# How long after a doe starts bagging up till kids arrive?



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

With no certain due dates on my three does, one has started to bag up but every day, no kids.

Roughly how long from a does udder starting to swell up until kids show up?


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Depends..Finally after our one doe being bagged up for about three weeks she had a set of triplets this afternoon.:bouncy: wasn't sure it was ever goin' to happen.
Last year she bagged up the day she had a single.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

'Bag up' is the term usually best associated with the actual onset of lactation. The udder will go from rather soft and 'empty' feeling, to heavier, 'meatier' and fuller/tighter feeling. This will happen rapidly usually within a day or two of birth. 

The process called 'mammogenesis' is quite a long drawn out process - usually the length of the entire gestation and/or dry period. As a very general rule, you can usually begin to FEEL an udder devloping by 6 weeks pre-kidding. on FF'ers, it may be hard to see if their hair is long for the winter because it's just a little handful of tissue. 

By around 4 weeks pre-kidding, it's usually visible 'at a distance' and noticeable. It will continue to develop towards kidding in most cases and should be nice and soft and feel 'empty' until very close to kidding, at which point she will bag up and have a hard full udder. 

Then there are the does for whatever reason, that do not make much of an udder pre-kidding. 

For your light reading pleasure...  
http://www.tankonyvtar.hu/en/tartalom/tamop425/0010_1A_Book_angol_05_termeleselettan/ch14s02.html


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Today she is twice as big as yesterday. I didnt know there would be a feel difference although, as I was a milker once I remember how that felt from the inside, as it were. :hysterical:

Thanks for the info and the reading Mygoat, lots to learn, lots to learn!


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

When udder is tight & shiny looking they usually kid that day.


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## Kits&Kids (Feb 10, 2012)

you have been on the goat fourm for years. you should be able to figure that out by know.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

^what a helpful statement.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Kits&Kids said:


> you have been on the goat fourm for years. you should be able to figure that out by know.


If you can't say something nice... 

Perhaps because they don't have duedates and this one seems to keep them guessing, they felt the need to double check. I know I certainly don't remember every single detail all the time.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Kits&Kids said:


> you have been on the goat fourm for years. you should be able to figure that out by know.


Indeed I have. However, I have only had goats in the flesh once before, for a few months, which due to no fault of my own went badly, so am a very very new goat keeper.

So any help is welcome. :goodjob:


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## AchesonAcres (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks for posting the question, GBov. I was wondering the same thing relating to my sheep too! (And your reply to the snarky statement was classy, well done)


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

AchesonAcres said:


> Thanks for posting the question, GBov. I was wondering the same thing relating to my sheep too! (*And your reply to the snarky statement was classy, well done*)


I was feeling well disposed tward my fellow creatures at the time so could forgive snarkyness. Today, with more dead chicks to deal with, perhaps I would have been snarky back. :hysterical:

Still no kids to be seen. Its good for me to know other people are waiting as well, helps me hold on to my patience. :help:


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## boerboy (Oct 7, 2012)

does in my herd drop udder a month before kidding. But actual bagging up happens few days prior to kidding. But my boer:savannah doe that kidded a month ago, bagged up four weeks prior kidding. I was so anxious during that whole four weeks. Kept her in a kidding pen! This increased her worm load.

All the best


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I copped a feel today :hysterical:and she is soft and floppy. 

My kids run every morning to see and come back saying its not cold enough yet for babies.


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