# Kidding QUESTIONS!!



## Mommyto5 (Feb 6, 2006)

Hello everyone!! Reading all of your kidding stories has me getting very excited about our babies...due end of February/early March. These will be our first....does anyone have a book they can recommend? I need to be reading, and preparing! And, reading...and preparing!!! That's what I do!!! LOL!!!

Also....what supplies do we need for the BIG day???

Thank you in advance for your help!


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## GoldenWood Farm (May 31, 2003)

Mommyto5 I already posted this in reply to your question on TineTine's page but I will post it here also.



> Also, I read somewhere, that a goat's uterus is on the right side of their body. Is that true? And, is it the right side when you're facing them?


It is when they are facing you that you feel the right side. I have been able to feel babys at 2 months. But then again I know what to feel for (some people say there is no way to feel a baby at 2 months but if you know what you are looking for and you are patiant you can feel the baby(s)....). 

By 3 months you should be able to feel babys real easy. They will feel like hard knobby things. Sometimes you can define a head or a hoof later on. If you push on them sometimes they will kick back or move a bit in the moms stomach. I would go out with your girls and just feel around. Don't be afraid to push you hand into her stomach to feel kids. It doesn't hurt them as long as you are gentle. It is so exciting when you can feel kids  . By four months they are so full of kids! It is amazing....when they get close to kidding...say 1-2 weeks away (sometimes earlier) you can see the babys moving in the stomach. I had one kid who kicked OUT and you could see the outline of the foot (the foot stuck out maybe 2 inches from the stomach...can you say OUCH! :nono: ).

As far as advise for newbies I recommend Fias Co Farm's website. If you click Here it will take you to their Information, Care & Health issues section which has tons of stuff on kidding does and all sorts of good stuff. I used this website heavily during my first kiddings and still do rely on it. There is so much WONDERFUL info on it about ANYTHING. They do a great job.

I would write more but I just got off work and I can't think very much. When I stumbled onto Fias Co Farm's website I was amazed at how much info they have. I love how they have photos about almost anything. And how they explain things really well along WITH photos. Just a great treasure trove of information. Hope it helps! I start kidding at the beginning of Feb. and end March 22nd so I am about the same time as you.

MotherClucker


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

From Fias Co Farm:

*"Can you feel the kids move when they are still inside the doe?

I have been able to feel babies about two weeks before the doe kids. I cannot always feel them, but sometimes, with practice, I can. If you place your hands on the goat's right side "belly", you can sometimes feel the kids move. BUT, if you feel the left side, what you think might be a kid could be the rumen (stomach) movement. Do not think if you feel movement on the left side, it is a kid."*

But I don't know......my does "rumen" had little heartbeats! I've felt dog fetuses, horse fetuses, and even people fetuses. I'm positive it was kids I felt moving on the lower, left side (standing behind her), just behind the ribs, and I could hear 2 fast heartbeats. :shrug:


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## GoldenWood Farm (May 31, 2003)

Kim I think that if the doe hasn't eaten anything the kids will be closer. Also the bigger the kids get the more room they take. I had one doe who ended up having a singleton and the kid stretched out on both sides of her stomach towards the end of the pregnency. For me I can tell the difference between kid bulk and organs but then again maybe I have to much time on my hands :shrug: .

MotherClucker


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## Mommyto5 (Feb 6, 2006)

Motherclucker...thank you so much for this information!! I'm heading over to read as much as I can before I fall asleep! hahaha!!!

THANK YOU AGAIN!


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## goatlover270 (Dec 29, 2006)

mommyto5, 
It is so neat to be able to help deliver them too, I have had many a days practice on that :dance: LOL
That is just about what I start doing too LOL is dancing around. I say oh boy here we go..... 
I always have the necessary things that I might need, on hand for situations like that. Just a word of precaution, if ya don't know what you are feeling, it is not a good thing to pull (yikes)
If you ever do get a chance, though, to learn about delivering, it is a good thing to help with mamas, and can save a baby and money too  if you can do so.
I have had to have one doe, knock on wood, out of all, that has had to have c -section and that was no fun at all. :Bawling: 
I worked and worked to help that baby get out. When labor started, I gave her ample time to get pushing, she just couldn't do it. 
I went in and just couldn't get a grip. :shrug: 
So, after so long I had to decide c-section it would have to be. I couldn't let her die, chances were that baby was stillborn already, I have learned from experience on that too.
Anyway.....
just wanted to share that little bit with you. It can pay off, to learn as much as you can, even when it comes to saving a life. :angel: 
I wish you the best of luck and God Bless you and your lil ones.


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## GoldenWood Farm (May 31, 2003)

Oh one thing that is great is if the does trust you (are friendly) it is great if you talk to them while they are in labor help them feel more at ease. If they are FF this REALLY helps as they are slightly scared and not sure what is going on. Oh and one thing that you will need is TOWELS! Lol....to help clean off the baby or what not so make sure you gather up clean old towels  .

Have fun kidding!!!!

MotherClucker


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## trob1 (Jun 18, 2006)

I have a tackle box for my kidding box and in it is

Iodine (to dip navel)
lube (if you need to go in)
gloves (if you need to go in)
sisors (to cut a long cord)
alcohol (to clean sisors before cutting cord)
dental floss (to tie off cord if it is bleeding after cutting long cord)
save a kid paste
baby nose sucker (to suck mucus out of babies nose and mouth)
stethascope (to listen to babies lungs to make sure they are clear)
syringe and antibiotics ( incase you go in so you can flush the uterus)

I put towels in the barn hanging from the stall walls a few days before their due date so they smell like the barn and not my house. 

goats are screaming so I need to go feed. I will add more later.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

> But I don't know......my does "rumen" had little heartbeats! I've felt dog fetuses, horse fetuses, and even people fetuses. I'm positive it was kids I felt moving on the lower, left side (standing behind her),


Well, the left from behind would be the same as the right from the front.


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## trob1 (Jun 18, 2006)

Yep rumen is on the does left and the baby is ususally on the does right but I have a doe right now that is 138 days and babies can be felt kicking on the right and left down low and on the right up high. The rumen movements can be felt of course up high on the does left and to some can be confused as baby movement. Usually by 3 months I can wrap my arms around my does and put both hands on each side down low near udder and jiggle it and say (anybody in there) and wait a second and someone will usually kick. I still get such a kick out of feeling those babies respond. After doing this for a while by the end of the pregnancy I can just say (anybody in there) and baby will kick. Just this morning while feeding my very pregnant doe stretched and then you could see the baby really kick hard. It was so funny she turned and nudged where it had kicked. Gotta love mother nature.


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

Yup, just like that! 



trob1 said:


> Yep rumen is on the does left and the baby is ususally on the does right but I have a doe right now that is 138 days and babies can be felt kicking on the right and left down low and on the right up high. The rumen movements can be felt of course up high on the does left and to some can be confused as baby movement. Usually by 3 months I can wrap my arms around my does and put both hands on each side down low near udder and jiggle it and say (anybody in there) and wait a second and someone will usually kick. I still get such a kick out of feeling those babies respond. After doing this for a while by the end of the pregnancy I can just say (anybody in there) and baby will kick. Just this morning while feeding my very pregnant doe stretched and then you could see the baby really kick hard. It was so funny she turned and nudged where it had kicked. Gotta love mother nature.


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