Doe in Labor

Wonderland · #1 04/29/11, 04:04 PM

She presented the bubble close to an hour ago, and then stopped pushing. She's just now getting back to business, I think. Is that normal? This is the first birth I've managed to catcha nd be present for! :O I'm nervous!

bknthesdle · #2 04/29/11, 04:11 PM

Wishing you luck! Don't know if goats are the same as cattle, but it can take up to 2 hours for our cows once they go into labor.

Hopefully someone with better knowledge will chime in.

Don't forget to post pictures!

Wonderland · #3 04/29/11, 05:18 PM

Thanks.

She still isn't pushing regularly or very hard. I'm making myself give her 30 minute intervals of alone time. Even though she's friendly, I don't know if she'd want me hanging around the whole time...

Alice In TX/MO · #4 04/29/11, 05:26 PM

If you aren't seeing nose/toes, I'd be checking in there. My Saanen/LaMancha did that, and a big doeling was presenting tail first. We wound up going to the vet.

dosthouhavemilk · #5 04/29/11, 08:10 PM

If you have a bubble, you should have gone in about 10 minutes later to check presentation.
Please check presentation as it is likely there is a mal-presentation at this stage.

bknthesdle · #6 04/29/11, 08:37 PM

Thinking on it, if we have a heifer that the bag is showing but isn't pushing, usually it's a backwards calf.

Hope all is well and that you will keep us posted.

Goat Servant · #7 04/29/11, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dosthouhavemilk

If you have a bubble, you should have gone in about 10 minutes later to check presentation.
Please check presentation as it is likely there is a mal-presentation at this stage.

Im with Roeanna on this one. Wash up really good, take off all jewelry. Lube if you have it.
Gently insert a couple of fingers at a time, working in a half crcle until you can get your entire hand in there. You shouldnt hav to go much past the wrist, kid is probably right there...feel for head, find out if legs are with it.
Kid might have a folded leg, head turned back or even be breech.
Take it slow & easy. Dont pull till the doe contracts, which she will do once you're in there.
See if you can get a hold of at least one leg but that head has GOT to be straight like he's diving out.

I pm you~

The Tin Mom · #8 04/29/11, 09:39 PM

Praying all is well.

Goat Servant · #9 04/29/11, 09:42 PM

No fingernails

myheaven · #10 04/29/11, 09:46 PM

any news?

wolffeathers · #11 04/29/11, 09:55 PM

Oh I hope all is well! Keep us posted!

Wonderland · #12 04/29/11, 10:02 PM

Thank you all for the advice. After Alice posted, I called my vet and took her in. I have large hands and no experience, so I didn't want to risk it...which is good because the vet couldn't even get her hand in and she has a small hand. She said she has a tiny pelvis. They did a c-section but we lost both babies. Her doeling was dead on arrival and the buckling died while I was rubbing him to wake him up from the drugs. I wish I had taken her in sooner. Lesson learned.

she will not be bred again...I'm just praying that she doesn't get infected. The vet gave me antibiotics and banamine.

This has been an awful year, one of those that makes me wonder why I have animals. I lost a bottle baby early this year, my chickens were massacred by the neighbors dogs, those same dogs killed one of my little Pomeranians, and now this...all in less than five months.

Jyllie63 · #13 04/29/11, 10:07 PM

I'm so sorry

Alice In TX/MO · #14 04/29/11, 10:16 PM

I am so sorry. Wish it had turned out better.

I totally understanding having a bad year.

Huggs,
Alice

Goat Servant · #15 04/29/11, 10:17 PM

Oh no. Im so sorry about the babies. Hang in there, it'll get better.

bknthesdle · #16 04/29/11, 11:03 PM

Oh no! I am so sorry!!! ((hugs))

Backfourty,MI. · #17 04/29/11, 11:10 PM

I am so very Sorry for your loss & such a horrible year! Hang in there, it will get better!

We lost a doe last year & her triplets, was one of the worst heartbreaks I can remember. I was also ready to sell all the goats but dh said that he liked having the goats so we still have them & I'm glad we do. They do bring alot of joy to us both, many laughs & we just genuinely Love them.
Sending you big Hugs!

notasnowballs · #18 05/03/11, 01:22 PM

Perhaps you can present a bill to the neighbors with the dogs, for not keeping their animals contained in their own yard? Or sit on your porch with a .22 after giving fair warning to the neighbors? We have a neighbor with 2 large dogs that sneak out of their fenced property, jump into the swamp and then cut back onto our property and then they nose around our chickens and rabbits. If it wasn't for my errant goat getting into THEIR yard, I would have nailed those dogs with some rock salt already, and as it is, I'm always out there chasing them away from our rabbits and chickens that are set out in pens on grass. We have big dogs too, and I have no problems with dogs but they need to have their manners or stay home.

mary,tx · #19 05/03/11, 01:47 PM

Sorry it didn't work out. When I first had goats, I would have sat and watched and waited. Now if they present a bubble, they'd better be making progress pretty quickly if they don't want me sticking my hand in.

I've also lost two calves waiting too long.

I sent that heifer to the butcher after the last one because I didn't want to put her through it again. Both times were unplanned breedings by the bull in the next field.

Wonderland · #20 05/03/11, 02:17 PM

Thank you all for the condolences. I'm not ready to throw the towel in just yet....but it is frustrating for so many things to go wrong in such a short amount of time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by notasnowballs

Perhaps you can present a bill to the neighbors with the dogs, for not keeping their animals contained in their own yard? Or sit on your porch with a .22 after giving fair warning to the neighbors?

The neighbor did euthanize her dogs the day they came and killed our dog. It was a sad situation all around. She was really upset, and we (my parents and I) were really angry and upset.... We had told her about the chickens, and she knew her underground fence wasn't working, so if she'd just fixed her fence none of our dogs would have had to have died. She is the only neighbor we really have a decent relationship with, so we didn't want to mess that up, but we should have been more adamant about her either fixing the problem or getting rid of the dogs.

She was shocked that they killed another dog. I don't think she understood that once dogs see things that are smaller than them as prey, they usually don't stop...

It's a relief that they're finally gone, especially since one of my doelings has found a way to get out of their fence (and I haven't found where the gap is yet...I can't find a hole, and both the bottom and the top of the fence has electric wire?!). If she had found it earlier, they would have likely had goat for supper, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary,tx

Sorry it didn't work out. When I first had goats, I would have sat and watched and waited. Now if they present a bubble, they'd better be making progress pretty quickly if they don't want me sticking my hand in.

I've also lost two calves waiting too long.

I sent that heifer to the butcher after the last one because I didn't want to put her through it again. Both times were unplanned breedings by the bull in the next field.

I definitely know now that once the bubble appears, it's time for some action, and if there is no action, it's time for the vet. I just wish I could have learned that without the experience.

I am trying to make the best out of losing the kids, though. If the doeling had lived I always would have wondered if it would be safe to breed her, or if she would have inherited her dam's tiny pelvis, and if the boy had lived I would have become attached and I don't need any more boys! "All things work out for the good..."