Anxiously awaiting our goat kids' arrival

[forestrymom]

We have two first time freshener goats, and I'm so anxious for the arrival of kids. I actually thought we had them bred for February babies, but apparently they didn't catch in February and will this month. I was pretty sure they were in heat the middle part of September, which put them ready to kid in February, and I was also pretty sure I saw our buck mount them both. But evidently, he didn't get the job done. We left him in with them, so he had to have caught them for March babies, but I'm just so nervous not knowing. This is our first breeding/kidding, too. I am 4 weeks from kidding myself (my edd is 4/4) and just hoping we have goat kids before my human kid gets here!!!! I have to travel a long ways to have our baby. This is NOT how I planned it, but I"m so excited for all the babies! Anyone else expecting babies soon?

[kimmom]

One of our Nubian/Boer cross does is due to kid April 8 and she is looking BIG already! his is my and her first time so I am excited/nervous too!! We have two other does that we will have bred next fall, we don't keep a buck here and it is SO hard to catch them in heat without a buck around! What type of goats are yours?

[forestrymom]

Well, our little does barely look pregnant. We have lamanchas. I'm not sure what to think about the one, who actually doesn't look "fat" at all. If it weren't for their udders growing daily, I wouldn't even think they were going to kid. Our buck is a total pain in the butt. Dh does wonderfully handling him, and he's gentle enough, really even for me, but he's pushy and annoying, and STINKY. I wouldn't have a buck if there were other goat people around, but there aren't. And its working out okay with the 3 of them and him just in an adjacent pen. I hope to have a couple whethers to keep him company now.

[Chicky2]

We are new to goats (we have 2 BEAUTIFUL Nubian does, just barely 1 year old each who as of right now are just big ole pets, lol). How do you tell when they are in heat? We do not have a buck, and intend to breed them sometime around October. We have access to Kiko bucks and also Boer bucks, and possibly Nubian bucks, too.

Good luck on your kids, both goat and human.

[1jooj]

I just came by Country Living to see of anyone was talking about this.

I have two Nubian first timers. One is bred to an Alpine (I'm hoping for a doe from her) and the other to a Boer (would love to see two bucks). I bred the one to the Boer, the other I'd bought exposed. Both are bagging up, loosening in the back, showing mucus. One was strangely nibbling me all over this evening. I'm about to do a quick barn check before bed, just to make sure all is well. Dh built a milking stand, my mom gave me her old stainless steel dairy pail, so I feel ready.

Then, once we're through kidding, lambing is set to begin!

[forestrymom]

My girls have no mucous at all. Its so weird. I'm totally new to goats, but most other livestock animals have mucous before birthing. I'm completely baffled.

[1jooj]

I double-checked the records I have, and I guess I should have at least another week before anyone comes in. The mucous comes and goes. Every couple days they seem to have it. And I've seen sheep drop lambs without a lot of signs ahead of time, so .

Anyone have any action?

[AliciaP8]

Well, I'm not sure if my doe is bred or not. She had a few days while in heat with a buck and fi it worked she'll be kidding around April 10th but she doesn't look pregnant. She's a Nubian. I'm also in the same situation as the OP and I'm due early May myself! I definitely look pregnant

[forestrymom]

We had 2 babies this afternoon. Mama showed a very slight bit of mucous yesterday and again this morning, but nothing like cows do. I checked at 11 and nothing--and at 1:15, right after I put the kids (human) down for their nap and had jumped in the shower, dh came bursting through the front door hollering at me to hurry. Well, needless to say, I couldn't hurry and both my kids were wide awake. Dh had to stay in and work at getting them down while I went out to make sure mama and baby were doing well. Well, by the time I got there she had her second and they were both up and working at getting milk. She is the best mama--so gentle and lifting her leg so they can find her teats. It was amazing!

I'm not sure what to do with our other doe right now. We only really have one sheltered spot, and I tried to make it work out so the mama goat would have a space and then there would be a space for the other goat just in case, but the mama isn't letting the other one anywhere even close to inside the shelter. Its pretty warm out here, still, but the other goat was acting a bit weird. It could be she was acting that way because of the kids, or maybe she is going to? Do goats coincide their heat cycles? Either way, hopefully all will be well tomorrow and I can work on a different sleeping arrangement for mama and babies. I'm certainly learning as I go what will work best for our future barn.

