Ligaments gone... HOW LONG?

[TSYORK]

I have a doe that was bred on October 14th. I know that was the day she was bred because that was the only day she was exposed to the buck. I've got conflicting reports about her due date, so I've come to the people that know. When should I expect kids.

I felt tonight and her ligaments are gone and she's bagged up nicely. She's eating like a horse and is not in any apparent labor. How long will her ligaments dissolve prior to kidding?

Thanks for all your help.

[HazyDay]

My doe lost her 1 month before, The signs that people tell you , are just for all of thier does (some are different) But I would look in on her every few hours so that if she goes in labor you can help

[DocM]

Anywhere from 12 to 48 hours.

I find a better indicator is that when feeling the tail head, you can just about pinch all the way around the spine/tail bone. Sometimes the ligaments are very soft and feel as if they're gone, but the tail head hasn't lifted. I wouldn't worry about her, she'll kid when she's ready - like, when you're in the house posting on the computer. Oh, and please take the camera out with you.

[KimM]

March 13th would be 150 days.
On mine, some have had completely soft ligaments two weeks before, but most have been a day. Sometimes they are hard to find but they're there. I start really watching at 146 days - I'm on doe-duty now with 2 girls due the 8th and 9th.

[dosthouhavemilk]

According to the Gestation Calculator I use, 150 days post breeding is March 13th.
I use a calculator that Karin Christenen put together and offered people on her Yahoo! groups a couple of years ago. Wonderful little program to have on the computer!

[chamoisee]

I've never had one go for more than 24 hours when her ligaments are completely undetectable (and this is the word I've used, because they haven't actually disappeared or dissolved at all, they're just so soft that you can't feel them anymore). I suspect at times that other people might be feeling for a different set of ligaments, because I cannot fathom a doe going for a month that way. 24 hours would be the max that I have seen, more often it is a matter of hours, less than 8 hours.

[mammawof3]

Originally Posted by chamoisee

I've never had one go for more than 24 hours when her ligaments are completely undetectable (and this is the word I've used, because they haven't actually disappeared or dissolved at all, they're just so soft that you can't feel them anymore). I suspect at times that other people might be feeling for a different set of ligaments, because I cannot fathom a doe going for a month that way. 24 hours would be the max that I have seen, more often it is a matter of hours, less than 8 hours.

I agree-sometimes it is just so hard to feel them, that you think they are gone! Desperado has been put into the kidding pen 3X now, cuz she is sooo loose that i THINK i am not feeling any tendon-but all the way up to her tail head-if you kinda push in-you will feel just a bit of one--funny spoiled doe-she now puts HERSELF into the kidding area after i feed their grain at p.m.-makes it closer to check her in the wee hours-i think she likes to "snuggly" feeling of the place!

[Allan Mistler]

Hello folks,
I hope you won't consider my question as being too dumb but... Not ever having to guess at the delivery date in my previous experience with goats, how does this ligament thing work? I always knew when my girls were bred and therefore when they'd kid but I currently have a first freshener who was sold to me as "bred sometime in November". Frustrating but a fact of life with many breeders. She has been 'goopy' for about two weeks now and is developing an udder, but in this sub zero weather, that's not good enough!
Where can I find out more on understanding and performing this ligament test with accurate appraisal?

Thanks

[Obe-Willow]

Originally Posted by Allan Mistler

Hello folks,
I hope you won't consider my question as being too dumb but... Not ever having to guess at the delivery date in my previous experience with goats, how does this ligament thing work? I always knew when my girls were bred and therefore when they'd kid but I currently have a first freshener who was sold to me as "bred sometime in November". Frustrating but a fact of life with many breeders. She has been 'goopy' for about two weeks now and is developing an udder, but in this sub zero weather, that's not good enough!
Where can I find out more on understanding and performing this ligament test with accurate appraisal?

Thanks

Her is the web site about the ligaments http://fiascofarm.com/goats/prenatalcare.html#ligaments

Marisa

[Allan Mistler]

Thanks Marisa!

[Sweet Goats]

Good Luck. They are all so different. Watch for her to be different. Off, watch for a string of mucus. I did have one doe deliver that I never saw the mucus, so that is hard to say also. Some people say watch fro a BIG utter, they tend to get shinny because they are so large. Mine don't do that very often. I also had a doe chow down on some gran, so I thought i had lots of time, then 20 min later I heard something, ran out and she had one on the ground. So don't let the "I don't feel like eating" thing throw you either. I say grab a cup of coffe, tea or wahtever and play the waiting game.