Hello I am new here but have been reading all the posts for a few weeks. About 3 months ago we purchased two wonderful reg. goats. After I had them for about 1 1/2 months (after their first heat, I think) we took them back to the breeder around the 21 day mark. The stayed with a buck for 2 weeks. What I am wondering is does most owners have them tested to see if they are pregnant? It's been almost two months I am not experienced enough to say for sure the didn't come back into heat. The only way I thought they were in heat the first time was a little discharge. They are now about 10 months old. I did see a little aggression the other day but only for a few minutes. Is it sometimes difficult for goats to get pregnant? Or can I assume two weeks should do it? Thanks for any help I read everything I can but there is so much I need to learn. Angie
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Yes they are pregnant. Thanks for asking. They are both due in about 20 days. They are both fat especially one of them. The one that's bigger is not as long in body as the other one. Hopefully she has smaller babies instead of one big one. Getting kinda worried as its mine and both does first time. I did buy two new baby does from a local breeder that has great milking lines. These does if they get their milking stars will be a 3 and 5 star. I have presold two babies to a friend, as I want to keep it at four does. I will update when babies are born. Angie
I couldn't stand wondering for sure if mine were preg so I drew blood and sent it in. I have found it to be pretty easy to draw blood- I had never done it prior to goats but in my previous life as a horse nut I had held probably many hundreds of horses to get their yearly coggins draw and it seemed like such a simple thing. So I just imitated what I had seen the vet do on the horses and voila. Hubby is an RN so he got me the vacutainer and everything. But LOL he couldn't get the blood! That's when I offered to try and got it on the first shot! lol. I did all of mine last year for CAE testing, and this year I drew all my does for preg and the buck for Johnes, and the buck was the only one I struggled with out of the whole bunch. Couldn't find the vein. Finally got enough out of him to do the test but it was hard.
I personally don't like the wording from your breeder... what does she mean, "the buck kept them busy"? If she means he chased them all over the whole time, trying to breed them, that doesn't mean anything, other than he tried to mount them, and didn't leave them alone about it. She should be able to tell you that she witnessed a standing by your does, meaning she saw him try to mount your does, and they stood still so he could. All the chasing in the world doesn't mean they were bred. She should have been able to tell you an exact day they were bred, so you can figure out due dates, etc.
I had a really hard time figuring out what my does heats look like. Mostly because I have in particular, who acts like a buck when SHE is in heat, but then also when SOMEONE ELSE is in heat. lol I finally figured it out, but only because I got my own bucks. lol From what you described, it sounds like you have a good chance they were caught at the right time, as long as they were in heat when you counted 21 days. Even if you weren't, there is a chance they still managed to be in heat while they were there since it was for two weeks.
Thanks Rachel. That helps. I didn't notice any of those signs you mentioned except discharge and maybe a little red. But it was at the same time for both does. I counted 21 days and took them on day 19. The breeder kept them together and said they were very busy and not to worry. She mentioned they are probably ready to go because the buck kept them busy. I have the stuff to do a blood test but not excited about taking blood from them. The heat signs seem so subtle in these two I dont know for sure. Or more likely I have no idea what I am doing.
Here's the thing. The part of their heat cycle that they actually get pregnant in, only lasts 24 hours at most. When you don't have a buck on site, it's hard to catch them in their cycle. From what you are saying, you took them to the buck to be bred when you thought they were in heat? Leaving them for two weeks may or may not have been long enough. If you brought them when they were between heat cycles, then you might have caught them. Did the breeder you took them to just leave them with the bucks? He or she should be able TELL you if they were bred or not, because they should have witnessed it. (unless they just left them out there and didn't pay any attention, in which case, you might look for a new buck to breed with) It's not that it's difficult for them to get pregnant. It's more difficult to catch them in what is called standing heat. If you don't catch them in that time frame, they won't stand still to be bred, and they won't get pregnant, even if the buck manages to sneak one in on them. Keep any eye out for them to be swollen and red in their vulva, for them to chase and try and mount each other, and for them to make weird moaning/grunting sounds toward each other. Those are signs of heat. If you aren't seeing those things, then you most likely managed to catch them in a heat cycle. Keep in mind too, though... they most likely aren't on the exact same cycle. None of my does cycle on the exact same day. The closest two are still about 3-4 days apart.
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Can't wait for your pictures!!
Congratulations! :) Don't forget to share your good news, and cute baby pics, with us. We LOVE those!
So are your does pg...I read the whole post but you haven't said yet..
I couldn't stand wondering for sure if mine were preg so I drew blood and sent it in. I have found it to be pretty easy to draw blood- I had never done it prior to goats but in my previous life as a horse nut I had held probably many hundreds of horses to get their yearly coggins draw and it seemed like such a simple thing. So I just imitated what I had seen the vet do on the horses and voila. Hubby is an RN so he got me the vacutainer and everything. But LOL he couldn't get the blood! That's when I offered to try and got it on the first shot! lol. I did all of mine last year for CAE testing, and this year I drew all my does for preg and the buck for Johnes, and the buck was the only one I struggled with out of the whole bunch. Couldn't find the vein. Finally got enough out of him to do the test but it was hard.
I personally don't like the wording from your breeder... what does she mean, "the buck kept them busy"? If she means he chased them all over the whole time, trying to breed them, that doesn't mean anything, other than he tried to mount them, and didn't leave them alone about it. She should be able to tell you that she witnessed a standing by your does, meaning she saw him try to mount your does, and they stood still so he could. All the chasing in the world doesn't mean they were bred. She should have been able to tell you an exact day they were bred, so you can figure out due dates, etc.
I had a really hard time figuring out what my does heats look like. Mostly because I have in particular, who acts like a buck when SHE is in heat, but then also when SOMEONE ELSE is in heat. lol I finally figured it out, but only because I got my own bucks. lol From what you described, it sounds like you have a good chance they were caught at the right time, as long as they were in heat when you counted 21 days. Even if you weren't, there is a chance they still managed to be in heat while they were there since it was for two weeks.
Here's the thing. The part of their heat cycle that they actually get pregnant in, only lasts 24 hours at most. When you don't have a buck on site, it's hard to catch them in their cycle. From what you are saying, you took them to the buck to be bred when you thought they were in heat? Leaving them for two weeks may or may not have been long enough. If you brought them when they were between heat cycles, then you might have caught them. Did the breeder you took them to just leave them with the bucks? He or she should be able TELL you if they were bred or not, because they should have witnessed it. (unless they just left them out there and didn't pay any attention, in which case, you might look for a new buck to breed with) It's not that it's difficult for them to get pregnant. It's more difficult to catch them in what is called standing heat. If you don't catch them in that time frame, they won't stand still to be bred, and they won't get pregnant, even if the buck manages to sneak one in on them. Keep any eye out for them to be swollen and red in their vulva, for them to chase and try and mount each other, and for them to make weird moaning/grunting sounds toward each other. Those are signs of heat. If you aren't seeing those things, then you most likely managed to catch them in a heat cycle. Keep in mind too, though... they most likely aren't on the exact same cycle. None of my does cycle on the exact same day. The closest two are still about 3-4 days apart.