Skittish New Goat

SonRise Acres

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We bought a new nigerian pygmy about 2 weeks ago. She's 2 years old and pregnant. She was pregnant when we bought her. We were hoping, by her previous owner's description (though he has a large herd, he obviously doesn't know much after what I have learned about goat pregnancies), that she was very newly pregnant. Yeah, 2 weeks ago we were told she had about a month left from the vet that did the pregnancy confirmation ultrasound. Did I mention I am a newer goat owner and this is our first female, thus our first pregnancy?

We have her apart from our male and she has the freedom to pasture eat at will all day and also go back to her pen when she wants to lay down. She is penned at night in a large pen with a very nice goat house (if you will) where I make sure we provide hay, the minerals she needs, water, etc. This is not her first pregnancy (her second) and by what we were told (who knows the truth) the first was a live birth of twins which he kept.

However, what we have learned is that he didn't quite tell us the truth on how warm and loving she was. She's not mean. She has yet to do one single mean act. It's more skittish and timid. I can understand being pregnant, moving to a new place, new owners, new everything. I am also not sure she was given free pasture time as I kind of had to teach her how to do that.

Here's my question (sorry, I am known for being long winded but don't know what you all need to know to help or advise): We have around 2 weeks until she gives birth. I want to be able to help her should there be an issue with either the labor or the baby(ies) afterwards. I also don't want to stress her by my being close when she's in labor. Ideas?

Here's what I have been doing so far: I am the one to bring her all treats, food, water, give her pasture time, etc so that she sees me as the good things in her life. I try to be respectful of her fear while also showing her I am safe. She doesn't seem like she's been abused, just not handled at all. I speak softly to her, get down lower (she likes that better), and move slowly around her. I pet her when I can get close enough and hang out near her pen often so she just kind of gets used to the whole idea of me.
 

NH homesteader

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I have no pregnancy advice but it sounds like you're doing everything right to get her to be calmer around you. Keep doing what you're doing and she'll get more comfortable with you.

Is your male a buck or wether?

Do you know if she's been vaccinated?

Oh and we goat addicts love pictures so feel free to share some!
 

SonRise Acres

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I have no pregnancy advice but it sounds like you're doing everything right to get her to be calmer around you. Keep doing what you're doing and she'll get more comfortable with you.

Is your male a buck or wether?

Do you know if she's been vaccinated?

Oh and we goat addicts love pictures so feel free to share some!

Our male is a young buck. We keep him separated from her for many reasons (she's new, pregnant, and no way I want an unsafe breeding time after she has her baby(ies).

She has been vaccinated with the CD&T.

OK, you asked for goat pictures. Here are a few.

The first two are our young male. He is now 18 weeks old, these were taken about a month ago on the day we got him. The one with the ball was too funny. My kids were kicking their soccer ball around when it accidentally went to where we had him put on a lead while we were tweaking his pen. He ran up to it and butted it to them and then cried until they kicked it back to him. They did this for about 5 minutes. Who would have thought, a soccer playing goat.

The second two are of our pregnant girl. I don't have good pictures of her, these are from the day we got her before we brought her home. She is starting to have a waddle in her walk (about 2 weeks from her due date).

20161127_132656.jpg 20161129_151346.jpg Nellie.jpg Nellie2.jpg
 

norseofcourse

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Sounds like you're doing well with her, like you said it's a lot of changes, and she's pregnant as well.

Hope you know the 'two weeks she has left' may turn into three - or more - and will probably seem like months! Hope all goes well :)
 
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