[Trixie]

Our girl is due to kid in a few days and we are really excited!!  Although nervous too!  It is our 1st kidding as well as hers, just hope it goes smoothly. Do they usually go to full term? She is due on Tuesday 17th if she goes to the date but from books I have read (and I have read lots) could be Sunday - Thursday.  She is rather large- udder looks great too (not that I have seen millions of goat udders) oh and camera charged ready for pictures!!!!

[Brucklay]

My goats are pygmy's and I am not sure if the same applies for dairy goats but I have kept a record of all my kiddings and they vary from the earliest at -6 days and the latest +3 and.


The goat that kidded -6 days, next year -1 followed by -3 & -3 so I can't see any pattern at all.


All I can say is keep a look out - good luck and enjoy your kids 

[Trixie]

Thanks,  like us then!  We will enjoy it all I'm sure. Hopefully we won't be as nervous next time when we get the others in kid.

[Dogwalker]

This year I had a 10 year old angora go +5 days with twins and she looked like she'd be first of the 8 kidding.
Also a first time dairy goat +6days with twins.

I've had -3 days in previous years.  She'll keep you guess that's for sure.

[Trixie]

Gosh! She's looked like she is fit to burst for the last week!!!! If there is only 1 or 2 in there they will be big, I was hoping for at least triplets! Greedy I know - I have bought 4 feeding bottles just incase she has quads! She is anglo nubian so it could happen. Lol I would be like a dog with two tails if she does.

[fiestyredhead331]

awwww good luck, its a nerve-racking wait, even when its not your 1st kidding, but all will be fine and you'll wonder why you got all worked up. can't wait to see the pics, AN kids are stupidly cute, I have an AN due to kid in the next few weeks but not sure if they will have their mum's ears 

[Trixie]

Thanks, hope yours goes well too! I also have a ToggxAN and she looks all Togg but has got bigger ears not quite as floppy but bigger than normal and when she is coming towards you they go out like wings which is very funny to watch but is a warning that she is coming in for a headbutt, you can definately tell there is AN in there though and the ones I have seen always have the ears. They are great ears though!

[Lesley Silvester]

Hope she's not too overdue. I didn't get much sleep for a few nights with Cloud as I kept having to go to the window to check her. Thankfully, she was bang on time and during the evening. Two of the three got stuck and the first one was born dead because of it. Cost me £160 in vet fees, including disbudding the babies a few days later.

[Trixie]

That is what scares me! Gosh your vet is cheap! if I had to call ours out (out of hours) it would cost more than that just for the callout fee before they did anything and disbudding is nearly £40 per kid on top. If during the day its about £49 callout but I bet it is more at weekends, hope she lasts 'til Monday or Tuesday now just incase I need the vet! They do know how to charge!

[fiestyredhead331]

our vet is just too far away to be much help in an emergency (nearest is 60 miles away!) but it's amazing how much you can do yourself when you have to. They are very good at talking you through stuff over the phone or they will meet me half way in the car so its quicker

[Lesley Silvester]

That was cheap? I'm glad it wasn't expensive then.

[Trixie]

It is compared to this area, I have rang around all vets that deal with goats in the area and got prices for all there call outs and disbudding etc and checked that they are used to dealing with them, and if I had to get one out and I got charged £160 I would think I had got off lightly! I found a vet that will disbud for approx £25 per kid but I would have to travel over an hour to get there and same again back so too far.

Your vet also sounds like a good one fiestyredhead.

I have got a few people on standby just incase, a dairy farmer, sheep farmer & pig farmer although we have been midwives to pigs a couple of times, but I suppose what will be will be its just nerves on my part Dulcie is quite happy munching away on her leaves without a care in the world, although she has changed as she would not let us stroke her since being pregnant but the last 2 - 3 weeks she is letting us again, probably got back ache (I know I did!) Lol

Another question if anyone knows please - Although it is too late for my girl this time, a sheep farmer has told me to get a glucose lick bucket about 2-3 weeks before kidding as he was told it sort of lubricates them on the inside to make it easier when lambing, has anyone else used this before? Does it help? And would it be ok for goats?  Thank you

[ballingall]

Not tried a glucose lick bucket, so can't comment. We find the an's easier to kid than the Swiss type goats- could be because they have smaller boned kids. Though, if there are more kids, sometimes there is more of a "tangle" ie lots of legs coming at once.


Remember AN kids can be very weak at birth, they need a lot of nurturing. The more kids she has the weaker each one will be, so four isn't really what you want. Twins or triplets would be better. They can find harder to walk for a few days as well- they do tighten up and are like any other kid after 4-6 days, but it takes longer than some breeds. Fingers crossed for her and you.


Beth

[Trixie]

Thanks Beth, ( would be happy if we just got 1 as really only got them as pets and for milk)  I heard that an's can take a few days to be up and about but didn't know they were smaller boned than the others. (she has been crossed with a Boer so kids might be a bit stronger) It's all so new to us, her udder filled more but was lopsided during the day yesterday then the other side filled up to match in the evening, so checked her every 2 hours during the night just incase, but she was tricking me! Lol. She is still pigging out on food today, but udder getting bigger on 1 side again and hollow on back, so will be checking through the night again. She will probably keep hold of them for another week and I will be that tired when they do start I'll sleep through alarm and miss it all!!!

[ballingall]

They're only smaller boned at birth, it doesn't last long! If they are half Boer, you are right they will be stronger.


You'll have six alarms beside you by the time she kids!


Beth