I don't recall ever seeing anything about this any where. Can anyone give me some range on when they start to "show" as we say about people. I have some does that have been exposed (a couple I saw get bred) and for the most part it is the same group of does that seem to be starting to look thicker than the non-exposed ones. I am beginning to think some of them may actually be pregnant. But it has only been about 6 weeks, could they be getting a little thick already or is that NOT possible.
One in particular is really getting thick and I just wonder if she is a pig or pregnant. It is starting to scare me because she seems to look bigger EVERYDAY. I did not see that one get bred and she was only one of twins but her mom' sister did have quads last year so I was thinking that maybe she will have twins or triplets vs. a FF' usual single or twins. Gosh that sounds scary, but I know I have heard of several FFs having triplets and doing fine.
Any who, it has been around 6 weeks since the peak of the breeding. They all seemed to be coming in heat . They were having their birthdays and coming in heat, jumping all over each other and screaming. Running to the boys pens and driving them nuts and turning them into blubbering idiots, so we finally decided we would take the oldest, biggest and most persistent ones and expose them instead of waiting on everyone for spring babies. That way we could break them up and have winter and spring kids. Then we can get use to milking without the burden of milking them all at once while most of us are learning. Not really such a bad idea where we live. Since our winters are mild and short, our summers are long and hot which means excessive parasites, winter babies of many species actually do better here. As long as they are bred to where the moms are not in the last part of pregnancy when it is the hottest.
So I was just wondering if ya'll had any idea how early they might start to "show" their pregnancies. To be honest, their has been so much going on I haven't really been thinking about the fact that some of them could be pregnant.
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For what it's worth, Capri had triplets last year for her first litter but only one this year (Ginger). I had wished for a single doe so I wouldn't have to re-home anyone but was ignorant of what I was wishing on my poor doe until baby was two weeks old. She was 4.5 lbs. 15 hours after birth so was likely 4 lbs. at birth. I'll never wish for a single birth again.
Oh Lord NO Deborah, I don't want none of them to FF with that many. I just thought maybe Fairy might be one of those FFs to have triplets.
Yes, Rachel if I could choose, I would choose twins for all FFs. No big singles and just enough babies for the teats! I think that is probably perfect.
Well, surely with 5 exposed and us seeing 2 bred someone settled.
Any who right now I am busy waiting on Butter to kid and doctoring Anchovy.
Thanks every one!
Ditto on what everyone else already said, but I have one doe that always has quads (and quints once), and she starts showing around 6 weeks.
When Ginger FINALLY got pregnant, she started showing about 2-3 months after she was bred. I'd be cheering for your FF to have more than one baby in there, because multiple babies USUALLY mean smaller kids, and that means easier births. It's big babies that are scary. (and the idea of bottle feeding a quad... lol)
Here's hoping you have a few pregnant mommies!!