My 5 yr old doe, Surrey, is due anytime now and as of yesterday, her vulva suddenly got very swollen. As she was laying down it looked like her tail was arched too. When she got up, she has those "hollow" areas on her back now which means I guess that they have "dropped". No sign of the plug but from what I've read and seen in pics (Fiasco Farms site), that doesn't always happen. She's eating normally and seems fine but does a lot of laying down and getting up. I didn't sleep much last night as I could hear every movement on the monitor, so I'm up very early checking on her. It looks like she dropped even more and those hollow dips around the tail head are apparent. Her tail head is still not arched though. It will be SOON, right? I think I'm ready (omg, I'm so nervous!).
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I feel your pain! {hugs}
I've had the monitor on for a week. Usually they all sleep all night but since I'm so acutely aware that she may kid anytime, I hear every move they make during the night! Probably because she is so quiet and stoic, she will have them before I realize it and I will hear baby squeeks to alert me. Oh well. I'd love to be there but if this is what happens, so be it!
I concur with Deb, a baby monitor it worth having. My doe was due but seemed to be doing nothing. Hearing the tiny baby squeaks alerted me to the birth. Hang in there. It'll happen when its time.
I know how that is! Good luck sleeping and relaxing! I know it's hard! When I was new to goats, they'd string me along for a couple of days, and when I finally decided that I had no idea what I was doing and left them, they kidded within 15 minutes! A baby monitor is priceless.
Now nothing is happening. I'm wondering if it was a false alarm? She definitely has the signs of kidding "soon" but now she doesn't seem like she's in labor at all. I finally let her out of the stall and she went out foraging with the others. She's back now just lying down in the barn. Hope I can sleep tonight!
Second pic looks more promising than the first. Some goats look like the first pic for a week before they kid. The behavior sounds like she is in early labor, which could last another 20 minutes or most of the day. Some does are more stoic than others, and some have shorter labors than others.
Julia Stephens said:
She is munching hay but ate her grain this morning. Yes, she's getting up briefly then lays back down. Yes, she paws the ground too. She closes her eyes sometimes and seems exhausted and grunts and pants a lot.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Here are pics of her vulva opening (an hour ago). Also a side shot. It opens like this and then closes up and she gets up to munch on hay for awhile. Is this a good indication she's in labor? How long does this stage typically go on?
IMG_2841.jpg
IMG_2842.jpg
Hmmm ... hard to say, but probably? Is she getting up and down, like she can't get comfortable? pawing the ground? has she lost interest in food? Losing interest in grain is usually a big sign that you're close.
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