Pregnant mini Nubian w/Nigerian dwarf sire

LazyLambsFarmstead

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Hi, first post here.
I have a couple questions, but I'll give the back info first. I have no idea when or female got pregnant (Yes I know how it happens badum tch!) because we moved in October but we've only had them since April of last year. The upside is we ONLY have two of them and only two so I know who got her pregnant, And I had my suspicions that right before we moved she was in heat. I feel like after the move and the disruption of her environment and getting comfortable in her new place along with him only being 2 months old that around him turning eight months and her being about a year and a half It happened right before we moved or right after. About 2 months ago my suspicion got stronger because she got extra friendly as opposed to occasionally only wanting scratches. Now she's actually starting to look pregnant! She's guarding her belly, and for the last 6 weeks she freaks out every time our little guy, Cash, gets behind her and tries to sniff her rear. Initially when we bought them last year I was told they only each got one cup of grain per day with unlimited orchard grass which is what we had been doing although we had not been measuring and they were getting 1.5-2 cups once per day with unlimited hay and goat block or mineral. Well, until 5 months ago, when we took a 20 ounce Gatorade bottle and cut the top inch off of it so they've been getting roughly 10 oz of feed each given the size of the bottle, I would average that's about a cup and a half to a cup and 3/4 once a day, volume wise. For the last two months they both been getting alfalfa treats, although she's been getting a little extra and recently we started giving her an extra handful of feed. When I asked the seller about the odds of her getting pregnant from a male goat that much smaller than her, she told me that until he's about 8 months old he probably won't be able to reach her. Well 8 months old came in the middle of October. He's definitely double the size he was and he has stopped hiding behind her and has come into his own and he's a happy little 1-year-old. Now, as an MA, I do my own CDT shots and my own hoof trimming so these little guys haven't seen a vet since we got em. Livestock vets that travel are few and far between. We live in a weird area where it's center of town with a Maserati dealership 1 minute and then it's a small patch of rural area the next and then you'll come into another town area and then it'll be like a half an hour to an hour's worth of rural area and then another town. Since we've moved in October despite there being multiple incidents between a dog with a broken leg a husband with a broken foot and husband needing two tooth extractions We have recently found a vet that isn't attached to a very expensive ER vet, but with the cold weather and the emergency with the dog it really depleted any of our winter funds! Husband doesn't go back to work for about another 3 weeks since he does concrete. needless to say I need to know if: I'm feeding her the proper amount and correctly, What other signs of pregnancy should I look for What pictures should I put in this thread to confirm pregnancy and if anybody can tell me given her size when I should expect her to be kidding and given the fact that we're in Pennsylvania if I should move her away from the little guy, and when! What should I look for for impending labor? given the gestation. I would imagine we should expect babies around St Patty's Day? thankfully I accidentally ordered a cheap dip cup for milking but the only bottles we have came with a whelping kit and they are 12 oz bottles but I definitely would need some guides on bottle feeding because we do put on milking her and I would need some guidance on milking as well. Send help. -eastern PA Appalachia/Southern Poconos area
 

