1. My doe was 32 lb before breeding and has gained 16 lb. We don't know the exact date of breeding but think she is about to go. Is there any rule of thumb on how much a doe will gain? Of course I know this will have something to do with how many kids she's carrying, but just in general?
2. Last night she was fine and this morning she is lame on her back right leg. Holding it up, hobbles not wanting to put weight on it. Trying to figure out if she injured it somehow or if could be a symptom of nerves being affected as kids are getting really close. (sorry if this is a dumb question. it's our first time)
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ND goats continue to grow until they're 2-3 years old unless they have a genetic issue or had a bad case of parasites or coccidia as a kid, which will permanently damage the lining of their intestines so that they are not properly absorbing nutrients. Does usually get within a couple inches of their final height by the time they're a year old, but they continue to fill out, and their body gains a lot of depth in their second and third years, and that depth and growth of the pelvic bones is what's important in pregnancy and kidding.
Sounds like your buck is also quite young if he is only 48 pounds, so there is no telling what kind of genetics he has in terms of size. This is why every few years, a group of ND breeders start arguing about the height standards, as some ND bucks have become permanent champions and then gone over the max height.
I learned about not breeding too small the hard way because when I got started back in 2002, the only thing anyone ever talked about was breeding does to kid at a year of age, which was what I did for the first couple of years. Then I had a doe that was obviously quite small, so I waited and bred her when she was a year old, even though she still looked smaller than the other does. I wound up having to take her to the vet when she was in labor because the kid was so big that we couldn't even pull it out. The vet did eventually pull it, and her weight after birth was only 35 pounds. That's when I learned that she should NOT have been bred until she was at least 35 to 40 pounds. Now I err on the side of caution and don't breed until they weigh 40 pounds, and if they don't reach 40 pounds by the time they're two years old, they probably should not be bred. I have one little goat that is 7 years old now and never been bred because she's too small.
Thank you so much for all of your input. I value it greatly. I will say that she was a year old in January. I did wait until she was at least a year old to breed her. Before breeding she was at the same weight for several months. We acquired her brother at the same time and had him weathered immediately to be a companion to her. He is 37 pounds now. They're both smaller than the buck we purchased for her, who is 48 lb.
I guess I don't know how much more she would have grown or gained after turning a year old, but I did try to do the research of when to breed before I put them together and was thinking I was being responsible in my timing. I guess time will tell. But she is quite the barrel right now. She was one of triplets herself, so I'm PRAYING that she also has multiples so she will have an easier time.
Thank you for the labor tips. I REALLY appreciate that and pray that I am led to do or not to do everything that is necessary for a healthy kidding!
It could be a pinched nerve from the kids pressing on it. I've had that happen before, and a day or so after kidding, the doe is walking more normally. I've also had does injure a nerve during kidding and then hobble around for a couple of days, but they've always been fine in the end.
My biggest concern is that you bred her at only 32 pounds. Unless she comes from a line of very small does, breeding under 40 pounds is not a good idea. The rule of thumb is to breed at 60% of adult weight, and most ND does are about 60 pounds as adults. They can be carrying anywhere from 3 to 15 pounds in kids, so there is no telling when she's due or how many kids she has. She could have one 5-pound single (I really hope NOT!), or she could have a couple of 2-3 pound kids. Especially since she was so small, we have NO idea how much weight she gained through her own growth and how much has gone into kids. I really hope she has two or three little ones in there. If she has a single, it could get complicated because they tend to be larger than multiples. If you see a nose or a hoof for more than 15 minutes with ZERO progress, that's not good. If she is continuing to make progress, even slowly, then just be patient. You should be sure to have a watch so you really know how much time is passing because five minutes can feel like 20 when they're pushing, especially when you're new and nervous.
Ahh ok. I would be nervous too, I think, but that's because I get anxious over things I do for the first time, especially something as big as this. I'll bet everything turns out ok. :)
Keep us posted!
Apparently I'm just a nervous nellie. But no, not yet. She actually grazing today for the first time in three days. Still struggles to walk and drags that back leg. But I imagine it's more comfortable standing than laying. I don't know how she can go much longer.
Any babies yet, Cassandra?
Cannot see an injury. Although early in her pregnancy she fell off the top of an igloo dog house and was lame for a few days. I would have to go back and review footage to see if same leg. Maybe it's aggravated. She has a terrible time getting on her feet right now. In part I'm sure due to her 50% weight/baby gain and this "injury" or lameness.
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