# howto tell if a goat is pregnant?



## coondog (May 1, 2007)

How can you tell if a goat is pregnant?

(NOTE: the goat is supposedly 3 months along)


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

the only way to tell is do an ultra sound, expensive and not always reliable at this stage or blood testing with bio tracking, only $7.50 and very accurate.


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

when will she start showing?


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

there is no rule to that. some show as soon as they were exposed to the buck and some never show. i had a doe last year that did show when the legs came out from the little buck she had


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

My does dont tell to easily.

Looking at them doesn't work. They are pygmies, crosses too, and they always look pg. LOL

I have a ND that looks sleek but if it wasn't for the fact you can feel the baby kicking in her lower belly, you would never know. She is due any day now.

I havent been able to tell for sure with anyone till I can definitely feel babies, not rumins, kicking and moving, usually in the 4th month.

And I even have a doe that had a working udder, when she was still a virgin!

Goats fool people a lot I think. LOL


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

Everyone it different just like goats! I watch does for changes in them or if they arn't showing any heat signs. I also find it alot easlier to see a FF grow. Mine seem to fill up on that side with birth waters after 2 months. I also watch udders and back ends  

So watch your does and after a few kiddings you will be able see if they are preggos or not! Most of my kids I can't feel kids kick untill 2 weeks before the birth.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

*******. If you can get a picture of her butt, I will be able to give you a pretty good idea. 
Some people say that you can not tell by this but you know I am 98% this year.
If you do it, get a good close up of her butt.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

Yeah a pic of the behind would be lovely! Lots of the goat folks here can tell!
I have mostly Boers & they are 4 mos along. One Im not sure was bred but they are always making a fool of me. Another one never did get her pre-preggo shape back so she looks about 6mos along the whole year. 
The rest of them are a bit filled out and the Nubian has looked like a blimp for the past month.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Is her behavior different? Is she quieter? There's a reason they call it "settling".


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## CGFarm (Nov 30, 2007)

We've found if the tip of the vulva is pointing towards the ground the doe is bred. If it's up, they are open.
Denise


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

there is the goat at about three months left.


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## picklespickles (Nov 3, 2007)

oh thanks for these specifcs i have one i'm wondering about right now. too late and cold to go check the magnificent vulval directional sign right now, but in the morning.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

Aw, come on ladies, vulva up or down......what the heck!? LOL How about some pictures for us who don't know the difference?  

Thanks!

Dixy


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

I know this will sound dumb, but is the tip at the top or bottom of the vulva? We will try to get some pics to post of the back end later today.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Tip is at the bottom. This is not a completely accurate test though, especially in a doe with several kiddings under her.


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

I never heard of the vulva thing. I think my goats' vulvas always point down? Huh. I'll have to check properly tommorrow...
If that is the pic of the goat in question, she looks pregnant to me. She might be just fat, but she'd have to be pretty darn fat. Did she look like that before she was bred? By my standards, she looks like an average, 3 month preggo goat.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

> I think my goats' vulvas always point down?


That's what I was thinking, too.


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## Feral Nature (Feb 21, 2007)

If you know your goats and look at them everyday, you can tell when they are bred sometimes because they will just look gravid. They just have a different look to their abdomen. It has a roundness that is not caused by food or fat. Their udder becomes vaguely fleshy too. Remember the shepherds shadow....


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Here is a pic of a pregnant hoo hoo (I'm sure Gretta won't mind me sharing  The first picture is from about 2 weeks ago...the other is almost a month ago
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc08b3127cceb2ea97b78e0f00000036100MZM2bloyY8
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb18c884bcbf700000026100MZM2bloyY8


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

Thanks a bunch!
That second picture is what 2 out of the 4 does look like. The other 2 do have the tip pointing down, also. What surprises me, until I read about the vulva tip thing, I wasn't thinking my nubian was bred, now I do because your second picture looks exactly the way she looks now. I will still try to get those pics posted later ( I did get some today, but trying to figure out the photo bucket thing-anybody here willing to let me email and put them up for me?) and see what you all think.
Thanks everybody-this is my first year breeding, so I am full of questions!


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

*******, Sorry but I'm not sure how I would post an emailed picture or I would be happy to help. I can only do it from my camera and that's a miracle in itself! One thing I did want to mention...Gretta's hoo hoo was real puffy or swollen looking. The whole area where there isn't any hair kinda puffed out a bit. I don't know if that means anything or not...just wanted to mention it. I'm sure someone else will help you out with the pics....


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

If I can get them posted, I will do it, but by your pics I am pretty sure mine are all bred. Thanks again, it really helped!


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## fcnubian (Sep 7, 2006)

Goats are definately different from one another.

I have one doe that by the end of the pregnancy she looks like she's gonna pop. I have two that are due any time from now to the end of the month and they could pass as not pregnant. So can't always go by looking.  

also if you still need some one to post the pics you can email them to me. [email protected] oo.com (Take out the space in yahoo.)


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

here is the goat


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

I would say YES she is PREGNANT.


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## fcnubian (Sep 7, 2006)

Yup I agree. She looks like one of my pregnant does.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

So when would this change occur? Pretty close to the due date? Argh, now I'm going to have to go out this weekend and take some close ups to compare with. Still thinking my goat's heinies usually point down, though. 

Also, I have mostly pygmies and Nigies, and those pygmies ALWAYS look a little on the gravid side. LOL Heck, my wether looks like he should deliver twins any day now.


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## CGFarm (Nov 30, 2007)

DixyDoodle said:


> Aw, come on ladies, vulva up or down......what the heck!? LOL How about some pictures for us who don't know the difference?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Dixy



If you look closely you notice an outward point to the tips. The vulva will look "flattened" as it will point straight down.

Yes it does work on does with several kiddings under them. Works well on our 8-9 yr old girls.
I'll see if i can find someone open and try and get some pics.


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## coondog (May 1, 2007)

Any guesses how many-we have 5 weeks to go.- this is her first freshening. By the way, thanks everybody for helping us know on her preg.

[img=http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5415/img0270cn7.th.jpg]


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

OK, I am no real expert, but i have been right most of the time. I thing I have something going on this year, I have missed a couple. :shrug: 
The best way to tell, (If I can explain it, I have had several people PM me and ask, but it is really hard to say over a computer).
OK, if they are NOT bred, their Vulva is very short, and tight. It is like almost tucked up under the anus. If they are bred, then the Vulva gets longer, and it is very visible. Now, I have never seen any of my goats change color, but then again, I never looked for it either.
The best way to really see what I am talking about. Do take a doe that you know is not pregnant, even if she had kidded, look at her Vulva, then look at one you know id pregnant, and see the difference.
I had a doe that I looked at and i could tell she was not bred, then two day later I looked at her and I could tell she was bred. So I remover her form the buck and she is due with in the week. That is how I do it for people that bring their does over to be bred. I look at the time at their cute little butts, and I can call them and tell them when to come get their doe. In that case, I have not been wrong yet. Also that is a way I can give them a closer due date if I did not see it happen.


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