The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: nihicib2 on February 06, 2011, 11:28:24 am
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Hi all
Another question about goats ???
We have an alpine who was covered by the buck and was due to kid March 17th, we didn't have the opportunity to scan her but she was getting bigger and bigger and never came back on heat. However last night and this morning we noticed that she is showing signs of being in heat, lots of bleating and tail wagging and she's being very affectionate, she's in with other females and has been in for the past few days because of the terrible weather. We checked the stable and no signs of her aborting or any signs on her either (no blood, mucus etc). She does look 'smaller' to me than a few days ago \ but I'm not sure if its my imagination because I'm worrying she might not have been in kid after all. Other than the bleating and wagging she's fine, I dont want to risk putting her in with a buck in case she is pregnant and he causes her harm. She has kidded before, sorry for the long post just giving all the information I can.
Any ideas?
Brid
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Can you not feel the kid?I had a goat that did that,and I rang the stud owner who said not to worry she was probably carrying billies,as it was she kidded twin nannies 6wks later! ::)
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if she is due march, i'd be inclined to leave her well alone and see.
dont worry too much if you cant feel a kid or she wont let you - ours woudnt! we just let her get on with on it & watched her get bigger and bigger!
its probably her hormones ;)
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if her size has changed could it maybe the kid has changed position a wee bit, only a thought as i know nothing about goats just going off my experiences with horses in foal, good luck :wave:
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If she would have aborted now you would have seen the foetus/afternirth and she would have a messy backend. Also if she would have had a cloudburst she would be wet/messy around her backend. She would probably also have an uddder/milk then - but not sure about this one, my nanny due to kid on March 8th is starting to develop an udder). If nothing of that has shown, I wouldn't worry. Just lots of concentrate in several portions throughout the day should be fine.
Also if she is in with other goats that may be in heat, they will not leave her in peace! Her (and their) hormones will be all over the place.
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If its anything like Marta, sometimes she looks half starved and nothing in her womb but the next day she is so so big again, oh and Marta is due 2nd week of March, last yr I was convinced she was not in kid until the vet came by middle of Feb to do shots and asked me when she was due, as it looked like she was, yup she sure was, and had 2 very big kids, what I am trying to say is....they hide it very well sometimes.
Surly with an Alpine she should not be in heat this time of yr? just a thought.
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Could it be that the kid has dropped getting ready for birth. One of my Shetland mares showed in season all the time she was pregnant. The stallion would not take her on so I called her a right hussy and to behave. I knew she was in foal by all the kicking we saw but she had other ideas :)
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Good thought, they do seem to do a vanishing act dont they turn round inside there.
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what is a cloudburst? sorry for my ignorance....
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It's a false pregnancy, it all looks as if she is in kid, and then at kidding all she produces is lots of fluid. Can then go on and have a reasonable lactation. Not seen it personally, but have heard it talked about.
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Clouds open up and drop all the rain.....I think here it is meant by the waters breaking,
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Yes a cloudburst is the "bursting" of a false pregnancy, when they think they have actually had the kids. They retain fluid in their stomachs, and then release this when they think they have kidded.
It can quite often happen if you try to run a goat through, and conveniently after they cloudburst, their milk will go up....
Our soon to be second kidder ran through last year, and cloudburst in August. I had entered my AN milker for a show and wanted to take another milker for company so had entered her... typically she cloudburst just before the show, had more milk, and beat my goat on the the first day of the show! Just my luck.
Beth