C&D farming kidding thread...

Duckfarmerpa1

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Hi all, thanks for reading. If you don’t know by now, I have a Nigerian Dwarf mix who is due to kid Feb 1, and a Pygmy mix due on Jan 28....these are approximate dates, based on when they were exposed to my Nigerian Dwarf buck, Chester. So far both pregnancyies have been going along pretty well, except for this newbie obsessing over every detail. After a reality check last week, I have dialed it back, and I’m act really enjoying the process more. Which is awesome! I’m sure, when it comes time...al rational will go ou5 the window again? Hope not.

ok, some questions. I was on a different forum and got I bit bombarded with info...I’m sure they meant well..but, it was overload...and, I’m sure, not all of what I was told was 100% necessary? So..after they kid....where do you put the kids? I was shown many many instructions. I think we are going to build something simpler to put in the kidding stall...I saw on a YouTube channel...Blue cactus farms?? I think she built some simple shelters...and put Ceramic heat lamps.....we have tons of materials...so, that would be cheap and easy for us....how soon after kidding do I start milking out my does? I read it was like after two weeks?

My does came from a bad farmer so I have no history of ages or freshenings...but...I would guess that Stormy, my Pygmy is her first time, based on wear condition of her body in general, she looks younger...no worn off knees..or not bad yet...her teats and bag were tiny when we got her. Busty, looks to have freshened at least once. She’s sweet as pie and I think she will make a great mom. Stormys tummy is small..so if that is any indication I’m guessing a single...a Busty is pretty big...I’m hopin* for twins..triplets would be nice...if she can handle it well. I’m ready for the work, but I’d love for all the kids to be raised by mommas.
I called my vet..to give he4 an update...she is sooo laidback..I was pretty much saying...this is all you now...and she basically said..you’ll be fine..goats ar3 born every day..it’s not like it’s a horse! Lol..very very true...thank heavens! So, I suppose that reassurance was good.
ive got my kit ready..I think.how often do you think you need to give calcium gluconate...if you were to just guess? How would I know..she would just not be able to get up, etc? That’s all I can think of tonight...but, thanks for reading!
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animalmom

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Take a deep breath, hold for the count of 5 and slowly release. Now, take another one. You will do fine, the girls will do fine.

I put my pregnant girls (Nigerian dwarfs) in the kidding pen when their ligs are gone.

Do you know how to feel for the ligaments? Ligaments run down the sides of the tailbone (in the body, not the tail after the body). When labor is getting close, or when the girl just wants to freak you out, the ligs will start to feel mushy and disappear. Don't fret. If it is really labor you have other signs like an amber colored mucus string, or pawing trying to make a depression for a nest.

My kidding stalls are 4' x 6' (built out of 2 x 4's with stock panels) and have a door/gate to lock in the girl. I don't lock her in until there are kids. The idea behind locking her in is for her to bond with the kids and not have any nosy neighbors offering advise.

I put hay down, a thick carpet of hay for her comfort. Others use other things. When she is in labor, you can see her pushing, I set up a stool for me to sit on and all my towels, iodine, nose sucker bulb and a bucket of water for me to wash my hands. I try to get a towel under her. Others like to use puppy pee pads. Your choice.

Once the kids start I watch for proper positioning, nose with front feet, and assist if REALLY needed. Once the kid sloshes out I let mom lick on it until she gets busy pushing with the next one. At that time I grab the kid in a clean towel and continue to dry it off, checking for sex and dipping the navel cord.

This may sound gross, but let mom lick some of the birthing fluids off your hands... helps her to bond to you.

Rinse hands and repeat with the next kid(s).

I hang around to see if mom is drinking, if the kids have found and latched onto the teats, and give mom some hot molasses water for energy. Then I lock them up until the next morning. My girls seem to enjoy birthing around sundown. Yours may differ just to tweak you.

Some folks like to give "Goats Prefer Punch" as an energy booster, but my girls like their molasses water better. I use blackstrap molasses as it has more calcium, potassium and other minerals/vitamins.

Regarding calcium gluconate I don't keep it on hand, never needed it (knock on wood). I track the doe's temperature starting the next day and record it as well as the weight on the kids. You can tell if she isn't eating and yet the kids gain weight. Call your vet at that point. Got to get her eating. I had one doe that had a hard labor and a large, for her, kid. She wasn't eating much, the kid was gaining and it seemed like she was running a little cold, not much just a wee bit. Took her to the vet and he said she was fine to stop messing with her and leave her be. She was fine and the baby will be a year old in April.

You will do just fine. Your darling girls will do just fine and the babies will be adorable. We do demand, politely, pictures of the new kids. Please and thank you.

