Once a goat bags up....

[longhorngal]

about how long will it be before labor starts? I have a 16 month old pygmy and it's her first pregnancy.
Thanks,
Cara

[mary,tx]

It depends on the goat. When one of mine really bags up, I am looking for kids that day or the next. Others have said theirs bag up much sooner.
I'd definitely be keeping an eye on her, though. Have you looked at her tail ligaments? That seems to be a better sign of imminent labor that bagging. The ligaments in the spine just above the tail will become very loose, and the doe's tail might hang kind of skewampus.
mary

[mammawof3]

Never can tell-75% Boer doe was "bagged-up" good for i know 3 weeks b-4 she kidded-have a Boer doe now who is due by Nov. 26th-has had "no tendons" tail hanging loose,bagged but not tight-for a good week now!Then had a saanen doe, hardly bagged-unexpectadly drop full term twins fri.,and an alpine,bagging pretty good,but not too loose in the back,drop "big" twins this morning-then fill up! You just never know-i always trusted the tenden thing b-4 and was always accurate-and with the dairy does-you could tell by really full udders-this is going to be a strange year Keep an eye on her.I have been making "flashlight runs" for so long now, that no one even gets up anymore, they just look at me!

[longhorngal]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like the best thing to do is just keep checking her. Her tail has been droopy for a couple of days and the poor barn cats keep getting used for bowling pins she's so grumpy!
I guess I don't have a feel yet for checking the tail ligamints, will have to get someone else with a pregnant goat to show me how.
Cara

[Goat Freak]

I heard that it can be anywhere between 3 hours and 2 weeks, it ALL depends on the goat.

[Starsmom]

Just feel for a thin pencil that will run on each side of her tail. Run your hand down her backbone and as you get a few inches from her tail you will feel the ligaments (pencil like things) that "v" off to both sides of the tail going to the tail pins. They will feel real hard and as she gets closer they will feel softer. Eventually, they will disappear altogether and you will actually feel deep holes on both sides of her tail. It will appear like you could just reach in and put you fingers all the way around her tail. Around that time, the ligaments will be gone and when they are actually gone, you will know it. There may be times when you think they are gone or aren't sure, just remember when they are gone, you will know it as they do totally disappear. When that occurs, babies are within about no more than 12 hours. Usually sooner, depends on when you discovered it. We noticed them on our doe at about 4pm and she kidded around 12:30am.

Hope that helps.

[Shazza]

I have found this year with the Dexters and the Toggies I look for when the bag has gone really tight...sure they bag up for weeks before...but its when the bag goes really tight I look for babies that day or the next.

[debitaber]

I have a couple that bag up the day they have them, and a couple that bag up a month before hand. just got to keep checking them.

[Goat Freak]

Ours usually bag up as tight as their udders can go about a week before they kid, although with our boer goats we found out that they do not have to have quite as big of udders.

[debitaber]

I think each doe is different. my first timers don't usually have as big a bag, as my 2nd, freshners, but not always, some times my first timers will get huge bags, and that is what I like to see, however , aI have a purebreed, that only gave a quart the first freshing, and the 2nd, freshening, she gave a gallon a milking. she never bags, until the day is is going to kid.