looks like we will have our first goats born anytime now!

[christij]

I went to check Miracle my boerX and she had a long string of goop hanging down but she still attacked the alfalfa hay. And her tailhead is raised I can practically touch my fingers around it! Her due date is the 11th but if she wants to go early on a nice sunny 52 as a high today you will hear no complaints from me - her due date is predicted as steady rain!

I thinking I am probably looking at what within the next two days for sure?

[ozark_jewels]

Whoo-hoo!!! Yep, sounds like sooner than later. Thinking "doe", thinking "doe"........I'll tell Junior he is about to be a daddy again.

[christij]

Yes thinking doe! Well I have been out twice since then and I don't see anything back there! She is still hanging with the group -- and I saw Cassie actually rub up against her in a nice way! I feel like I did this time last year -- is this labor is this not what was that -- I feel like I am waiting for syd to be born!

[Sweet Goats]

SO, Anything? I have three does thst do not stop eating. They will eat right up to dropping them.
I would say yours is pretty close.

[topside1]

Christie, what's the verdict? Need some photos for sure....

[christij]

Uhhhhh - huge sigh --- I just got back in from feeding and putting one up for the night and nothing -- still no additional discharge that I have seen! I guess I will check after I get the little one down and if nothing then have hubby check around 5 before he goes to work!
The tailhead has had no change. I will be so disappointed if I miss it. Still eating like a big though.

[GoldenWood Farm]

Don't you hate it when does do this to you? I have had more than my fair share do this to me . They think its fun to make mommy come checking every hour or so (thats when coffee seems like a miracle substance ).

MotherClucker

[jill.costello]

Let's see if I can remember Cayenne's timeframe......

1. She lost her mucus plug about 2:00pm in the afternoon.
2. She ate like a piglet at 5:00pm
3. I stared at her from 5:00pm-8:00pm [she stared right back]
4. I wasted time going over my "kit" [iodine,bucket,towels washed in bleach & rinsed 3x,lube,gloves,bulb syringe, heat lamp, fresh bedding, other goats locked up, dogs locked up, horses locked OUT, whiskey ,coffee]
5. Drove DH crazy with questions [he grew up on a dairy farm] and forced him to stand with me in the barn until 11:00pm
6. 11:30pm Cayenne is pawing!!
7. Cayenne is arching her neck!
8. 12:15am Cayenne is.......sleeping....(sigh)
9. 1:00am DH abandons me to go to bed
10. 1:25am I assemble our little two-man tent right in the barn aisle! (I will NOT miss this for the world!)
11. 3:00am-6:00am Cayenne paces, paws, rubs herself, tail flagging
12. 7:45am DH arrives with a cup of coffee
13. 8:00am Cayenne goes into hard labor

Moral? lost plug at 2:00pm, had twins at 8:00am the next morning. I am convinced that if I hadn't been watching her, she'd have spit those kids out at midnight!!! grrrrrrr.....Good Luck with your kidding!!!

[christij]

Well I just checked on her after getting the little one down -- just munching away my little Nigerian Huck has jumped over into her stall to eat her left over pellets. No pawing just looked at me and probably thought don't you dare touch my tail. It's colder than I would like ..... I have a feeling everytime I wake up I will sleep walk outside. ... my little one still nightwakes so I am on call in both areas! I hope she waits until after 5!

[christij]

well. I checked at 2, hubby checked at 5 and nothing!This morning when I let them out she was lifting her neck and flipping her lip up. And what I like to call the ballet move - lifting her leg on to something and rouching her foot to itch it.... today cooler 15 mph wind and flurries.

[jill.costello]

Hmm...might want to get a heat lamp, just in case? They come out wet (duh) and chill quickly; while she's licking one, the other is safe under the heat......just a thought!

[Sweet Goats]

I thought forsure I would read that you had babies this morning. Well, it will happen. I would say, go get a cup of coffee and go about your daily routine. As soon as you decide it will never happen that is when it will. I always say it is like "a watched pot never boils, or a watched goat never kids."

[ozark_jewels]

Got you some towels handy?? Might dry one while momma's drying the other. In this type of weather I just be sure their dry(especially their ears and feet), then let momma do the rest. Unless its below freezing, they'll be just fine. Even below freezing if they get dry, they will do fine. Heatlamps aren't something I *ever* use. To much of a risk in my opinion. If its too cold, I'll bring them all into the basement till they are good and dry. But it has to be down in the single digits and blowing hard before I'll do that. They are hardy little beggars.
Big Mama is due one day after Miracle.......She is looking distinctly close!

[christij]

I have towels with my kidding stuff and I have a pet taxi that I'm going to fill with hay/straw for them to bundle in if they need it on the other side of the creeper area (Field fence corners off part of the stall so they can get away from the others if they need to.
The babe has went down for her nap so I figure when she gets up we will check again.
I don't see any dilation in the cervix area or any other discharge and they all are hanging out in one stall what I can tell by looking out our windows -- luckly I have a view of 80% of the goat fields!
It looks like by the end of the week there will be little Junior/Juniorettes running around! =)

[jill.costello]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Even below freezing if they get dry, they will do fine. Heatlamps aren't something I *ever* use. To much of a risk in my opinion.

Oh! I agree completely! I just meant for those few moments if you're right there "helping", until both kids are alert and momma has the situation under control! No, I don't leave heat lamps burning, either (shudder!). I just remember Cayenne a bit hyper about the first kid- it was as though she didn't notice the second one had slipped out behind her! Luckily, I had DH there to rub the kid with towels while I gently moved the wet bedding out of the way and laid down fresh, etc. We then put BOTH kids at her face, and she worked on both of them herself. Then we gathered up our things and slipped out to leave her to it!

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by jill.costello

Oh! I agree completely! I just meant for those few moments if you're right there "helping", until both kids are alert and momma has the situation under control! No, I don't leave heat lamps burning, either (shudder!).

Yeah, I thought that was what you meant , I just get freaked out that some newbie is going to leave the lamp in there while their gone and burn the barn down. Was just reading another news story where a breeder did that the other day and lost several does with kids when her barn burnt down..... Just not something I want to risk!!

[christij]

I have no electric in the barn they are -- so no heat lamps!

Well tonight's bed check shows Huck with her AGAIN! and some mucus -- I guess she didn't lose all of her plug on Monday?! She was by herself a little more today and even more streching and boy is she going potty! I getting flashbacks of my own PG a year ago where I went around walking for 3 days having contractions (not as bad as it sounds for me at least!). And here I was afraid she would go real early - HA!
Cassie was getting a little rough with her when I put out hay this afternoon - should I keep Miracle stalled until she kids as a precaution?

[susanne]

are they there yet?
a doe this close at my plase is in a kidding box.
i hope everything goes well for you

[tinetine'sgoat]

Good luck!! Freckles who just had triplets stringed goo, rubbed fences, stretched so we put her in the kidding area with a buddy and generally had me nuts for 3 WEEKS!! Luckily you know the due date, all we had with her was a guestimate from the guy we bought her from. Then when she did go she surprised us! Hope she has them soon!

[Sweet Goats]

Well???? What is the news? If she is off by herself more I would say it is going to be anytime now.