Early labor?

At 7:am I noticed that the doe had a thin string hanging. Now at 10:20 am she looks lije this. Not eating and in her house. Panting, some times standing sometimes laying down. Nothing is presenting , and an occasional contractions not close together. How long does this stage usually last.? I've usually only caught them when there is presentation happening.

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  • The point is that there is just no point in worrying. Every goat is different, so you cannot compare them. Every year I have at least one doe that has super soft ligaments and a huge udder a week or two before she's due, and I'm keeping an eagle eye on her thinking she could go any minute! And every year there is another doe that just flies right past her and gives birth with only a few hours notice -- or a few minutes in some cases! Your doe's genetics are only 50% her mom, so unless you know her sire's dam, you could be in for some big surprises with her. Even if you know everyone in the family tree, you can get surprised. Genetics is a funny thing.

    Myra Isaac said:

    Thing is, she's a FF and her udder is very much developed. (Yay!) her mom and my other FF are due March 12 and 14 and they're not nearly as well developed. The other FF doesn't have much of anything at all yet. She does have better milking genetics than her dam but this will be her dams third freshening. Could she actually be so much better genetics that her udder would be twice the size several weeks before? I've noticed that it's definitely filling out from one day to the next lately too. Oh well, guess I'll get to work on my patience and wait and see!!! Her dam kidded at Day 145 last year with a single huge buckling. Has anyone noticed that singles come sooner than multiples? I suppose it can be all over the board. I'm glad Cayenne didnt carry Star to term because he was almost the size of a full size baby already.



  • Thing is, she's a FF and her udder is very much developed. (Yay!) her mom and my other FF are due March 12 and 14 and they're not nearly as well developed. The other FF doesn't have much of anything at all yet. She does have better milking genetics than her dam but this will be her dams third freshening. Could she actually be so much better genetics that her udder would be twice the size several weeks before? I've noticed that it's definitely filling out from one day to the next lately too. Oh well, guess I'll get to work on my patience and wait and see!!! Her dam kidded at Day 145 last year with a single huge buckling. Has anyone noticed that singles come sooner than multiples? I suppose it can be all over the board. I'm glad Cayenne didnt carry Star to term because he was almost the size of a full size baby already.


    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

    If she was in with a buck non-stop, you really have no idea when she's due. For example, the Aug. 31 breeding may not have took because it was a false heat, and she came into heat six days later. If she got bred three weeks after that, it would mean she's barely at 145 days. Years ago, I had re-bred a doe and didn't write it down, and she was huge, and I thought she was going to kid "any day now" and she actually kidded a month later! She was huge because she had quads.

    Myra Isaac said:

    It's so awesome to hear of others who've gotten concerned about their does and it all turns out wonderful. My FF is holding on to hers as long as possible seems like. She's bagging up nice but I haven't noticed any softening of her ligaments at all yet. And my my calculations she's around 152 days. Unless I'm Way off in my calculations. She was in with the bucks this summer because I was sick, but she was in standing heat on Aug 31. Obviously that breeding didn't take. So if you figure approximately 20 days later she's now at 152 days. She's happy, quite loving and while she uncomfortable because she's so big she's not in pain or anything so I guess I'm not worried. I Am super impatient for those babies to arrive!! Maybe tomorrow...
  • If she was in with a buck non-stop, you really have no idea when she's due. For example, the Aug. 31 breeding may not have took because it was a false heat, and she came into heat six days later. If she got bred three weeks after that, it would mean she's barely at 145 days. Years ago, I had re-bred a doe and didn't write it down, and she was huge, and I thought she was going to kid "any day now" and she actually kidded a month later! She was huge because she had quads.

    Myra Isaac said:

    It's so awesome to hear of others who've gotten concerned about their does and it all turns out wonderful. My FF is holding on to hers as long as possible seems like. She's bagging up nice but I haven't noticed any softening of her ligaments at all yet. And my my calculations she's around 152 days. Unless I'm Way off in my calculations. She was in with the bucks this summer because I was sick, but she was in standing heat on Aug 31. Obviously that breeding didn't take. So if you figure approximately 20 days later she's now at 152 days. She's happy, quite loving and while she uncomfortable because she's so big she's not in pain or anything so I guess I'm not worried. I Am super impatient for those babies to arrive!! Maybe tomorrow...
  • It's so awesome to hear of others who've gotten concerned about their does and it all turns out wonderful. My FF is holding on to hers as long as possible seems like. She's bagging up nice but I haven't noticed any softening of her ligaments at all yet. And my my calculations she's around 152 days. Unless I'm Way off in my calculations. She was in with the bucks this summer because I was sick, but she was in standing heat on Aug 31. Obviously that breeding didn't take. So if you figure approximately 20 days later she's now at 152 days. She's happy, quite loving and while she uncomfortable because she's so big she's not in pain or anything so I guess I'm not worried. I Am super impatient for those babies to arrive!! Maybe tomorrow...
  • Congratulations! What beautiful babies to start your kidding season! Glad to hear she's done with everything so quickly. Sometimes the placenta takes a few hours. If it does, you can just give the doe a calcium drench. Being low on calcium is one reason for a placenta that takes longer than normal.

  • All is well. Yes, she did lay down to deliver the placenta. Its fine. She ate it. Cleaned everything up. Drank her molasses water. Whew! Really thought there'd be more. Shes just fat!. She had quads last year. I think maybe she started the others off. They are looking suspicious. Lol
  • Yes, they do that sometimes. 

    Tammy Lee Birrer said:

    Do they try to push the afterbirth out like when theres a kid? She is up but occasionally lies down with small pushes
  • PRECIOUS!! 

    Looks like the placenta is on it's way out. 

  • Do they try to push the afterbirth out like when theres a kid? She is up but occasionally lies down with small pushes
  • She had two. Perfectly presented. I think shes done. I see the bulbs hanging on the thick string. Been almost an hour since second one was born.

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