I have read everything in all three of my goat books, have looked at the recommended websites (couldn't find one, and fiasco farms didn't have pictures up anymore.....) and of course, none of it makes sense to me (and I'm a midwife!). She appeared to have all the signs a couple of weeks ago, but since the books were not descriptive enough, I was wrong.

No, I don't know when she got pregnant, and neither did the person I bought her from . She is due "sometime in January".

Anyway, now I can say for certain, after being drippy and gooey for two weeks that she has loads of "mucous" coming out of her rear! It looks just like snot, more whitish than yellow, but a bit yellowish/creamy colored.

question: this is a big thick gunk, and while she has been hollow, she has developed a couple of new hollowed out spots closer to her rear. any clues at all as to "how long" after the BIG mucous starts? could it still be days, or likely to be a few hours? We would rather be around when it happened, and don't know how to adjust the schedule....do we leave for our 3 hour trip into town this afternoon, or cancel on girlscouts, for example?

Thanks.

And, by the way, are there any more "medical" texts you recommend that give more details than the average goat books? I consider the average goat books more like what pregnant couples buy to read, and I am looking for more of the "text book" that gets much much more detailed. There are a lot out there, and I would love to know your favorites and why.

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), January 28, 2002

Answers

I've never done this before but, my goat book Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way says;"When she is gettingready to kid the doe will become nervous,and will appear hollow in the flank and on either side of the tail. There may be discharge of mucus, but this can appear several days before kidding. When a more opaque, yellow, gelatinous discharge begins, it's for real.

Kids can be felt on the right side of the doe. It is good practice to feel for them at least twice a day. As long as you can feel them they won't be born for at least twelve hours."

Hope this helps! Good luck and let us know.

Susan

-- Susan northern MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), January 28, 2002.

I am sure she is in labor. As for how many hours until the kids appear, I was interested to see the hint above about whether the kids could still be felt. The trouble is, some does take 1/2 hour after the mucous sign you saw; some take 2 or 3 hours. Wish we could help you better.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), January 28, 2002.

My favorite goat book is Goat Medicine by Mary C. Smith and David M. Sherman, both DVMs. It seems expensive, I paid $80, but it is a technical book, written for laymen also, and will pay you back time after time. I quote from page 431; PARTURITION: Parturition is traditionally divided into three stages. First stage labor, when uterine contractions force placenta, fetus, and fluids against the cervix to dilate, lasts up to 12 hours in primiparous does (first time). Multiparous does typically proceed faster. Second stage labor, which is accompanied by straining typically lasts two hours or less and is completed by expulsion of the last kid. The third stage involves expulsion of the placenta (within 4 hours) and involution of the uterus. Lochia, which should not have a foul odor, is normally discharged for as long as 3 weeks.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), January 28, 2002.

If she were a cow I'd say she's getting ready to freshen any time. The mucous plug is the discharge you are seeing now. It forms to plug the uterus from bacteria that might otherwise be introduced from the vagina and the outside. It's discharged shortly before calving. Goats probably aren't too different. And hey, it's still January! So she's right on time. :)

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), January 28, 2002.

I have seen the mucous plug appear as much as a week ot two before kidding... And the does acted like they were in labor for almost a month, so I didn't get very much sleep. The best way to tell if a doe is about to kid, is to feel for the ligaments in the rump area. Run two fingers down along each side of the doe's spine, from where the rump slants from the back, to the tailhead. About maybe two thirds of the way towards the tail, you will feel cords going from the spine towards the pin bones. The pin bones are the ones that stick out when you are looking at the doe's rear, from directly behind her, they are on either side of her vulva. Feel for the ligaments on several goats until you are sure that you are feeling them. then go back to the doe that had the mucous discharge and feel for hers. Are they soft? Firm and hard like pencils? You can't find them? When it is time for a doe to kid, everything soften up and becomes flexible so that the kids can come out, including these ligaments. They soften and sink to where you cannot feel them. The doe cannot kid until this happens, and it takes several hours for this to happen- generally speaking. If you can feel her ligaments and they feel hard and firm like pencils then go about your day as you usually would, she isn't ready yet. If they're sift, check on her every once in a while. If you cannot feel them at all, but can easily locate them on other does, watch her- it is time for her to kid.

I hope this helps, I wish we could draw a picture of where the ligaments are, it would be so much easier! If you have questions, feel free to ask or e mail me.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 28, 2002.

You probably have the kids by now. Some will have mucous up to a month ahead of time, but what you are describing usually comes right prior to kidding. As far as being nervous, I have some that start acting funny the day before and some that will act perfectly normal up to 15 minutes prior to kidding. Good luck.

-- leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), January 28, 2002.

My doe has been releasing mucus for about two weeks. It's her bag that I watch. When it is full and the teats are strutted(full), then she's about ready.

-- Red Neck (Secesh@CSA.com), January 28, 2002.

Marcee

Rebecca gave you good advice if you want pictures of checking for ligaments go to http://www.tyny.com/ligaments.html This is one of the areas of the Tyny Goat Ranch site they also have alot of other things that are fun to browse though. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), January 28, 2002.

I forgot to mention that if you download this it is only 2 pages. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), January 28, 2002.