You've Got To Be Kidding

Five months ago (151 days to be precise) our goats were covered by a billy. Yesterday was their due date but it's not unusual for a goat to go a few days before or after that. This week I've been out to the field every couple of hours to try and spot any signs of impending labour but as yet, nothing. I'm still not entirely sure if they are both in kid. I'm pretty sure I felt kids kicking in the belly of Esme but then again ruminants tend to have massive belly gurgling events as a matter of course, in fact it's a sign of good digestive health. The same goat is definitely 'bagging up' which means her udders are filling out, a sure sign that something is afoot.

Their shelter is ready with clean fresh hay, baby bottles just in case, some lubrication jelly, a pair of long plastic gloves and antiseptic for the umbilical cord wound ... with any luck I won't need most of it! I'm hoping to milk out a small jar of milk in the first few hours after the kids have had a feed. It contains antibody rich colostrum which is vital for their survival and must be ingested within hours of birth or the kids won't survive. Having a small amount in the freezer for emergencies is an indispensable  and wonderful insurance policy.

Right, I'm off out to check the goats again!

Comments

[HandyCraftyWoman]

So exciting! I am really looking forward to seeing what and when :)

[alan]

Good luck. There is nothing like kid goats to make you smile. My goats have been running about a week past their due date this year for some reason. Good luck and enjoy the process.

[Lorna]

Good luck. Is this their first pregnancies? If her udder is filling up well, it shouldn't be long. We're pretty sure Becky isn't pregnant after all - must be something wrong with her, should get her scanned really I guess to see if she has cysts or something. All the best. Are you going to let the kids suckle or will you milk and then bottle feed?
Lorna

[Rebecca (author of Sallygardens)]

I let the kids suckle with their mothers, then when they are a few weeks old the kids can go into an ajoining shelter where they can see and hear their Mums. Then I can milk a little from each of the nannies in the morning, leaving plenty for the kids too. This way its really flexible, if I need to go away I don't need to find a goatsitter who can milk. Instead they stay with their Mums, suckle while I'm away and thus keep her in milk too.