Hi everyone,
Our doe is due to kid as of this coming Friday (this is her third kidding) and I have just been to feed all the goats and put them all in for the night and I noticed a little amount of wax from her left teat. This is first time I have noticed this over all her kiddings. I know this is normal but my question really is for information on how early does this normally happen before goats kid? Her udders are not yet full and her ligaments are still in place, she is eating well and happy to be with all the other goats. I have tried searching for more information on this but not getting very good results. I am trying to avoid moving her to early into the kidding pen.
Thanks
Replies
Thank you for this! Thaw is slowly starting but we still have a good couple of foot of snow before we see any mud. Everything in the goat house is clean and I will move her into the kidding pens in the next few days.
Technically, the plug is there to keep bacteria out, so there is a theoretical risk of infection, but assuming you're not living in mudville (like some of us are about to enter here), it shouldn't be a problem. If you are in the midst of a spring thaw, I just wouldn't let her out of the barn, and I'd be throwing down fresh straw if there was a lot of exposed poop in the barn.
Thanks Deborah, Do I need to be concerned about any infections getting into the end of the teat? Or just carry on as normal and not worry about it?
Thanks
I'm guessing that you're having trouble finding info on this because it's not normally a big deal. The plug doesn't usually come out until after birth when you first try to milk the goat or when the first kid nurses. If you are asking if this is a sign that she's kidding soon, the answer is no. I have no idea how it got knocked loose, but it has nothing to do with when she will kid.