IS she every going to kid?

[4H mama]

My son (a 10.5 yr old 4Her) has a doe that I think should have had her kid by now. Two weeks ago, she lost her mucus plug. It was a small amount of whitish- clear mucus discharge -- no odor -- appeared normal. According to what we read online, we thought she would kid within a week. We brought her into the barn with another mama doe and two babies -- in a separate pin.

Two weeks later -- no more signs of imminent labor -- UNTIL yesterday. She had another small amount (maybe a teaspoon) of the same whitish- clear mucus discharge. I told my son -- she will probably kid tonight. I stayed up until 4 am checking on her.

She was pawing the ground, moving the straw around, eating, but not as much as usual - normal bowel movements - , laying down, getting up, laying down, etc. -- appeared to be restless. She was awake all night.

When she did get up, she would very quickly tense her whole body in what appeared to be a contraction. It would pass and then she would usually poo some and then eventually lay back down. The contractions seemed to be coming at about 20 minutes apart all night long. Her milk bag was full and tight -- the babies moved must lower over the last two days...-- but still moving very actively. Her vulva is swollen.

When my son checked on her at 8:30 this morning -- still no babies or more signs of labor, but she had fallen asleep -- standing with her head in the hay feeder (wall mounted) -- she was obviously exhausted from being awake all night.

We cleaned out her stall -- no signs of water breakage -- and let her out for the day since we are having an unusually warm and sunny day for late December.

She appears to be a younger doe, this is probably only her first or second pregnancy. We don't know her exact due date -- she was bred before we bought her. She is big and looks like she should give birth any day.

How long can goats have contractions before they will go into active labor? I know with humans it can be days before they progress into actual active labor. What should we do for her? I really want this to be a positive experience for my 4H son, age 10.5 and I would hate to see this mama die and/or the babies.

[DairyGoatSlave]

who knows...mines doing the same thing...its killing me to wait XD

[DQ]

we have all been there! even when I know my does dates I still sit out there and interpret every harumph and paw at the ground and stretch as a sign of labor.

the whitish mucous could be going on for a month before. Check her ligaments on either side of her tail. when she is near labor (within 24 hrs) it will feel as if you can touch your fingers together around her spine near her tail. that is the only reliable method of determining how close to kidding they are.

It is very easy to assign meaning to normal behaviour when you are looking for something. are you paying closer attention or is she really acting differently .

[DairyGoatSlave]

i dont know bout the ligament thing...my does have been gone for 2 days now and nothign....

[4H mama]

I hear what you are saying about maybe I am just paying more attention to her -- but, No -- She is definitely acting differently. She normally eats like a fiend and she hasn't been eating as much. She was breathing heavily last night, the "contractions" that I described are definitely new. Her bag is much fuller, her vulva wasn't swollen like that two days ago. She didn't paw at the ground like this before a day ago.

One more things she is doing -- she is grooming her belly like crazy -- not just looking at it, but licking it a lot. I didn't read anything about this online....

[4H mama]

oh -- regarding the ligaments --- I have tried to feel for the loose or "gone" ligaments -- but she acts like it is extremely painful and jumps away from me too quickly to get a good feel.

[ShyAnne]

4H Mama that is what my doe started doing last week. She went for a few days with mucus then stopped and it is back today. No contractions though, and her bag isnt tight.
Mine is a first timer so I feel your pain.Mine also jumps away when I try to feel I actually had to have my son hold her , then I could feel them.

[cmharris6002]

4H Mama, your doe sounds like she is close to kidding. unfortunately no one can tell you if that means she will kid in a few hours, a few days or even weeks. If she develops a thick strand of amber goo you can be sure kidding is only hours away. Most, but not all does, present with amber goo before kidding.

You should know that we all share your concern and many if not all of us have been in your shoes.

Good luck with your doe!

Christy

[DairyGoatSlave]

i just wanted to share with everyone....IV GOT BABY GOO!!! *dances* iv never been so happy to see stuff hanging out my goats rear XD and i just went out to check on her again and she didnt get up...just rested her head on fence...must not get too excited though....or else shell suck it back in

[4H mama]

dairy goat slave -- you lucky girl!

[hoofinitnorth]

4H mama, I'm still a newbie with only a few kiddings under my belt, but I would be a bit worried about her tiring out without progressing. Can you stay with her and watch her again to see if she's pushing? It's hard to say from what you've posted, but I would be tempted to go in and feel for a malpositioned kid if she was this close and not making any progress.

