Ligaments gone.....

[cadman68]

I have two Nigerian D does that should be a week or two away from birthing but i could be off on my estimation so anyway....

I noticed that for the last week or two they started "bagging up", not huge but noticeably starting their little milk factories. With that being said this is their first freshening so i don't expect a big bag anyway. Now i have been checking their ligaments for the last week, once in the morning and once in the evening.

So this morning i go through the routine checking the girls and noticed one of them i was having trouble feeling the ligs but i could still tell they were there, this evening i can feel absolutely no ligaments at all! But i have seen no discharge at all from them and they are still eating good.

So the question is have you ever had one loose their ligs and not been within 24-48 hours of birth?

sorry so long.....

 

[ksalvagno]

I don't have an answer to your question but

I'm sure someone will have an answer for you though.

 

[helmstead]

I've had ligs fool me before...I don't go completely off them but DO use them to determine if I'm going to stall a doe up and watch on the barncam.

Keep a close eye like you have been! Good luck, and don't forget those PICS!

 

[ThornyRidge]

from my experience.. no. when my gals ligaments are truly "gone" kidding is eminent! as far as discharge goes that is hit or miss with my gals too.. and bagging up.. well sometimes milk is not dropping until birth.. the one thing I notice and really it is hard to describe is I can usually tell on two of my does by visual inspection.. it is a sunken look to back barrel area.. would be equivalent of baby dropping in human pregnancy.. when I see/notice this difference they have kidded within 24 hours or less for me..

 

[lilhill]

With my girls, when there are no ligs (and they don't pop back up later), I'm on serious baby watch. Like Helmstead, they are put in the kidding stall and on barn cam until the little ones arrive. Pics when the bundles of joy arrive!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

My doe is due Wednesday, and I check ligs twice a day as well. I've noticed for the past weeks sometimes they're there, and sometimes they're total mush. Some days her tail head feels somewhat firm, and sometimes it feels like jelly. I'm not going to totally rely on the ligs. I'm more comfortable looking for sunken flanks, behavioral changes, and bagged up udder because we don't check ligaments in sheep so I am more comfy looking at other signs.

 

[cadman68]

Well just an update...she was acting really strange last nite. Kept getting under the stanchion and just standing there. Never have i seen her do that, i stayed in the barn with them til way to late. I also saw her stretching or kinda arching her back several times.......checked and feed em this morning and she still hanging in there...lol

This is the fun part of goat owning...

pics when they come? of course

 

[lilhill]

Sounds as though she's getting those kids lined up. You may be having babies very soon.