Should I be on Kid watch??
 

Here are tonight pictures. Sandy has been acting very strange since Friday. I am also posting before pictures. Any ways, Her tail is not as upright as it should be. She has become very loving towards me. She doesn't want me to leave with out her. She is constantly calling out until I get their. We have been putting her in her own kidding stall ONLY at night so she can exercise during the day. She has been pawing at the ground and looking around a lot. Tonight, I put her in her stall with grain and hay(Grass/alfalfa and regular grass) She took maybe four bites of it than stopped. She had a really good bowel movement, went number one(Maybe a dribble, not much) Pawed at the ground than lied down. Wile she is laying down she yawns, looks in a direction like she is looking at something but nothing is their, and every so often raises her tail. Wile she was up and sniffing the ground she kept rubbing her sides and back end. She was not happy unless I was in the pen with her. She tan came to me and put her head on my shoulder. Before I put her in her pen for the night she was eating with the calf. Sandy has NEVER eaten with Daisy(calf) IN the 8 months we have had her(daisy). OK, so her are some pictures.

1-4-2012
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/DSCN4796.jpg

1-11-2012
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/DSCN4868.jpg

1-15-2011 Tonight
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/DSCN4885.jpg
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/DSCN4876.jpg
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/DSCN4878.jpg

Hopefully I am not going crazy with all this.
Thank You

I don't think you're going crazy :) She's acting the way one of mine does right before kidding (24-48 hours). Good Luck!

I would say yes but have you checked her ligs yet? Generally when the ligs are gone is when I seriously start watching. Though I have had a few surprise me before :rolleyes:. I say though she sounds like she is getting closer :grin:. Yay for cute babies!

Justine

Sounds like kids are imminent.

As a side note, her coat looks like she could benefit from some more copper.

Definite kid watch.

Sounds like she's pretty close to me! I'd keep a close eye on her. She looks as big as a barrel.

Agree!! She's kidding soon! She's HUGE!! Can't wait to see pics.

Well nothing so far. I had to work today so I left her in the kidding pen. This morning I was feeling for ligaments on her and My other does and on my little buckling. Sandy's were very different. I was able to pinch around her tail head,almost able to touch fingers together. Now tonight when I got home,Different story. I was not able to pinch around as much as I was able to. She is biting her sides and flanks, and rubbing her sides and back end on the wall. So far I am seeing some things as a horse who is about to foal.

Now the actual due date I am so confused about. I have read its 5 months from the day she was bred. Sep. so Feb. should be when she kids.
Than I have read count 150 days from the day she was bred and that is roughly her due date which she breed September 3,2011 count 150 days and that is January 21 or 22 2012. Than I herd add seven days count 5 months than subtract 3 days from that and that is her due date(someone told me this one)
Can someone enlighten me on this???
Thank You
V.

Here's a great link. I use it all the time.

http://www.americangoatsociety.com/e...hp?Gestate=150

According to the "standard" calculator she would be due Jan. 31st.

Hope this helps...

Gena:wizard:

Any sign of babies yet today? I hate the waiting!!

Not yet, But acting very strange tonight at night time feeding. Calling out until I was there again but she also was pushing me with all her strength wile I was bent over putting loose mineral in the pen. I than got into the pen and she kept smelling of my face,gloves,jacket and snow pants than go to eating than pace around than come back to smelling of me than back to eating. She also has a bulge in her flanks. Here teats are more than half full. What do y'all think??
I told her "I am trying to listen to what she wants. I than told her I am still learning so don't hate me if I don't get it right." She than Baa-ad at me.

I think I'd be setting the alarm clock for every hour or 2 if you don't have a baby monitor in the barn or else a warm snuggly sleeping bag with a electric blanket or heating pad inside & out to the barn I'd be, sleeping with her.

If only these goats knew what they put us all through! We sure Love them though don't we?
Hope we see baby pictures in the morning!

just came back in again. Her Utter is full in the back more so than yesterday. Her private part looks like what a cows private part. When she walks it bounces a little.
Longer looking.

