PG or not?

Jillis · #1 07/31/06, 10:32 AM

I have 3 yearling does that I had bred back in January and February. Or so I thought. When I added up the days, it was a definite that the first one I took to the buck, who stayed with him for 3 weeks, should have given birth by the end of June, latest. Nada.

The next 2, who to me look pg, should be giving birth anytime within the last 2 weeks of July.

Now, they look less pg to me than previously, but they still look pg. But they are not HUGE. They just have a protruding bump on their right side. One them has a swollen udder too. I am putting them in a separate stall at night (together) and they are getting alfalfa pellets in addition to their grain.

But no signs of ready to birth in either. After the Nubian didn't have babie, I am starting to be afraid these too aren't pg either.

How big do first timers look when they are pg? I was told some of them you can hardly tell until the end. The ND doe we had was ENORMOUS, but, she looked pg when she was bred. her babies are 5 months old now and she still looks pg!

So, encourage me, please! I still believe they are pg, but I am so inexperienced at this? Can they be about to give birth and still not be absolutely bulgins with baby? They are big and round at the bottom and bulging on the right, but maybe they are just fatter than the others because they are on the top of the pecking order?

TIA!

huntingnappanee · #2 07/31/06, 12:18 PM

I remember reading somewhere about "bouncing" the doe to see if she was pregnant. I don't remember exactly what it said. Something about putting your arms around the doe in front of the under and pulling up and then dropping and feeling for a bounce or something. Maybe someone else who reads this thread might know more details about this method.

Jillis · #3 07/31/06, 03:56 PM

Well, I tried that, but I am very inexperienced...a friend of mine who IS experienced came and bounced them, and pronounced them pg, all three...

She said, well, I could be wrong...

Time will tell, eh?

But my question remains. Do first time pg goats not look as pg as ones who have given birth before?

Dian · #4 07/31/06, 06:01 PM

We haven't had goats long. We had our first babies-born from first time moms- in April. The last 2 weeks the nannies did look smaller to me, still pg but smaller than they had looked in a while. So heres the encouragement-it sounds normal to me. I think you will have babies soon. Good luck and keep us posted. By the way from 3 first time moms we got 5 babies. Two sets of twins and a single, all went well and they are all still doing fine.
Dian

Sondra Peterson · #5 07/31/06, 06:05 PM

If they are all Nubians then they hind it well. This was my first year with Nubians and let me tell you I couldn't tell with any of them till the day they freshened. HATE it. They carry the babies way down under the belly and don't bulge out sideways like my other goats.

Jillis · #6 08/01/06, 05:43 AM

The first one was a Nubian...she is so big and long bodied that I just thought maybe she was "hiding" it well. I think at this point, though, it is literally impossible for HER to be pg.

But the 2 Alpines do look pg. I just wormed everyone with ivermectin. The 2 pg goats especially were looking way too thin for the way I feed them. Also, a little pale in the gums. Of course, they pretty quickly lost a little of the slight belly a goat will get when they need to be wormed. But they still look pg. Absolutley not signs of being ready except the swollen udder on one of them.

Oh well. If they are not pg, and even if they are, I am buying my own buck. I am also buying a goat that is in milk, if I can. I refuse to wait any longer.

Sigh.

Shazza · #7 08/01/06, 08:43 AM

I thought bouncing was only affective if you were doing it to see if there were a second or third kid...during a kidding.???
My Toggie does...3 of them are all maidens...I think they are all pregnant, all have a tiny udder starting. Although one was due on Monday and nothing so far, Tuesday night....I hope they get a bit more milk...I was thinking they would probably have singles. My second lactation milkers I think are having twins and the old girl, 4th babies, prob triplets again.

Kshobbit · #8 08/01/06, 09:43 AM

Look at their vulva. If they are bred, it will start to relax and gets more enlarged and possibly will have a discharge before kidding. The tail will start to lift and loosen too.
The udder will get large and tight, right before kidding but sometimes they seem to get large and kid at the same time. LOL
They should be dewormed at kidding and 3 to 4 weeks later as the hormone change has the worm population increasing rapidly. Next time leave the doe with the buck for 4 weeks and it will catch the second heat cycle if she doesn't take the first time. Good luck