# Goat’s First Freshening Question!!!



## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

Hey there. My goat, Dolly is definitely approaching her due date! The problem is... we are unaware of when she bred, so we are stuck playing a seriously exciting guessing game! Please view photos and let me know your thoughts! Days or Weeks?!? That is my question!! 

Here are some key notes:
- tail is hooking
- started noticing her bag up approximately 4 weeks ago
- this is her first time kidding
- I cannot feel her ligaments but haven’t been able to for 2/3 days. 

Thank you in advance for all your help.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi; When our goats are ready to freshen [give birth] their udder gets considerably bigger, their teats will be shiny quite a bit, and mucus slime will start coming out under the doe's [goat's] tail. I can't tell how big her udder is but it is tucked well up under her so may be bigger than it appears. I would keep close check on her and watch for any more changes especially for the mucus. My husband just looked at the picture and noticed what looks like mucus on her tail. He thinks you are looking at days rather than weeks. Good luck.


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

She appears to be getting close. You'll know when it happens.


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

lmrose said:


> Hi; When our goats are ready to freshen [give birth] their udder gets considerably bigger, their teats will be shiny quite a bit, and mucus slime will start coming out under the doe's [goat's] tail. I can't tell how big her udder is but it is tucked well up under her so may be bigger than it appears. I would keep close check on her and watch for any more changes especially for the mucus. My husband just looked at the picture and noticed what looks like mucus on her tail. He thinks you are looking at days rather than weeks. Good luck.


Thank you tons for your reply. Once you see the mucus, how long do your does typically have?


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

If you see thick, white mucous, that is her plug. In that case, she could still hold on to her hostages for days. When you see clear, amber streaming mucous, Get Ready, Get Set, and GO!


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I just put Quizzie (Nehi Minis Exc-Del Exquisite) in the kidding pen a few minutes ago, with a bucket of water (suspended above the floor so no babies can fall into it) and a hay bag.

She gave me some clues this morning:

1. Hanging by herself away from the herd.
2. Extra lovey-dovey, and doesn't want me to leave her.
3. Tail is really cocked, and ligaments are gone.

You can see the hollowness around her tail where the ligaments would normally be. No mucous yet, but she is not a first-timer. She could also be fooling me and do nothing today!


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

nehimama said:


> I just put Quizzie (Nehi Minis Exc-Del Exquisite) in the kidding pen a few minutes ago, with a bucket of water (suspended above the floor so no babies can fall into it) and a hay bag.
> 
> She gave me some clues this morning:
> 
> ...


Thank you!! This is very helpful!


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

F4 buck and doe twins for Quizzie! Sired by Gogo's Splash Me Royal.
Textbook delivery, no assistance required.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

nehimama said:


> If you see thick, white mucous, that is her plug. In that case, she could still hold on to her hostages for days. When you see clear, amber streaming mucous, Get Ready, Get Set, and GO!


Very good description and answer!


Courtneyabyrd said:


> View attachment 64302
> View attachment 64301
> Hey there. My goat, Dolly is definitely approaching her due date! The problem is... we are unaware of when she bred, so we are stuck playing a seriously exciting guessing game! Please view photos and let me know your thoughts! Days or Weeks?!? That is my question!!
> 
> ...


When the goat has her babies she will lick them off if all goes as normal. Just make sure there is no film or any mucus covering the baby's nose so it can breathe. 99% of the time our mother goats did everything they are supposed to do. All went fine. The other 1% of them needed help of one kind or another. You will know when it happens. Good Luck.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Do we have an update?


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

I am checking on Dolly hourly! She is like one of my human children and we have a really cool bond, so I hate leaving her alone at all! With that said... NOTHING YET! I am trying to be patient but it’s killing me.


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

nehimama said:


> Do we have an update?


This is my view tonight!?! What do you think? (I’m going stir crazy over here)


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

She is huge.., do you know what she was bred to at all?


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

ShannonR said:


> She is huge.., do you know what she was bred to at all?


Nigerian dwarf goat. The only buck we have.


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

That's a relief, hopefully the kidding will go ok for her. I had a ND that i bought once, unaware that she was bred. The kids were too big, I lost one kid and the mama. Figured out long afterward she had been exposed to an Alpine buck. Not fun.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Oh, you must be going crazy. Has she shown any mucous at all yet?


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

nehimama said:


> Oh, you must be going crazy. Has she shown any mucous at all yet?


She had a clear mucus last Monday when I originally posted. Since then, no amber colored mucus. All other signs are there. (I swear I’m not an impatient person... )


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

nehimama said:


> Oh, you must be going crazy. Has she shown any mucous at all yet?











This JUST happened! Plug or go time???


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Plug.


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

nehimama said:


> Plug.


So two hours or two weeks!?!? The waiting game continues.


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

Having had goats [email protected] years I am getting too old to go to the barn every hour or stay there (I live in NY). A few years ago Aldies had a sale on monitoring cameras..$79. I bought 2 and a friend bought 1. When she did not want it anymore I bought hers, so easy to set up. Since I have 3, I can set them to rotate to 3 stalls on 10 seconds per area. I can also set the dial to monitor just one stall. LOVE the cameras, picture is as if you were in the barn. good for any birthing, we also have sheep.
So with lambing and kidding to start, I sit in the house, watch TV,@6 feet from the wood stove and have a second old TV hooked up to the barn cameras.....our barn is about 90 feet from the house.
They now have a camera that you can call up to watch from your phone. Friend has one and came home early from a concert because her goat was kidding.


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

I would also "crotch" her so hair is away from her rear and udder.


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

Let us know when she kids!


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

To those of you who have been a part of Dolly Parton’s (and my) journey to her becoming a mommy, I would like to officially welcome Jolene and Shooter to the World!!! One girl who looks exactly like her daddy (Willie Nelson) and one boy who looks exactly like his momma!! 

We moved them all inside the barn/shop to stay warm for the night but Dolly is already such an amazing mommy!!


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

Oh gosh, the adorableness!!!! I can never get over how cute baby goats are...until they start getting into mischief hahaha.

Congrats!!

Edited: Does the white one have droopy ears or is that just the pic?


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## Courtneyabyrd (Jan 22, 2018)

ShannonR said:


> Oh gosh, the adorableness!!!! I can never get over how cute baby goats are...until they start getting into mischief hahaha.
> 
> Congrats!!
> 
> Edited: Does the white one have droopy ears or is that just the pic?


They haven’t perked up yet. It’s kind of strange. We only have one buck and he’s a ND and so is momma.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

HOORAYYY!


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

Courtneyabyrd said:


> They haven’t perked up yet. It’s kind of strange. We only have one buck and he’s a ND and so is momma.


You never know sometimes.

Farm partner brought home two doelings last fall... they were sold to him as nigerian X pygmy....but then the sellers went on to say the dad has no ears. And one of the doelings has wattles (actually, I think it's just one wattle). Obviously, in my case, there's some lamancha in their background somewhere.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Courtneyabyrd said:


> View attachment 64599
> View attachment 64600
> 
> 
> ...


Good to know all went well. The babies are adorable! It makes me anxious for April to come when our Rosebud will have hers.


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