Sounds like you are going to have a late night LOL. The softening and elongation of the vulva USUALLY means birth within around 12 hours (at least for most of my gals that I notice it on). Bagging up is also a pretty key sign. Good luck and I'll be looking for pictures of the new arrivals on tomorrows posts!

Got the coffee, checking on her every half hour. I have noticed something. That her hip bones are spreading. That hard spot I thought was in her flank, well its her hips and its getting wider and wider. She was liking my fingers and licked my face. AWWW. She is wagging her tail against her vulva. Is that normal??

Pretty normal :) although it's hard to say what's "normal" with a goat LOL. A few of mine get super lovey dovey (my most recent one was the opposite though, she prefered I sat on the other side of the barn). Are you noticing any kid movement? Any discharge?

No, and no she has not lost her mucus plug yet. I have know Idea if the other lady ever noticed. All she said was she was NEVER able to catch her in labor or giving birth. I just came back in and she was very agitated. I have know idea how she can reach behind and lick at her tail head. She was trying to climb the walls than came over to me licked my face than bit me. She went and took 3 bowels and one NUMBER 1 and than smelled of it. Than she stood there head stretched out and mouth open a little. She was rubbing her head on the walls than pawed at the ground again than laid down. Hopefully its not a false alarm or what they call with women(Braxton Hicks Contractions). My friend(the other lady) Said that all of her does will lick her before they kid out. I have know idea if others experience that as well or what. I am trying to NOT get my hopes up.

I think I need to make the coffee stronger.

Yes my does will give me a nice cleaning when they are getting closer or while they are in labor. Something about the hormones makes them want to just clean clean clean :rolleyes:. I say brew some stronger coffee and keep an eye on her.

Justine

I think she had a contraction!!! I went in and gave her more food. She was scarfing it down. Than she stops stretched her neck breathing hard eyes WIDE for about 15 seconds. Went back to eating and talking.

i was looking for the like button!

Exciting stuff!! :)

Well, Its 5:05 Montana time and still nothing. Her utter is filling more and more. She wont let me touch her utter. She totally flips out. I don't know if she can even drop anymore if she is having more the three. Sandy is soooo big and her belly is touching the straw on the ground. He vulva is longer and it looks like its starting to bulge out a little, is that normal???

Things she is doing are:still pawing the ground,laying down and at times getting up. Earlier she got in the sitting position. She is yawing, breathing rapidly at times. When she stands up she rubs her head on the wall, wags her tail against her vulva and has been really cleaning herself. No, she has not lost her mucus plug yet. Her tail is a little dirty but that could be from going number 2, which she has been doing A LOT of. When she pees, she smells of the ground than lifts her head and flips her upper lip back.

Not real sure if these are anything. You all are the goat experts.
Thanks for the help

I was hoping we would both get babies together since we were doing kid watch last night, I missed mine, but I got three was thinking she might have 2. Dont know if they are boys or girls yet!! Are her ligs gone?

If you see her straining, as in contractions, for more than 30 minutes and you don't see hoof tips and a nose starting to come out, you've got trouble.

Do you have your birthing kit ready?

You may have to assist.

Read all this:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/kidding.htm

Includes pictures of possible mis-aligned kids that have trouble being born.

If she was bred on Sept 3 then she shouldnt be due for a while yet....Last year our little pygmy started acting strange and her vulva was extremely spread open and had strings of stuff coming out of her, I figured I was wrong on her due date, I got really excited that we were getting ready to have some babies, and she didnt have them for another 2 months! We also had a boer that never felt like she had ligaments, when compared with the others, always felt mushy, so they would kinda come and go, all the others have pretty much been right on with the lig thing, just like last night, you could definalety tell the difference, just wished I would have woke back up sooner. Good luck, thinking about you!

Hows Sandy this morning? Any babies yet? I sure hope everything is OK!

Nothing yet. Very agitated. She is now hollowed out.

Well, this doe is certainly giving you good practice LOL. Keep up the good work! She'll most likely have them when you are ready to sleep standing up...

