Do the doe-watch jitters ever go away?

[cjb]

;-)

My two does ran with a buck, beginning January 6th so, technically, they could be due any time after this Wednesday. We would be on day 149, if they did the deed the day I brought them over. Of course, I have no idea if they were in heat then or not.

1 doe is a third timer and the other is a first.

The 3rd timer has no ligaments left and her milk bag is enormous. She has to step around it to walk. Her sides are also unbelievably large. This doe has always had twins so I expect that again. She is not a complainer so it is very hard to tell when she is ready.

I have no idea about the ff. She bagged up a few weeks ago but, yesterday her bag got much more full to where her teats are tight and stick out. She also looks pretty "open" in the back.

Anyway - all that to say - I'm going to be a wreck and get no sleep now for weeks as they will probably drag it out and drive me nuts.

Do does that have been raised together for years tend to cycle at the same time? I wonder if they are both due around the same time. Last year, two of our does were dropped off to run w/ the buck and they both delivered the same day!

[ozark_jewels]

Yes, by this time the jitters are long gone and after watching her closely for three weeks now, I just want to wrap my two arms around her middle, give a mighty squeeze and watch those kids fly out and across the barn......Can you tell I'm getting tired of watching my *last* doeling to kid this year??
Sympathizing here.......

[cjb]

Lol - I take it the jitters never go away. I work 12.1 miles from home so am driving my wife nuts (have you looked at the goats lately?). So far, we have been very lucky and witnessed/assisted every birth (which has only been 4 so far). I especially don't want to miss the younger doe's first birth.

I wish there was a fool proof symptom that always occurs within X days of birth. The first time our first two does delivered it was easy - they both bagged up, then two days later, their bags got real tight and they delivered within 24 hours. Since then, they have been fooling me, leading me on and enjoying my misery.

[computerchick]

I swear mine read the kidding calendar.

I thought it would be easier on me to field breed/kid this year. HA. I still watch those udders!!!

Andrea

[mygoat]

I think my 'jitters' have gone away and been replaced with impatience. I wanna play with them new kids NOW! LOL

After the ligaments go, I expect kids in the next 12 hours. Make sure they haven't just shifted. If they are truly gone, stay with her!

[vtfarma]

I have 3 due any time now too. I hate this time it is so nerve wracking, for us. They are just happy its cooler. They kind of look like 2 volkswagons trying to pass each other when they are walking. Poor things! Actually our pygmy is not due until July 9. The other 2 are June 9. That pygmy is so big it looks painful.

I was wondering about them cycling at the same time too. It seems that they are in sync now.

Laurie

[Idahoe]

The one single "sign" that kidding was coming soon was loss of the ligaments. My last doe had ligaments in the morning, and at 10pm, they were not feelable and she was talking like mad to her backside. The kids were born at 3 am.

The other very reliable sign was the broken tail. When the ligaments finally let loose, it's as if the whole tail base drops, and the doe in profile looks different back there. From hipbone to tail end, there was a steep drop off.

Until I brought the buck home, I detected heat in one doe once, but only because she was outrageous about it (mounting and flagging constantly). I brought home a Nigerian Dwarf, and threw him in with the does. Since he couldn't reach, he was my heat detector. He blubbered and hung close to the girl, so I'd get them up on the stanchion with his "lift" and have a concrete due date.

He did knock up one FF who was a little smaller than the others by himself, so this is not foolproof. Since she NEVER heat cycled again, I figured he got her first thing. Sure enough she kidded on day 149 after I brought him home.

[Corky]

watch them close.

Sounds like they are ready to me.

I hate the not knowing but it sure would be better for me and the buck if they could all run together all the time. I am getting better at knowing when they are about to kid so I may just let them run as a herd again. I can't make up my mine about that.

I do know I don't want mid winter births so I will not let him out until October now.

[cjb]

Corky - where do you live? It seems from some postings that mid winter would be better then mid summer because of the parasites.

[4Hmomwyo]

Okay, so we watched my one daughter's doe for just over a month, due to conflicting info from the breeder, then sold her back 4 days before she kidded (due to cl). So my other daughter has a togg doe, that we figgured was bred, but no confirmation of that, just the fact that she was penned with the buck full time. Noticed her bag getting larger, but not shiny, no plug or mucus yesterday morning when we left for school, but lo and behold a handsome little buck was waiting for us when we got home--go figure! Our first baby born on the farm and we missed the whole thing! Whenever you let your guard down.....

[cjb]

oh i'm sure i could miss this one too. Fortunately, my wife and kids are mostly at home so they're keeping an eye out for me. I have meetings all day so, even if she kicked in now, i couldn't go home for hours.

[Freeholder]

Somewhere I read that if you put the doe in with the buck, she will usually go into heat within a week (from the stimulation of being with him), and so far I've found this to be true. So most likely both of your does were bred within a day or two of each other and likely they'll kid shortly. Then your suspense will be over, LOL! Keep us posted!

Kathleen

[cjb]

I will keep you posted.

The ff is already 1/2 nubian and the buck was a nubian so I expect some stinking cute ears and a loud voice!! (Mom is a yeller).

We might just have to keep that one if she's a she....