I applaud you wanting to know what could go wrong and be prepared for that, but the percentages are greatly in your favor that nothing will go wrong. Nevertheless, keep the vet's number on speed dial and carry on!
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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Thank you sooooooo much! Seriously! I wish soooo much that I would have found this forum first!! The other put so much worry in me, that, well...you obviously realize. I know the ligaments, to watch for signs...I’ve been watching videos. My stall is 4x8...made out of 2”x 4”, etc...... do you put the kids in some sort of box? The one showed the fancy igloo things...the other showed blue barrels cut with holes... I really just think we’ll make sort of like a dog crate, but out of wood? Would that do?
 

animalmom

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I'm in North Central Texas so when my girls kid it is usually mid to late April and the night temps are in the 40's so they get to sleep in the hay with their mom. I don't do a heating barrel as it is never that cold. I do have a heat lamp set up in one of the birthing stalls just in case. In 10 years of delivering kits I've used it once.

The birthing stalls (2) are in my "goat palace" which is basically a 3 sided structure. The palace blocks the weather.

I'm sure someone from further north can weigh in on the question.
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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I'm in North Central Texas so when my girls kid it is usually mid to late April and the night temps are in the 40's so they get to sleep in the hay with their mom. I don't do a heating barrel as it is never that cold. I do have a heat lamp set up in one of the birthing stalls just in case. In 10 years of delivering kits I've used it once.

The birthing stalls (2) are in my "goat palace" which is basically a 3 sided structure. The palace blocks the weather.

I'm sure someone from further north can weigh in on the question.
Geez...must be nice to have temps like that!! . I’m pretty sure what Chris builds will be great...he just built a similar thing for a mini pig that we owned temporarily...it was 55* degrees in there...we had a thermometer. He was a contractor, so, he’s really good at rigging stuff up on the fly...and cheap...:). I like the name...Goat Palace...too bad it’s taken..:)
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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Just checking about the Selenium and Vitamin E gel...I give the second dose now, right...I know I do..? but I wanted to make sure...2 weeks before delivery.......trying to get things in order...again....
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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Ok...so, today was a woooorrrkkk day if ever there was one!! The goats had lice..so I ha$ to strip the barn..you could eat of& that cherry hardwood floor ..if you wanted too...yuck? But, it felt great to work that hard for something I love soooo much! I doused the barn walls and dosed they girls with the meds. So, in a few days they should feel great!! I took the opportunity to , while on the milk stand, to check some udder bags...Stormy is pulling ahead by far! She is getting really tight! Which, is tight on par, since I believe, she is due Jan 29 and Busty Feb 1. Going to be a busy week coming up. I didn’t snap any pictures today..was just too busy. Will try tomorrow...have to capture these moments. Busty is bein* very hard to ge5 on th3 milk stand. She used to b3 easier. I had the sweet feed..I even had to put a couple animal crackers in there...but I still had to push he4 up and force her in...which, is not quite easy, at this stage of the game. I’m worried that the hoove trimming is leaving her with bad memories...I don’t want this, since, I hope to milk her. I really have no clue what I’ll do with the milk...I’ve read that it necessary to milk her so she doesn’t get mastitis...and so that then the kids will get into a routine? I’m not sure if I got all that info right? But, at any rate...I was excited about the idea of try to milk them...a new experience...a new way of learning on my farm, about my girls, about myself, etc. but, now, I have a beautiful doe, who won’t get on my stand without a force...anyone have some great tips? I’m using treats....when Chris first made me the stand..I had them on there a ton..I was even just brushing them..people said...’You don’t brush goats’. But they liked, and so did i. They were skittish from coming from that bad far, and having no human contact...so, I was usin* th3 brush, as a way for them to get used to my touch...now, that’s ou5 the window, all due to a week of double trimming..because I was too tentative the first time.

Anyways...they love the kidding stall. I only had Chris make one, since there only two of them..one can just be in the regular area wher3 the6 sleep, I figpure. But, they each take turns laying in there. I was worried that wouldn’t like it...being a change..and we know how they hate that!! But, with the feeder and the hay bucket, soft bedding..they love it!

Here are some..sort of recent pictures ....the bottom three are the most recent..this week, but you can’t see bellies. I’ll work on that...:lol: Thanks for reading!!
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Duckfarmerpa1

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Some new pictures of my lazy girls...were very close now...I mean...within a week?? I have a for appt that 2hrs away on Stormy’s due date...we thought we should wait to see her progress before canceling, resc, because it’s one of those that you can’t ge5 in for quite some time time then...but shes looking like she’s ready to go, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be calling the dr, saying...I have this pregnant goat...I bet they don’t hear that every day? :lol: I was going through my pictures at a party this weekend, and this nice lady saw the pictures of the backends of my goats...:lol: how do you explain that to people without goats? She looked at me with wide eyes, and I just said, they are about to kid, and I’m recording how big they are...she kind of of nodded, but I know she thought I was a weirdo...:lol: so,I’m doing lots of back end checks, but they are doing a lot of laying down..I think they are just done with being pregnant! Stormy looks like she’s having one, perhaps Busty twins? That would be perfect for me, being a newbie! I’m planning to keep one...sooo excited! I’m even having kidding dreams now. Stormy’s udder is very firm...and her nipples have grown considerably. Just watching now...checking ligaments...etc...but, everything still feels like we have days too go...which is good...those little buggers need each day to keep cooking inside!! :)
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