Signs of labor?

[QoTL]

Ok, first let me say I'm probably paranoid because I have a doe down with hypocalcemia. She's hanging in there, but it's certainly made me worry about every little thing with my other girl.


Ok, the doe I'm actually asking about had two possible due dates. The first one was on March 26th, the second is tomorrow. Yesterday, she was moving pretty slow. Ate her grain but took her time about it. Not her usual perky self for sure.

Today, she is a stranger critter altogether. She hates layiing down today. Actually, she acts like she didn't get any sleep last night at all, and has been yawning constantly. Much of her time has been spent standing about 1" awau from the wall, just staring at it (but hasn't done any head pressing or touched it lol). I'm assuming this is her reaction to her contrax, since she's also been VERY VERY quiet. I dont' think I've heard a peep out of her all day. Her eyes are wide, look nervous. Sometimes they are half-shut, and she has this appearance like she's just enduring. Bag is full, but can't tell if it's shiny (I didn't shave it). There has been NO mucus, but this same doe usually keeps her tail tucked, and HATES having her backend touched. Even before pregnancy, I couldn't feel her ligs, but things definitely feel really loose back there, and her backbone is showing again.

The reason I'm worried is that she hasn't eaten all day. At all. Didn't touch her grain, I haven't seen her eat any hay. usually she constantly chews her cud, and I haven't seen that today either, although she's still belching.

She is about 2 years old, and this will be her first freshening.

Should I dose her with calcium just to be safe? Or is this all just part of early labor? The other, down doe has lots of issues that contributed to her problem (age being a huge factor), that this girl doesn't have. But I'm still worried.

Meghan

[Backfourty,MI.]

Meghan, I sure hope someone else jumps in here to help you with advice since I really don't know what to tell you to do. I can see where you'd worry since you already have one that's sick, I also would be paranoid a bit I think.
It doesn't really sound like labor to me but each goat is different. Whe you say her due dat is tomarrow how many days are you talking about?
I also don't think if you give her the dose of calcium like your giving the other goat will surely not hurt her.
Have you taking her temp.? I would do that to make sure it's not too high or too low.
Can you get her to eat anything? Different kind of hay, a favorite little snack or anything?

[QoTL]

Tomorrow is day 150, or 155 lol.


I haven't taken her temp, because she doesn't really seem sick, just off (and all of my thermoms <4> have disappeared). I just got back from barn check- in the 8x8 stall, she's in the corner facing.. the corner. She's not sleeping, I checked. She does respond to her name, etc etc. There is no teeth grinding or head hanging. No discharge or weird sounds. I did attempt to touch her side today and she freaked (as usual) and took off at a run (as usual).

She also doesn't have the same symptoms my other girl had (no leg weakness or trembling, etc). And no, even pine needles aren't doing the trick, but I'll bring up some bread on my next barn check to see if she'll take that. I've been bringing stuff up for my other girl (molasses/corn syrup, yogurt today), and this one is just turning her nose up at everything, although she does sniff it first. As I said, this happened very suddenly. She did eat her grain and all her hay yesterday. Just nothing today.

Just wanted to add- lately she's LOVED face pattings, and belly scratches. She doesn't want me anywhere near her belly right now, and was kinda insulted when I attempted to pet her face, so I backed off. I do think she's having contrax- I think I saw a few actually, and I noticed she would change her body position- sliding her feet a little closer together.

Meghan

[Backfourty,MI.]

Gosh, I Hope someone else has better advice for you than I did. Each goat is different just like people so it's hard to say if she's in labor or not for sure. What you describe doesn't sound like any labor that any of my doe's have ever gone through but that doesn't mean it's not either.
I would be concerned about her not eating anything at all because that's what keep's there rumen working.
I know it's in your other post & I've read it all but it's been a couple days, are you giving your other doe the homemade CMPK? or injectable from the vet?

[DairyGoatSlave]

yawning and streching is a sign of soon labor, a sure sign(the OLNY) sure sign is when the bag comes out, look aound in the pen for a wet spot with a bit o goo. unless you have a barn camera, she prob is eating, just not when youd expect it. good luck!!
also maybe leave her alone for a bit, i know its hard especaly when you are worried, however some does just dont want anyone to be around, check every few hours, not every hour till it really looks like it
hope i helped
_sending thoughts of doelings to your doe -_

[prairiedog]

if you want to dose her with Calcium it wont hurt her and since the other doe came up short it stands to reason with the same management that this doe may to.

[Minelson]

Sounds to me like the beginning of labor. The not eating, not wanting attention and staring in the corner. Gretta did that. She also started pressing her head but when she wasn't pressing her head she was starring. She didn't want me real close to me and we were best buddies! SO I sat in one corner of the stall and she in the other all day long and into the night. She had the babies about 6 pm. I didn't see any goo until she started giving birth. SO my guess is that they are on there way! Woo-hoo! Make sure the camera is ready

[hoofinitnorth]

Yawning is supposedly a sign of pain, so would go along with early labor.

[Jcran]

Please give her calcium. It won't hurt her, and if needed, it may just save her life. I missed the signs in my heavily pregnant doe, Caramel, and lost her to pregnancy toxemia/hypocalcemia late in her pregnancy.

[QoTL]

Thanks guys!

Well, some of the mystery is solved. Apparently they were as unimpressed by the last bale of hay as I was... and neither girl is too keen on it (although the girl that's down has eaten some.). I have several other bales, so hopefully I find one that's up to the correct standards. I just pulled some stuff from the last bale out of the bottom of their feeder and they were both VERY happy.

I'll give her the calcium though. As you guys said, might help and won't hurt.

Backfourty- My older doe is still off her feet, although today she and I started some OT to get her back up. I'm giving her the CMPK recipe (with the Posture D and some other stuff), vit B complex, along with whatever else I could think of to throw in that might help. 2 days ago I had my father come over with his gun- convinced it was time to let her go. He convinced me to wait until yesterday morning. I have no idea what happened between my father's visit at 6pm and 2am the next morning, but she started nibbling. Now she's doing REALLY well. She just eats a small bit at a time, usually, then takes a little nap, but on my next visit, she wakes right up, takes her meds (well.. fights me LOL but swallows), and roots through and eats her hay, as well as nibbling at any grain that might be left in her bowl. I won't say she's completely recovered by any stretch, but she's soo soooo much better. Just now she gobbled the bread and searched my hands for more.. not even the same goat from a few days ago. Thank you so much for asking about her!! I love her right to pieces, and with this period of being down, she's turning into a total lapgoat (she was always friendly, but now she likes to snooze with her head either buried under my arm, or resting on my lap). She's also been licking my hands lately and doing some mommy talk, although I'm not sure if she's talking to me or her belly. I found a string of mucus under her tail, very thin and short, yesterday, so I'm hoping that means she isn't too far off. Babies are still moving so seem to be doing ok in there.

WHOOT babies!!!!! Figures- it is POURING outside. Actually had thunder and lightning while I was in the barn! Holy cow!

Meghan