should I separate my does?

[mamakl]

We are new to goats and have two nubian does who have been together for about 4 months. Rose is about 2, and Betty is 7 months old. Because of coyotes we shut "the girls" up in the barn each night (they share a horse stall).

Rose is pregnant and looks like she's going to deliver soon (she lost her mucus plug today). I'm wondering if I should separate Rose and Betty until after Rose delivers (and has some time alone with her babies). I know Betty is going to have a fit about being alone at night though, and Rose probably will too... (They can often hear the coyotes howling at night, and Rose especially gets very spooky once the sun goes down). Betty is extremely sweet and gentle but I'm afraid if I keep them together she might freak out when the babies are born and accidentally hurt one of them.

So, goat gurus.... what do you think?

[trnubian]

Leave them together. You will stress them both out separating them and the new mom will not need any more stress while kidding. They are comforting to each other and taking them away from each other would scare them and stress both of them unecessarily.

Most goats have many other goats young and old around them when they kid and they do just fine and sem to prefer it to kidding pens.

If you are concerned about the younger doe just keep an eye on her. Mom will protect her babies from anything she sees as threatening and most likely will not want the other doe messing with her bavies anyway so she will push her out of the way. And since the doe kidding is considerably older she is probably the matriarch anyway so she will rule the roost reguardless.

Have fun with your new kids!

[KimM]

Can you divide their stall with a hog panel so they're together but not really together?

[Kshobbit]

I think you should leave them together for many reasons. It has been reported that does feel more comfortable staying with the herd when they kid. I try to put the doe and babies in a stall to "mother up" after kidding but a single 7 month old doe kid can fit into that scenerio. It would be less stressful for both does too. Good luck on the kidding and let us know how it works out.

[mamakl]

Thanks for the feedback! There isn't a way to (fairly quickly) make a way for our two does to be separate, but see each other (like through a hog panel for example) I was kind of thinking along those lines too...

Betty is such a very sweet gentle doe though, I wonder if they would be alright together. Rose is very much the herd queen... (of her little herd of one!) and rules her roost with an iron fist...(I mean hoof!

Rose didn't seem to be in labor the last time I checked her, she was moving around as she normally does, although she did seem much more cuddly than usual. (Betty is a climb-up-in-your-lap puppy dog kind of goat, Rose is much more dignified and aloof. She reminds me of a cat sometimes... we are allowed to take care of her as long as we don't bother her too much doing it!)

I can't wait for the baby(ies?) to come... LOL My 10 year old would sleep out in the barn tonight if I would let her, and I had to promise her I'd wake her up if anything started happening!

[dap]

Good luck on your kidding! Just to let you know, though, I thought mine was going to kid for like three weeks before she finally did (I thought she was already pregnant when I got her, but she actually was bred here!). And then the stinker waited until I was off at my classes an hour away, so I came home to meet her beautiful twins that she delivered entirely alone!! She wasn't acting any differently, and didn't look any different when I left that morning. Some goat herder I make!

[Ark]

Mine freak if I try to separate them.

[Obe-Willow]

Mine too she did not kid for three weeks when I thought she would kid the next day.
I am 13 and when my doe kidded during the day but I wanted to sleep in the barn with them but my mom said no they will be fine until morning.
when the ligaments are gone she will have them withen 12 hours.

Good luck
Marisa

[ozark_jewels]

Certainly leave them together. My does all kid out in the same big barn. They are comfortable this way. If they desire to be alone, they head for the back forty......