goat to give birth

[moday]

We have what we hope is a very pregnant goat. The udder is starting to drop, but I've been watching the rear ligaments to get mushy. She was with a buck the month of October, so there is a pretty big window for possible births. I'm trying to figure out when to start locking her up. She lives with another wether and doe, so she won't be happy alone. She will see "her barnyard friends" through the gate, but will be alone. We did this last year, but didn't get the a different doe locked up in time, and she gave birth without being in the birthing stall. Mother later got sick and passed away, so we don't want repeat of that. She got an infection that went gangreous. Any advice of how to be ready and when to be ready is appreciated. Is the udder going to be huge in advance or will it come out the day that she births.

She is a first time mother and is 2 year old Boer doe.

Thanks in advance, moday

[rootsandwings]

Unfortunately if she is a first timer there's no way to tell. I've had them bag up and start to loseligaments several days before, and I had one last year that still had no bag and some ligaments at 6:00 p.m. And had a licked dry baby by 8 the same evening.