newbie with a question

mamakl · #1 07/22/06, 09:02 AM

Hi! I've been lurking for the past couple of weeks, reading the posts and trying to learn from all the experienced goat keepers here...

We just got our first goat, a 3 month old nubian kid (a doe) about a month ago. A couple of weeks ago we got an adult doe. Our kid was handled a lot and is very friendly and social, but the adult doe we got was one of a large herd of free range goats (sheep, donkeys, llamas, etc) and was pretty wild when we got her.

So far things are going well.. Both our girls had diarrhea right after we moved them, but it resolved without any problem after just a day or two. They graze our (appr) 1 acre fenced field during the day, and but have a stall in our barn with an attached pen that they stay in when we're gone during the day and at night (we have lots of coyotes here, and a mountain lion was spotted in the area just last week).

Our adult doe seems to be getting used to us and is allowing us to touch her and will come to us for treats. She is pregnant, but because the bucks and does were kept all together at her previous owners, we don't know when she's due. (It does looks as though her stomach is getting bigger by the day though!) Any thoughts on how to tell just how far along she is?

Thanks!

Maura

Wendy · #2 07/22/06, 10:44 AM

No idea how to tell, but there are things you can watch for. When her udder gets very full & tight & almost has a shine to it then she is close. Some get an udder way ahead of time & others when they are close to their due date. When did you get her? Gestation is 5 months, so it will not be longer than 5 months after you got her.

Dee · #3 07/22/06, 07:25 PM

Someone very wise once told me that it will be about 28 days after the bag starts to fill. It was always right on until this year when a doe had triplet early and she didn't drop until days later.

Idahoe · #4 07/22/06, 11:15 PM

If I didn't know when my doe had been bred, I'd watch more for the signs of imminent birth . . . those, at least in reading, seem pretty concrete, like the disappearing ligament between the pinbone and hip as the kid positions for birth, the clear and then amber vaginal discharge, and of course as mentioned, the bagging up.

Make sure to read up on the more common later pregnancy problems like ketosis which can be prevented.

Probably you'll just go check her and find a little fuzzy baby or two!

I too have wildish does, two with milking experience and three FFs who I could not touch until this week. All three have kids, two doelings among them, and if you've ever tried to catch a wildish goat kid before . . . but I've had to to make sure the little girls are getting their proper feedings. . . all this said, consider taking the kids or the doeling and bottling her so she'll be handleable later.

topside1 · #5 07/23/06, 07:16 AM

Hi, just wanted to add don't worry about the skittish doe, she's in new surrounding and had lived in herd setting. She will adjust with time and attention. I bought four wild herd doelings in February and by the end of March the four were manageable and at times even loveable. The more time you spend with her the sooner she will become your newest animal friend. I've found that if you restrain the animal periodically and spend time brushing, touching, trimming hooves, and of course treats will accelerate the bonding process. The other questions were answered brilliantly by our fellow goat owners...Tennessee John

mamakl · #6 07/24/06, 07:04 AM

Thanks everyone for the good advice and reassurance. Our little "wild" doe does seem to be calming down a little more each day, and just over the past couple of days has started to assert a little dominance over our 4 month old doe. (Before, the older one seemed very unsure of herself and almost looking to the baby for what to do!) Her udder hasn't changed at all yet, so I'm guessing (hoping) we have another month or so before her little one(s) comes.

Thanks again!!

Maura

topside1 · #7 07/24/06, 07:26 AM

Maura, I wouldn't place too much hope in watching for udder development because each animal is different. Keep watching for all the signs and sudden changes in your animal behavior. Quick example, this year I had one doe come into milk two months before her delivery, so you can see anything is possible it's solely up to her. Spend lots of time with your new animals and you will discover their individualities....Good luck, keep learning and keep in touch....Tennessee John