pygmy goat in pregnancy

LittleRedHen · #1 05/30/06, 01:06 PM

I have a pygmy goat without a due date and I notice she is lazier lately. She developed her udders around a month ago so I know we should have less than a month left. I watch her grazing and many times she will get down on her front "elbows" to eat. Sometimes she will lay right down in the grass and stretch her neck to reach every last bit of grass she can get... then move a few feet and lay down again.

I had a pygmy give birth before but I dont recall her being like this. She had a single kid. Could this mean this goat might be having more than one and it is more tiring on her?

Is this normal? She is mainly just being fed grass and hay because I am trying to make sure the baby isnt too large. We lost our last goat because the kid was too large after having a largely grain diet. I am trying to make sure this goat is okay.

**mygoat** · #2 05/30/06, 02:14 PM

Well, if the udder was noticibly growing a month before, I would say she is due soon, alot less than a month to go! Maybe a week or two at most. She's probably just pooped out from the entire pregnancy. It's probably especially worse what with a huge dang ol' udder bangin around between your back legs, too, LOL! I've got a doe here that has a nice start on her udder and she's due on July 5th. Hangs down a little in the front and fits in a hand. She's getting BIG already. Gets tired easily and pants alot especially with the weather we've been having. The other pregnant doe is the same way. She's due on August 2nd and she's possibly bigger than the other doe! and she's still a couple months away! Poor girl, how's she gonna make it through the summer? LOL
Anywho, sounds like your girl is being a normal preggo goat. Just wait till she has babies runnin around her!

witchysharon · #3 05/30/06, 03:21 PM

What kind of hay? she should be getting alfalfa hay or alfalfa pellets in the last trimester for the calcium and to prevent hypocalcemia. if you think she has a month left, start feeding her some alfalfa. if it is closer and she kids soon and has symptoms of hypocalcemia, get some CMPK oral drench or MFO Milk Fever Oral drench now (at your feed store, or online at Valley Vet or Caprine Supply) so you have it on hand just in case.

http://kinne.net/hypocal2.htm

TexCountryWoman · #4 05/30/06, 03:36 PM

This far into pregnacy she should be getting the alfalfa for calcium. Also some grain for her energy needs. She is tired. not just from the kid load, but because she is not getting energy from her food supply. A bit of grain at this time should not greatly affect kid growth this late in the pregnancy but would go towards giving her a boost of energy. Just don't go overboard and go very slowly. Multople kids may be better for her to deliver as they are generally smaller and easier to pass through the birth canal. I do not raise pygmies and never had so keep that in mind.

LittleRedHen · #5 05/30/06, 05:20 PM

Yes it is alfalfa hay.

Well it started growing a bit more than a month ago. It was just a month ago that I could no longer deny she was developing her udder. I bought her about 2 months ago and she was flat as could be. Currently is is about the size of a newborns head If I remember, it is the same size as my last goat in the end of her pregnancy, the only thing now is for it to bag up and move back a little.

Her ligaments are softening but still quite there. I noticed her back end is taking on more of a skeleton look but not quite there yet. I would be surprised if she has less than a week. I have not see any discharge though the area is swollen.

I might go buy some grain for her and just make sure she is doing okay. She has a salt block too and her and the male are licking it. But I can see why she might need some grain too. I know I needed the extra energy towards the end of my pregnancies too.

She has been somewhat skittish but I sure hope she will let me watch the birth. It will be exciting!

LittleRedHen · #6 05/30/06, 05:24 PM

I will shave the hair down tomorrow on her so i can watch for the udder bagging up plus for the stuff during the week after birth! I am excited

**mygoat** · #7 05/30/06, 05:30 PM

Make sure you also have a quality GOAT mineral out for them 24/7. (sweetlix and purina GOAT mineral are good examples) Do not get goat/sheep minerals or sheep minerals. I would also feed grain till the kid is weaned so mommy has a good supply of milk.
Also... Is the boy housed with her a buck? You may want to separate them out, Or she may get rebred to early and you'll have the same problem of no duedate again! LOL!

LittleRedHen · #8 05/30/06, 08:23 PM

LOL, yes its a buck! How long after they give birth can they be bred? Would the buck hurt the baby at all? I was thinking about how I might need to make another area for him seperate from the girl.

**mygoat** · #9 05/31/06, 02:48 PM

Well, bucks can impregnate a doeling way way too soon. I belive 'goatfreak' on this forum had a doe kid when it was 7 mon. old or something.... WAY TOO EARLY! Hers was accidental breeding. Bucks can sometimes hurt the babies, and they can also breed your doe at her first heat after kidding, which some people preffer not to do. I would personally never ever ever house a buck in with doe(s) for long periods of time. For breeding, I have a pen attached onto my doe's pen in the winter (my breeding season is from January-march) and when the does show heats I put them in with the bucks overnight and return them to thier pen the next day. Works like a charm and I know exact duedates. Also, bucklings should be separated from thier female herd mates at quite a young age if they are to be kept intact. They can breed the other girl goats quite young. You could wether one of the doe's kids if she has a boy and build a separate pen for the wether and your buck, so your buck doesn't get lonely. Then you can keep the other baby (assuming she has two) and (wether it if it is a boy) and let it stay with mommy.

LittleRedHen · #10 06/01/06, 10:31 AM

Are there any signs to know how many babies she might have?

**mygoat** · #11 06/01/06, 01:50 PM

Not any for sure. Generally the larger they are the more they will have. I've seen super wide does that have one and some that don't even look pregnant have triplets. So it's not for sure. I've been experimenting with a stethoscope lately, and plan to let everyone know how it goes.

Goat Freak · #12 06/01/06, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

Well, bucks can impregnate a doeling way way too soon. I belive 'goatfreak' on this forum had a doe kid when it was 7 mon. old or something.... WAY TOO EARLY! Hers was accidental breeding.

6 months 11 days. SHe was put in with her mother and sister when her mother was getting rebred, we didn't think that she could get pregnant, everyone told us they couldn't get pregnant until 4 months old at least, this was from the web and "experienced" goat people, aka the same guy that lied to us about what we were buying from him. We weren't there when it happend because we figured we had at least another month left, went outside and there was a BEAUTIFUL gray doeling that was larger than her week old aunts. Good Luck with your future goat babies. BYe.