And they are SO cute!

[1jooj]

When they live together, they sure do often breed at the same time! Our sheep all go within a two-week space or so.



At the same time, the other lady might simply be very curious. I mean, birth and babies are irresistible, right?

Good luck with the second!

[1jooj]

Well, my smaller girl came in today...and it's good news and bad news. Good news is that it's a girl, an Alpine-Nubian cross. So beautiful!

Bad news is mom doesn't have a clue what to do. I was away today when she kidded, and I honestly don't even think she cleaned off the baby. I found it clean and alone inside the barn, afterbirth lying on the ground outside, and mom at the feeder eating hay. She butts at it. We're holding her still so baby can nurse, and I've milked her out and have that colostrum in the fridge in case I need to make a bottle, but I am afraid for the baby.

I am going down now to check on them and see if they are bonding at all. I started giving her mouthfuls of corn and getting her to sniff the baby without being aggressive, and I felt like we made progress, but I fear for the baby. This mom is young, immature and inexperienced. My other goat should have 10 days or so to go, but if she has twins they could come earlier.

Anyone have experience getting mom and baby to bond after a rough start? I have only dealt with this once before, in a sheep, when the lamb was born with genetic defects.

[mamadelbosque]

Hi there, we have goats kidding now too Our first year with kids (we bought the goats a little mover than a year ago, and bought a buck last october and have been assuming since that their bread - their certainly all fat!!

Anyhow! On wedsnday I'd *just* gotten home from town and finished nursing DS1 when I heard the most bizzare sound coming from the barn and ran out to check, and sure enough one of our does had just had a baby, and as I was standing there, she laid down and out popped another It was very cool!! The first one was/is all white with brown blotches (like knee pads and some on his face), DH says we should name him Tony Hawk , the second ones all brown and SO cute, not sure on her name yet. Their doing great All our goats are first-timers... waiting on two more to kid

Anyhow. Just wanted to post and brag about my goats !! Checkout pictures here:
http://emilyrose.smugmug.com/Animals...12669395_XYAwp

[1jooj]

Cute!

We seem to have made a little progress with my little girl. She's just young and inexperienced and would probably have done better had someone else gone before her. Anyway, I'm milking her on the stand, and she stands pretty well for me, and lets down great, so we put baby on her on the stand and feed bottles on the side. Both seem to be healthy, though mom is still bewildered and I have to keep them separated if I am not in the pen or overnight when it's dark. We'll keep trying. *sigh*

[1jooj]

Making progress!

Mama's not smacking baby anymore. She steps up to the milk stand without being dragged. I put the baby on at the stand and several other times a day. Still have to hold Mama, but only very lightly by the collar, where we had been leaning against her on day 1.

They go out together and she talks to the baby like she should...it's good.

And to top it off, I am getting more than a quart at each milking, besides what she's feeding the kidlet. Kid is jumping for joy, playing like a maniac, really looking happy.

Now to stalk the second one...and to get used to the milking schedule.

[kimmom]

YAY! I am so glad you are making progress! We are a few weeks away from kidding and Mama (Flower) is looking big!
What is your milking schedule? Do you seperate baby at night?

[1jooj]

Thanks! Twice daily milkings (6ish). I put babe on mom on the milk stand. A few other times a day we hold mom's collar to fill babe's belly. It's getting easier day by day. Not separating at night. I have only one baby, and since mom doesn't love nursing her yet, it's not an issue right now. It's cold at night, too. I could put a dog kennel in the pen, but she does OK at night and in the morning she's ready for milking. Actually, she'd prefer to be milked three times a day right now, I think. Milking is pretty quick, not more than 10 minutes or so, and she stands so nicely.

I assume at some point I will separate kids and moms if I don't feel like I am getting enough milk at a milking?

[Chicky2]

Mamdelbosque, I was looking at your pics and just wanted to say how cute your kids are. The mom looks great, too. My mom raises kikos.

http://shelbyacreskikogoats.homestead.com/