I have a Nubian that is due to kid the beginning of Jan. Her stomach used to be big around. Now I notice that her stomach is not so big around but hangs low. If you look at her sideways her stomach hangs down to where her teats meet her udder. The bottom of her udder and her stomach are even with bend in her hind leg (sorry, I can't think of what it's called. The backwards knee).I can see and feel the babies kicking on the bottom of her stomach. Is it common for a goats stomach to drop like this?

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), December 24, 2001

Answers

Yes. It has to go somewhere!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 24, 2001.

Yes george, she is doing what I call "shape-changing". It is one of the first things my Nubian does do before kidding. I will notice that instead of big out to the side, they appear to have "dropped". Keep feeling her tail head (right were the tail comes out from the back) and you will notice it getting looser and looser as time for kidding approaches. She is just getting ready for the big event. Aren't you excited!!! I sure get excited at kidding time and I have been doing it for a lot of years. Good luck, and keep us posted.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 24, 2001.

George , You make me want to go to the barn and check my girls. I get so excited over kidding that nobody but a full fledged goat lover can stant to be around me. Good luck

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), December 25, 2001.

I am getting very excited. My Nubian is bagging up. It would make it so much easier if we knew the exact day they would kid, then we wouldn't have to do so much checking up on them:-)

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), December 26, 2001.