I had one doe that was really tuckering out early on, I thought. I waited for a bit and watched her, to be sure it wasn't just me being impatient. Finally, I went in a bit and felt RIBS AND BACK! ACK! I knew this kid was not in the right position and this was why the doe was struggling so much so early. Long story short, I tried to turn the kid to a better position. I must have gotten her moved just enough because within a few minutes, the dam raised her head up within inches of my face, let out a huge holler, and pushed that baby out butt breech! The next two came right out after that without so much as a groan from momma. Glad I went in to investigate on that one.

[4H mama]

oh man -- well, she isn't pushing at all -- she hasn't started that yet and tonight she is acting "normal" again. Other than the swollen vulva, not other signs of imminent labor. I'm thinking she just had a bad case of braxton hix contractions last night.

I see you're from Wasilla, Alaska. This last election sure did put your fair town on the map, eh?

I will continue to check on her hourly to see if there is anything changing....

[CookingPam777]

Hope she kids for you she'll do it when you least expect it. In fact she will be acting like this then get a huge spurt of energy and your like oh she's not kidding today and BAM! 15 minutes later that kid/s will hit the ground hehehe! I know from experience hehehe!

[togg75]

Originally Posted by ShyAnne

4H Mama that is what my doe started doing last week. She went for a few days with mucus then stopped and it is back today. No contractions though, and her bag isnt tight.
Mine is a first timer so I feel your pain.Mine also jumps away when I try to feel I actually had to have my son hold her , then I could feel them.

I've tried and tried to feel this in my girls so I can feel the difference when kidding time approaches, but I still cannot feel the "normal" presentation.

And I can usually "see" with my hands......

[mary,tx]

I hate to tell you this, but I have seen the white mucous show as much as a month or so before kidding. And some goats just do a lot of carrying on the last month or so. Especially if they are carrying multiples, you can imagine that they do become uncomfortable. Some will lay around and moan and grown in the evenings, and worry you silly.

I have one that is due the end of next month that had mucous yesterday. A couple of weeks or so ago I was sure I had miscalculated because she was acting so weird. Evidently one of the kids had gotten in a very uncomfortable position, and she was doing everything she could think of to make it move, including acting very much like she was in active labor. It passed. I'm not worried about her because I have a date on the calendar, and it's not for another four weeks!

[4H mama]

Oh good golly! Well, it could be then that was bred by my friend's buck after we got her and I just didn't witness the big event! lol! If that is the case, she may not deliver for 3 more weeks! ugh! However, she is so big, I can't imagine the little thing going much longer. For her sake, I hope she goes sooner.

[Sweet Goats]

4H mama. It sounds like she has taken the code of Pregnant does.

I say sit back relax and she will do when you say "OK I am done waiting". Get yourself a cup of coffee, tea or whatever and play the waiting game.

I say you will have New Years eve babies, or maybe early new years day.

I have a doe that gets a swollen Vulva for like a month. I am afraid that if she coughs she will shoot the baby out.

[4H mama]

well, we lost the baby today. Mama's water broke and shortly after she pushed out a bag of blood filled fluid. The poor little baby's cord broke in the womb right off at it's belly. It bled to death in the womb. We had to pull the baby. It was stillborn. So sad. Mama kept trying to take care of it and talking to it. So, so sad.

We couldn't feel any more babies, but wanted to make sure since her water had broke and we are newbies at this. We took her to the vet. He checked her and said no more babies. He gave her a shot of oxytocin and antibiotics. Shortly after we came back home with her she delivered the placenta.

We cleaned her pen up and now she is resting in the fresh straw.

I feel so bad for her, not to mention how miserable that big old bag will get before it is all said and done.

My boy is ok. He seems to take things easier than me.

He helped dad bury the baby and my middle son said some prayers for it.

It was such a big, nice-looking kid too.

[manygoatsnmore]

Why not milk her? I'm assuming by what you posted that it is a meat goat? You can still get a good amount of house milk from her...at least a little good could come out of a sad situation. I'm so sorry for you and for your son...just a freak thing that you'll probably never have happen again - unfortunate that it had to happen on your very first kidding experience.

(I did have to read that next to the last sentence twice - at first I thought it said you buried the baby and your middle son, lol! )

[southerngurl]

Awww, I'm sorry to hear that. That really stinks.