Is my goat pregnant? She was due the first of March, figured I might have misfigured, but now almost May and she hasn't kidded yet. She looks pregnant, like a barrel sideways. She was a slim goat,Nubian before mated which I witnessed. She is in very good health, eats well, looks bright, and stands her ground. This is her second kidding, the first went real good. Her udder is not getting any bigger,it started to, but quit. I did try to squeeze her teets and could have probably got some milk out, but didn't want to start if not ready. When I say her udder is not big,I mean maybe could get a pint out, her teets are sticking out sideways. She is one of my good milkers, close to 7# of milk at each milking for a few months. I had to dry her off after 1 & 1/2 yrs of milking. Then I let her rest for a season. Any ideas or sugestions? Thank you, debbi

-- debbi (snflr216@aol.com), April 22, 2001

Answers

If you could pull true colostrum from the udder this could give you an idea.

You have to remember that as a doe matures she carries a larger and larger barrel. So a doe not milking, especially for a season, is of course going to put on weight. She has no calories going out, and if left with this internal fat for to long, especially if she continues to pack on the calories, than you end up a doe with fat around her ovaries and a doe who then becomes hard to breed. A doe also left unbred and unmilking also can develope cysts on her ovaries. Get her back down to a more normal weight, she should have some flesh over her ribs but certainly not a roll. Really watch her grain intake until she comes back into heat in July. There is a procedure to use on does who are hard to breed and cystic. You may want to talk to a breeder in your area that could help you with getting this doe ultrasounded, comfirm this or your next pregnancy early, so that if she is still unbred after her next early breeding, you have some breeding season left to perhaps lutelyse and treat her for cysts with cysterellon. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 22, 2001.

Vicki, I did pull some true colostrom off this a.m. when I went out to milk. I pushed on her right side, no movement. Advice? I did check back at the records, and March 25th was the due date. The other goat that I bred just a few days before her, had her kids all 4 all girls on March 29th, she was even a little late. Thank you.

-- debbi (snflr216@aol.com), April 23, 2001.

If you had a buck on your place last Novemember or December, than it is possible that she is bred. But she certainly can't be this late from a March due date. I have seen one cloudburst here, normal pregnancy, delivered just lots of fluid, though she came into milk, nothing like a normal production. (No amniotic sacs and no placenta) I have also along with a normal delivery and milk supply, seen absorbed kids, though there was one alive and full term, another sack contained small soft bones, obviously being absorbed by the doe. With 1 in 7 pregnancies in humans ending in early misscarriage, I certainly could see where does who recycle, though some may have not have taken, could easily have passed the pregnancy, at that point it would have been so little blood you could have eaisly missed it. A later abortion of the doe if it happened while you weren't around, could have been missed, and she would have come into milk, albeit with a doe who milks 14 pounds a day, you certainly would have seen her udder more than just a little full. These are really the hardest kinds of questions to answer! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 23, 2001.

Vicki, Just an update. This a.m. I went out for milking and I noticed Emma's bag was huge, she still has a ways to go maybe a day or two. My daughter told me that last winter the buck got out and I thought no big deal they were all bred anyway,joke was on me. Thanks for your advice and help. I hope she don't have 4 kids. Debbi

-- debbi (snflr216@aol.com), April 25, 2001.

Vicki, Well it finally happened. This a.m. I went out to the barn to milk and as soon as I opened the door I heard the little newborn voices. Emma had 3 kids, 2girls and 1 boy. Thanks again!!Debbi

-- debbi (snflr216@aol.com), April 26, 2001.

Congrats on the kids! Before you forget anything write down on her health chart all the things you noticed her doing. She will more than likely repeat most of it year after year. For instance, my 8 year old Amber never presents me with much udder before she kids, though she is an excellent milker, when she is uddered up expect kids the next day! Unlike most of my girls who have huge udders starting 4 to 6 weeks before the kid. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 26, 2001.