Finnie

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Hi, first post here.
I have a couple questions, but I'll give the back info first. I have no idea when or female got pregnant (Yes I know how it happens badum tch!) because we moved in October but we've only had them since April of last year. The upside is we ONLY have two of them and only two so I know who got her pregnant, And I had my suspicions that right before we moved she was in heat. I feel like after the move and the disruption of her environment and getting comfortable in her new place along with him only being 2 months old that around him turning eight months and her being about a year and a half It happened right before we moved or right after. About 2 months ago my suspicion got stronger because she got extra friendly as opposed to occasionally only wanting scratches. Now she's actually starting to look pregnant! She's guarding her belly, and for the last 6 weeks she freaks out every time our little guy, Cash, gets behind her and tries to sniff her rear. Initially when we bought them last year I was told they only each got one cup of grain per day with unlimited orchard grass which is what we had been doing although we had not been measuring and they were getting 1.5-2 cups once per day with unlimited hay and goat block or mineral. Well, until 5 months ago, when we took a 20 ounce Gatorade bottle and cut the top inch off of it so they've been getting roughly 10 oz of feed each given the size of the bottle, I would average that's about a cup and a half to a cup and 3/4 once a day, volume wise. For the last two months they both been getting alfalfa treats, although she's been getting a little extra and recently we started giving her an extra handful of feed. When I asked the seller about the odds of her getting pregnant from a male goat that much smaller than her, she told me that until he's about 8 months old he probably won't be able to reach her. Well 8 months old came in the middle of October. He's definitely double the size he was and he has stopped hiding behind her and has come into his own and he's a happy little 1-year-old. Now, as an MA, I do my own CDT shots and my own hoof trimming so these little guys haven't seen a vet since we got em. Livestock vets that travel are few and far between. We live in a weird area where it's center of town with a Maserati dealership 1 minute and then it's a small patch of rural area the next and then you'll come into another town area and then it'll be like a half an hour to an hour's worth of rural area and then another town. Since we've moved in October despite there being multiple incidents between a dog with a broken leg a husband with a broken foot and husband needing two tooth extractions We have recently found a vet that isn't attached to a very expensive ER vet, but with the cold weather and the emergency with the dog it really depleted any of our winter funds! Husband doesn't go back to work for about another 3 weeks since he does concrete. needless to say I need to know if: I'm feeding her the proper amount and correctly, What other signs of pregnancy should I look for What pictures should I put in this thread to confirm pregnancy and if anybody can tell me given her size when I should expect her to be kidding and given the fact that we're in Pennsylvania if I should move her away from the little guy, and when! What should I look for for impending labor? given the gestation. I would imagine we should expect babies around St Patty's Day? thankfully I accidentally ordered a cheap dip cup for milking but the only bottles we have came with a whelping kit and they are 12 oz bottles but I definitely would need some guides on bottle feeding because we do put on milking her and I would need some guidance on milking as well. Send help. -eastern PA Appalachia/Southern Poconos area
Wow! That’s a lot of questions! I’m surprised no one has made any responses. I don’t own any goats myself. But I know I’ve read it a lot of times that you would be best off having a friend for your buck so that he won’t be lonely when you have to separate the doe from him. (And you do need to separate her because he might try to breed her while she’s giving birth.) Plus, you will have to separate her in order to space her pregnancies out so that she’s not giving birth constantly.

If she has a buckling, maybe you can have that buckling wethered and he can be your buck’s buddy? 🤷🏼‍♀️
 

Mini Horses

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Well, well, well .... 😊 Kids are fun!

The goats can be fertile before 8 months!! And, where there's a will, there's a way. I'd say you're probably ok on feed, so long as body condition is good. Once she kids you'll need to give the doe way more for milk production. Is she forming an udder?? Pics would be helpful. Full back, see udder. From top of back looking down, see sides. 🥰

Once she does and it's full, the teats will fill and they will be more rigid. After that you'll have a day or two before you see the string of mucus coming from her rear & that signals get ready. Yes, remove the buck or stall the doe when close to kidding. Some of the males get excited and try to re-breed from smells. Moreso if only the pair.

You plan to milk her -- do you intend to bottle the kids or milk share? If you truly want a good milking doe, taking kids & bottle is best for the process & milking habits, plus quantity. The kids nursing & 2x day milking aren't in sync for either of you, especially if you want length of lactation. Being a FF she'll have less volume this lactation. Critical to pull colostrum and feed kids. Most of us keep 2 milkers, staggering kidding, so there are no dry months. Although I sometimes dry mine for MY not needing to milk in dead of winter.

Milking being your plan, have you been handling her belly, udder, legs etc already? If not, I suggest you do so. Even feed her alone while you handle her to imprint the drill. Any soft drink bottle can have a nipple added -- tractor supply sells -- so use a 12oz & don't fill it....twins are common so, 2 bottles.

That's a start.....ask away. 🥰. Several milkers of goats on here. More ideas will come.
 
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