I am tired of playing the waiting game. I am going to go in their soon AGAIN but this time I'm going to start cutting hair around her tail head. She is so hairy with her winter coat. She is still doing all the same stuff. Now a new thing she did and I only saw it once at night time feeding, She tried to go to the bathroom, she squatted but nothing came out:huh:

Also, My doeling Isis jumped threw the stall window last night and was sleeping on the hay bales next to Sandy. Isis is acting very strange. She is NOT bred because so young but does she know something I don't know???? Isis has always stayed with her sister and NEVER jumped threw the window to get to the other side of the barn.

Oh, I so feel for ya. I had hoped she would have had them by now for you.
What days was she exposed to the buck?

She sounds very ready to me, but if she isn't due until Jan. 31 you don't want to rush her :) . Those babies need to cook a little longer :)

Just checking to see How Sandy's doing & was thinking I'd see baby pictures by now!

Another night of strong coffee it looks like!

Well, nothing new to report. She seems to be feeling a little better this morning. I was able to clip hair around her tail head last night with help from my daughter. Took a wile. Sandy doesn't want me touching her back there.

No baby's yet. Sandy is day 143/144. These pictures are of tonight. Now, this is what she HAS been doing since last week. She tries to go to the bathroom, squats, nothing happens. She has pawed at the ground. She is biting her sides more often. Now this morning at feeding time She was laying down. All of her hay that I gave her Tuesday night she had put it all around her. The only way I can explain it is like how a Hen(Chicken) Makes her nest to lay eggs. Does that sound right?? Sounds funny I know. She hasn't been eating much hay. She will eat half of her grain which I only give her 1 pound morning 1 pound night. She has been drinking A LOT of water. She wont eat her loose mineral or baking soda.

At 4 O'clock pm tonight I go to check on her and she really wont let me touch her. Only on her head. She was drinking and I was able to take a peek and her vulva is getting pink. Now, 10pm tonight I decided to give her a little nibble of grain(scoop from hand) and took another peek. The upper part of her vulva that looked pretty pink is much looser and it looks frumpy looking(maybe saggy). Now I am not sure if this is anything. All I know is when I called my friend who had Sandy said She has NEVER seen her in labor or kid out. She also said that when she would check on Sandy to see how close she was she would look at her and say "You close but not close enough to put you in the kidding pen" Than apparently Sandy would kid that night. She is a silent DOE.

I hope I am checking her ligs correctly. Let me know.

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...ng/Day1422.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...ng/Day1432.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/Day14321.jpg

It won't be long now! I have one doe that gives me the sign by biting or talking to her sides. I know when I see that she will have babies within 2-3 days. Sandy has beautiful colors! I can't wait to see her beautiful babies :)

She sure looks close!

Oh... excitement!!

:hair:hair:hair No babies yet. Change in attitude: She is grunting wile she was laying down. She than stretched her neck like she was trying to lie down than rolled on her back stretched all the way out,grunting louder.Than She is standing on the wall with her front feet. Is all this normal?????

OH And she wont eat her noon grain.

Also her poo isn't like normal berries. its more loose but firm, like a log. Does that make sense???

Sounds like she is very,very close. Looks like it too.

A tip: If you shave her udder and the back sides of her legs, you will have a lot less mess from birthing goo.

Gotta love goats! They drive you crazy!! My doe is due tomorrow (day 150). Yesterday she was clingy, licking me clean & baby talking to her belly.

Today she's her normal self. :rolleyes: I have an alarm set for every 2 hours to check on her. I bet your girl goes before mine.... My girls ligaments aren't that loose yet.

I agree with Audra.... Shave the back of her udder, the long hairs off her tail (I shave the whole tail but the tip) & the long hair off the rear legs. Leaves less for birth goo to stick to....Easy cleanup.

Heres a pic of my girl with her pre kidding hair cut:

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/a...es/Preggo2.jpg

Her coat isn't as long as your girls, but I shaved the dark area just going with the grain to shorten it & shaved the entire under side & sides of her tail, & her udder.