white discharge

[desertshi]

My supposedly pregnant doe, whom we don't know due date, is showing a thick white discharge today. Could this be onset of labor? Proof that she really is pregnant? Possible heat? SHe has not shown heat as far as I have seen in the 6 weeks since she came home from the ranch. She is an older doe, around 6 or 7 years? Udder was drying up when she came home and it has not completely dried up, but is not filling either? lol.

Me and my animal escapades. I know, I know. I am really trying to become more "by the books." I want to try and be there for kidding!!

[dragonchick]

She could be loosing her plug or she could be in heat. Does she "look" pregnant? does she have an udder that "looks" like its filling with milk? Doe's whom have previously freshened may have an udder but it will be soft and squishy, pregnant doe's udders are more firm feeling. If its hard you may have gotten a doe with mastitis/mastitis scaring.

Really the only way to know if she is pregnant (and don't have a definitive due date) is to wait until a maximum of 5 months from the date you got her, or when she was last with a buck. The kids on the ground would be the clue that she WAS pregnant :0

[desertshi]

haha!! I know, kids are the only REAL way to know! lol. Does she look pregnant. Yes, downward, not to the sides. Udder is there, but has gotten smaller. I tried bumping but I am not really good at it? Don't really notice anything definitive? lol.

[Briza]

Actually you can pull blood and have a test for pg verification 30 days after breeding. But it should be so totally obvious if she is about to begin parturition. She will be HUGE and she will have an udder that is full and turgid. She will have a very high looking tail bone due to the pelvic ligaments loosening. She will have a distended and swollen vulva that is loose in preparation for enlarging the canal. It is very very obvious if she is at term. Normally fluids from birthing are more transparent.
So since you don't have an udder I would say she is cycling and you best put her with the stinker of the family! Is she flagging her tail? Calling more than normal? Rubbing on things?
B~

[Backfourty,MI.]

Could be either, I guess I would just keep a close eye on her & keep checking her everyday.

I ALWAYS put the buck with the doe's when they come in heat, each day, a.m. & p.m. so I always have dates. This year my buck kept jumping the gates & I don't even know how many tiimes he was in with the girls. Anyways 1 of my doe's still has not come in heat! You know what that means!!? I don't have a date for her either now. There gates are now 5 feet tall!! He is our escape artist for sure.

[luvzmybabz]

Originally Posted by Briza

Actually you can pull blood and have a test for pg verification 30 days after breeding. But it should be so totally obvious if she is about to begin parturition. She will be HUGE and she will have an udder that is full and turgid. She will have a very high looking tail bone due to the pelvic ligaments loosening. She will have a distended and swollen vulva that is loose in preparation for enlarging the canal. It is very very obvious if she is at term. Normally fluids from birthing are more transparent.
So since you don't have an udder I would say she is cycling and you best put her with the stinker of the family! Is she flagging her tail? Calling more than normal? Rubbing on things?
B~

NOt all goats get HUGE during pregnancy. I have been at the birth of twins that the goat maybe looked like she had eaten just a bit too much hay. ALso udders do not always fill before birth some need the hormones from birth to produce. Everyone told me that the long string of Amber goo would come 1 to 12 hours pre-birth, both of my birls ambered within 3 minutes of the first push within 20 minutes of completed birth. Every goat is different some will show none to very few signs, some will show everysign for a long time before birth.
Desert if you really want to know then you could send blood in for testing if Biotracking will not except blood from you due to your being in Mexico and I am remebering correctly send it to your famil here to forward.

[wintrrwolf]

When you all send off your blood samples do you centrifuge first? Was reading for preg test AND CAE test they require 2ml of blood and 1 ml of serum in a red top so how do you all process for serum? Ahhh nevermind in the sample instructions it says 2 cc of whole blood. Biotracking test prices aren't bad all. Gonna give it a try.

[Briza]

some will show none to very few signs,

My experience has only been with completely overt obvious progression of pregnancy.
I have full sized well fed dairy goats of all ages so I guess that makes a difference. They look like someone took a tire pump to them for the last month and they change physically very dramatically if you know what to look for. Vulva loosening- ligaments loosening -glands swelling. I just don't see how there is any mistaking a doe that is about to deliver. The glandular development will be there or there will be no milk. I have never had a doe that did not have any signs of an udder and then just popped babies. They often vary in when and how much actual milk they start producing but the glands are there. If you work with your animals every day there is no mistaking the difference between a doe that is in heat and a doe that is about to deliver even with a single kid. The physical preparations the doe goes through for kidding are very obvious even if they do not have a huge belly. It is just a matter of learning what to look for.
B~

[DQ]

some are much more obvious than others. I have found that...in general....my dairy does are more obvious then my boers. some does udders seem to retain more of a lactating look throughout pregnancy and the changes before kidding are less noticable. to a more inexperienced eye the signs are more subtle. I haven't found white discharge to be a consistent sign of anything except that you have a female goat although it does seem a little more common in the bred does during later pregnancy. heat discharge is watery and slick like ky jelly except stickier.

[desertshi]

Originally Posted by DQ

some are much more obvious than others. I have found that...in general....my dairy does are more obvious then my boers. some does udders seem to retain more of a lactating look throughout pregnancy and the changes before kidding are less noticable. to a more inexperienced eye the signs are more subtle. I haven't found white discharge to be a consistent sign of anything except that you have a female goat although it does seem a little more common in the bred does during later pregnancy. heat discharge is watery and slick like ky jelly except stickier.

See, this is an older goat and she still has a kinda flabby udder. Like she has just been milked? It looks to me like her vulva is swelling, but then again, maybe I am just hoping? lol. The discharge was very definantly opaque looking!
Hoping that she is pregnant. I cannot send off blood samples though. Just not cost effective for me. It would be like paying $150 dollars to get the blood test. The other day my Nanna sent me an email jokingly telling me to get her to pee on a stick!! LOLOL She says, "hormones are hormones, no matter who or what you are!!"

[eross230]

When you all send off your blood samples do you centrifuge first? Was reading for preg test AND CAE test they require 2ml of blood and 1 ml of serum in a red top so how do you all process for serum? Ahhh nevermind in the sample instructions it says 2 cc of whole blood. Biotracking test prices aren't bad all. Gonna give it a try.

Anybody?

[luvzmybabz]

Somewhere on the biotracking site it states that if you do not have the means to centifuge to just send in the blood. I do not know many breeders that have centrifuge handy I think they are more asking for the vets to do this if the blood is sent in my a vet.