How can I tell if my Saanen is PG or not??

[landis1659]

I'm new to goats this year. I have a pair of Saanens that have been together most of the time since I got them. I seperated them in June because the female was only 6 mos. But in the middle of Aug. the male kept breaking through the fence and getting back in her pen. They are so cute together but I didn't want her getting PG too soon. I was told that 8 mos. would be ok. Any she was born the middle of Feb this last winter. So I worry that if she did get pregnant in Aug it might be too soon. We've done everything except an electric fence at this point to keep them apart now. I left them together from the middle of Aug-the middle Oct. When we were able to put up a different fence we separated them again, only this time because if she is PG I'm afraid he might hurt her and the baby. But she has managed to get another hole in the new fence now and got back in with him. Very frustrated now. She was acted so silly dancing around him, butting heads just having a good old time. I read that they usually breed in the fall Aug-Dec. How can I tell if she's PG or not? He can be mean when wants to be, like when it's time to eat, he won't let her get any of the food I put out for them. Also they both still have horns.
Thanks Pepper

New to goats and chickens this year

 

[freemotion]

Chances are pretty high that she is preggers. Not much to do about it now, she is likely three months along or so. Start reading! Go to www.fiascofarm.com and read everything you find there, and make sure she has fantastic nutrition and good minerals.

Buy an electric fencer.....it really is necessary, as your two goaties have shown you. I didn't need it for my older does, as the four food woven wire horse fencing keeps them in, but I put some up along and on top of that before the buck was turned loose outside....and he still works non-stop to find any weakness in that fence. I moved a bag of shavings from under an overhanging roof along his fence and he started launching his body at that spot, hoping it would give. I was out there in the dark with a drill and deck screws and a big scrap of T111 siding, removing temptation and possibility from his life! They are persistant little buggers, especially when driven by powerful hormones.

 

[FarmerChick]

Breeding is best over 10 mos. old. 8 mos. is just on the "young side" but I have had goats bred that age and they did fine.

Only way to know if she is PG is to wait 2 more months....lol....and see if she gets bigger and bigger. Only a vet type test will determine if she is truly preggers. No way right now to "guess" if she is pg.

Right now she is about 9-10 mos old. So if you want to breed her soon you can go ahead and just put them together. Then you don't have to worry about having them separate and getting thru fences.

Of course her being younger you wanted to be sure she wasn't bred but now that she is older, you probably can just put them together to enjoy each other and get a kid out of the process.

He will not hurt the kid or the doe.

I leave my Boer buck in with my does all the time. My does have their kids in with the buck all the time. I do not separate him from the main herd. What I do is separate the young does from him by having a young doe pasture and barn separate when they are over 5 mos. old all gals go in so he can't get them. They stay in there until over 10 mos old and then I add them into the main herd also.


Let us know if a few months if she is going to kid.

 

[cmjust0]

Take her to the vet and have them preg check her. They should definitely be able to tell you if she's bred, and most likely will be able to tell you how far along she is. If she's not too far along and you don't really want her to be bred yet, they can most likely abort her without any real consequences.