert at this point :-/

 

[jodief100]

The ligaments loosening and tightening again is normal. We get it all the time. I hate to say this but I have had literally hundreds of goats give birth and I can say there is no "she is going to go now" signal.

They are signs, you named most of them. But some goats get all of them, some none. Some have signs for weeks, others for minutes.

I am pretty good at looking at a goat (live, not a picture) and get a sense if she will kid soon (within the next day or too) but it is experience and instinct. I really can't spell it out. I am wrong sometimes too.

Looking at her bag and sunken sides, I would say she could go at any time. But it could be a month or so.

As for leaving this weekend, it depends on your comfort level. If the weather is good (above 30, no rain) and she has a sheltered place she can go to be alone, the odds are very good she will be fine even if she does kid. There is always a chance something can go wrong. If she is a pet and you do not want to take any risks, I would stay home.

Several years ago, my work sent me to Canada for a week at the last minute. I left 4 pregnant does who I knew were due that week. It was February, cold and windy. My neighbor's boys came by once a day to feed and check on everyone. I came home to 11 healthy kids, one set of quads and one set of triplets.

 

[jodief100]

Oh, and when it is kidding season, I go down the line every night as they eat to do a "hoo hoo" check and grab the teaties. My husband says I am a goat pervert.

 

[Yeagerfamily7]

She has also been pacing the better part of the day and hanging out in the barn...I think we are going to go ahead and move her into the kidding pen. Thanks

 

[Hope A.]

Oh, that's exciting! Please post kid pictures!

 

[OneFineAcre]

The ligaments loosening and tightening again is normal. We get it all the time. I hate to say this but I have had literally hundreds of goats give birth and I can say there is no "she is going to go now" signal.

They are signs, you named most of them. But some goats get all of them, some none. Some have signs for weeks, others for minutes.

I am pretty good at looking at a goat (live, not a picture) and get a sense if she will kid soon (within the next day or too) but it is experience and instinct. I really can't spell it out. I am wrong sometimes too.

Looking at her bag and sunken sides, I would say she could go at any time. But it could be a month or so.

As for leaving this weekend, it depends on your comfort level. If the weather is good (above 30, no rain) and she has a sheltered place she can go to be alone, the odds are very good she will be fine even if she does kid. There is always a chance something can go wrong. If she is a pet and you do not want to take any risks, I would stay home.

Several years ago, my work sent me to Canada for a week at the last minute. I left 4 pregnant does who I knew were due that week. It was February, cold and windy. My neighbor's boys came by once a day to feed and check on everyone. I came home to 11 healthy kids, one set of quads and one set of triplets.

x2
I don't think anyone could give you a better answer than that.

 

[newbiekat]

Oh, and when it is kidding season, I go down the line every night as they eat to do a "hoo hoo" check and grab the teaties. My husband says I am a goat pervert.

we call those our nightly "butt checks"

 

[Yeagerfamily7]

Well, she made it through the weekend...and I am getting anxious! I want this baby out more than she does lol!

 

[Sumi]

C'mon girl, we're waiting to see the little one and your mom's going crazy Keep us posted!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Hope it goes well. Ligs do soften and tighten. I have one goat who is very "wide" in the rump and I have learned that hers are impossible to feel for a good month before she kids.