Remember Ginger who didn't have kids the first part of August this past year? She is pregnant after going to the "fat farm" November 25th to February 2nd. She was with the buck the entire time she was there. She did lose weight and appears to be pregnant, blood work to be done later this week (I hope!!!). She does have the baby bulge this time.
This morning she was calling which is very unusual for her. I checked her discovering clear discharge, like in heat. A few hours later, I went out and checked her again. There was more discharge and lots of pink discharge down her rear legs and sides of her legs like they have when they are ready to kid or have kidded. Of course, this alarmed me. I looked around to see if there was possibly a kid somewhere though she looks not at all smaller. As near as I can tell, there is no evidence of anything anywhere except on her.
I needed to leave for a while and put her in the barn by herself, feeling guilty for doing it since we have one of our unseasonal beautiful sunny days. When I returned, it appears there has been more discharge.
She is eating normally but affectionate. However, she is my most affectionate goat and will come for scratches and pets all the time, pregnant or not. The earliest she could be due is mid-April if she got pregnant right away. The breeder said on Dec. 11th and 14th that she though she was in heat which would be a first week in May due date.
I recall two or three years ago, someone had this happen but cannot remember the outcome.
Forgot to add: No bag formed; ligaments seem normal (not loose)
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How is milking going? Is she drying up, or is them milk more resembling milk?
Please keep me posted.
She may or may not continue to produce. Usually in a situation like this, you milk the doe out once, and that's it. If she does continue to produce, then she has quite a will to milk.
First, big sigh out of the way.
My goat person was here today to trim hooves and draw blood for the annual testing (and double-check eyelid color). She also looked at Ginger's udder and asked if I had been milking her. She was concerned that I had not been but I assured her the udder had not gotten firm, that I check it at least once each day. While she had her on the stand, she milked a little clear liquid out and encouraged me to milk her. I told her that the very latest she could kid would be at the end of this month since she left the buck's location on February 2nd and said I was going to wait until the end of the week even though I was absolutely sure she was not pregnant. She said I should start now rather than wait.
Tonight, when I finished milking Summer, I put Ginger on the stand. She has been wanting to get up there for the last two months, since right after she lost her baby. I'm gonna tell you that if she cannot settle and carry kids to full term, it is going to be a real tragedy. She is incredibly easy to milk. She gave me 8.5 ounces in less than three minutes, maybe less than two. Easy to milk, nice teats and big orifices. The "milk" was kind of yellowish white but definitely not milk white. Unless someone knowledgeable here says I should not continue to "milk" her, I will keep doing it as long as she gives any. While I cannot drink it, it will sure be good nutrition for the plants so it won't go to waste. It's very clear that Ginger knew more about what I should be doing than I did!!!
Good news is that my goat person is going in with someone else on a semen take and is going to be training to to AI! That opens up so many better possibilities for me regarding breeding - I am looking forward to it when it can happen. In the meantime, I have found Crazy's son and his current owner will let me bring my girl(s) there to be bred after their current tests. Color me happy about both of those developments!
Nothing new except that since my last post, her right udder has gotten larger with no noticeable change in the left. Neither is hard as if it has milk. Her weight is stable, ligaments normal, no outward sign of anything except that udder.
As for reason of miscarriage, vet has no answers. Her older sister had been being quite mean to her and banging into her quite hard so that may have been why. All minerals, etc., should be fine as well as food, so I don't see anything organic as the reason. All four are very healthy looking. If it had not been that my oldest doe did have a successful pregnancy with the buck, I would suspect there might be something there since mine are all related to each other. Out of six breedings, only two pregnancies (of which I am aware) and one of those ended in miscarriage. The other four breedings with the buck from my original breeder were all successful with only a few hours with the buck (both for my two older does).
(I say of which I am aware because if I had not been paying attention, I would not have known Ginger miscarried. She and/or Dancer may have before and I just didn't know.)
One of my biggest concerns now is that Ginger is three without having had a successful pregnancy and only one settling in two years out of at least four breedings. With her paternal half-sister not settled from either of two breedings either is a concern since both where there for full cycles (not just a few hours on "the day"). They may just not like that buck!
Because the original buck is their dad, that won't work to take them back there which would be my preference, but Crazy died and Legend is their dad.
Do you have any updates? How is your goat that miscarried?
It's not unusual for a doe to grow a beard. Most of them do.
Glenna Rose said:
So sorry to read this, our doe delivered early this February by about 14 days and we lost the buckling. My heart goes out to Ginger and you.
I just re-read that - her weight increased half a pound not one and a half pounds. I really, really need to pay more attention to what I type! So only 8 ounces heavier. (But I would like it better if it were 8 ounces lighter!)
She is growing a beard - none of the others have including her mother - so maybe it is something like that (hormones). The udder is semi-firm but definitely not hard. It feels pretty much like Summer's does about six hours after I milk her (milking her once a day in the mornings). The left, smaller, side is a little firmer but definitely not hard though it might feel a little firmer because it is flatter. Her weight has increased 1.5 lb. this past week. As far as I know, she has not come into heat; it's a month today since she miscarried. Of course, I have not tried to milk her at all, either last month or now.
Seems like she has some weird hormonal stuff happening, especially since only one side is getting bigger. Have you felt her udder to be sure she doesn't have mastitis?
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