Can anyone give me an idea....

[charisma]

As to whether or not this darn goat is pregnant!

I'm pretty sure she is, but I'm not at all sure regarding how far along-- I got her mid-October, and the friend I bought her from allows her buck to range alongside the does. She was moderately sure that Snow White had been bred, and indeed, in the last three or four weeks, she's begun to fatten up and fill out. I've not changed her diet at all in that time-- so I'm pretty sure that it's not just her gaining weight. She eats a decent amount, but she was slender when I got her, and remained that way until around three weeks ago.

Any input would be most appreciated! Feeling totally like a novice here! And with as cold as it is getting at night, having a clue as to when she *might* be birthing would be helpful-- otherwise, I'd just be trudging out to the barn once a night, in the middle of the night, to reassure myself. My last doe went into labor unexpectedly (she was full term with a single buck, but she'd bred much earlier than we'd estimated, and didn't really show all that much).. I'd hate for that to happen this time around!

Thanks for the look (and in advance, for the thoughts!). I also included photos of my precious little buck (he's a Nubian x Sannen). He refused to be exluded from the photo shoot!

Snow White from up top:


Snow White from behind:


Snow White from the side (left side)


And now... Baby Bear (my buck!):
On top of the hay bale...


And ready for his close up!

[Minelson]

Cute pictures! Sorry I can't help with the pregnancy or not...I'm one who is trudging out to the barn every night....have been for 3 weeks now!
That little of buck of yours is a real cutie pie!!

[DQ]

she will "probably" make some kind of udder at least several weeks before she kids. so you would be clued in early most likely. the vulva usually appears longer and loose too but thats kind of subjective. some people say they are quite good at judging pregnancy by the look of the vulva. no one will think you are weird if you post a good pic of her backside with her tail up.

[susanne]

wouldn't it be nice if we all would have x-ray vision?
this time of the year it is really hard to say if a doe is pregnant without having her tested. i have seen does that looked like they would have at least triplets and are only days away from kidding and they were dry
if you really need to know you need to have her tested.

[hoofinitnorth]

Hard to tell from the photos but if she is pregnant, she doesn't look too far along. It would help to know, though, what she looked like when she first arrived and last time she kidded. What kind of goat is she?

[goatkid]

How old is this goat? Has she ever freshened before? From the rear shot, if she's a yearling ff, that looks like she's starting to make a little udder, which would indicate she's pregnant. If you want to know for sure, you could have your vet either ultrasound her or send in blood for a pregnancy test.

[charisma]

She is 2 years old. This is her second freshening. When she first arrived she was lean-- she's naturally a very slender goat (from what I can tell), and her belly has gradually started hanging about 4 or 5 inches lower than she was 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was thinking that, if she is bred, she'll most likely go in January or February (based on approximate breeding dates). I suppose I really should see if I can get a vet to take a look at her. I've just been trying to hold out till around mid-January (since money is just tight right now), and maybe by then it'll either be super obvious, or I can get a blood test to assuage my curiousity.

Oh, & I would get a shot of her behind with her tail up if I could get her to co-operate. She's a fiesty one (to say the least!). Sweet, but feisty. I'll see if I can't manage one tomorrow.

[charisma]

Oh & I had noticed her udder loosening up a bit. She was very high and tight in that area until last week. Since then, they've lengethened a bit.

Thanks so much for all the responses!