I keep hearing different things so I wanted to ask you guys. Do first fresheners bag up sooner or later than past fresheners? Also do first fresheners have smaller udders? My does udder seems to be gradually getting fuller. She is a rescue and is not yet comfortable enough to let me shave her udder so visually it can be a bit hard to see everything. I have been feeling it every day and it seems fuller today but not by a lot. I also don't know her exact due date but according to the vet it should be sometime in the next couple weeks. Here are some pictures. Sorry the lighting in my barn is less than ideal. Does everything look right? Thanks!
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First fresheners generally do not bag up as early or as large as does that have freshened in the past. But it's all relative and without a due date, there's not much you can figure out ahead of time. Don't worry about shaving her udder. I've never done that, and it has not kept me from knowing a doe was close to kidding. You can see enough in these pictures to say that she'll probably kid within 3-4 weeks but not within the next 24 hours. Feeling the udder is a much better indicator than looking at it, so if you're feeling it daily, you'll probably notice when there is a big change in size.