Posted by Kare on April 27, 2011 at 6:49pm in Kidding
I wrote about her on another post, but I have a goat that I think has made it her goal to keep me guessing. When I bought her, she had been with a buck from October to January and was supposed to be bred. The other goat who came with her freshened in March, so I thought she might too. She looked like she was carrying about the same, so when I thought I saw some discharge and she was doing a squatting type thing, I put her in the barn and even slept in there one night. Her udder is extremely soft, and there was absolutely nothing in it. It was like an empty balloon. It turned out to be a false alarm. So I watched her for the next month and then thought I saw some signs of heat, so I brought in a buck on April 17th and put them together. She was mean to him the first night and lovey dovey the next day (doing that same squatting thing every time he mounted her) and for several days after that. On the 22nd I noticed she was still having discharge, and didn't know if that was normal for heat, so I felt her udder. Hmm? Now it was starting to fill up. I would describe it as a developing udder. Not full by any means, but definitely not empty like it was back in March. I felt her ligaments today and they are definitely still there. She is not very big - pregnant wise, but neither was the other doe when she gave birth. They are both very full-bodied. Does a doe in heat ever develop an udder of any kind? I would like her to be pregnant, of course, but the hard part is not knowing and not knowing when. The last time there was evidence of the buck mounting her was on December 6th, which would be about right for these symptoms... I think what is throwing me off is that she doesn't look pregnant to me. So... anyone have any thoughts?
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Thank you, Kimberly =) I'm very excited about Ferd! I'll be getting my second herdsire in about a month too. Another young one, but from proven lines!
That is interesting about the milk dripping??? I am just keeping an eye on her until the 3rd week in June and then I will know she is not due until fall - if this little buck I am renting settled her. (is that how you say that?)
Kimberly Martin said:
Kare:
My doe that didn't settle never had her udder return, but she had milk dripping for a few days until it dried. Very weird, maybe a variation of a precocious udder?
My doe that didn't settle never had her udder return, but she had milk dripping for a few days until it dried. Very weird, maybe a variation of a precocious udder?
Goats can develop a precocious udder, but it is much more common in standard goats. I've only had one ND ever do that. It usually happens in spring, and it's a tiny little thing -- looks like it's going to get big at some point but never actually fills up. Reading your description, she's got me guessing too. I'd be getting pretty frustrated if I were you. Two of my la manchas got a precocious udder when she was supposed to be pregnant. Drove me nuts!
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Thank you, Kimberly =) I'm very excited about Ferd! I'll be getting my second herdsire in about a month too. Another young one, but from proven lines!
That is interesting about the milk dripping??? I am just keeping an eye on her until the 3rd week in June and then I will know she is not due until fall - if this little buck I am renting settled her. (is that how you say that?)
Kimberly Martin said:
Kare:
My doe that didn't settle never had her udder return, but she had milk dripping for a few days until it dried. Very weird, maybe a variation of a precocious udder?
BTW, Ferdinand is TOO handsome!