How to know if they are pregnant ...

[WHFarms]

Okay so I have a feeling that since I have a Nubian doe, that her issues with her "hubby" are that she may be bred and just have a continual "headache" because of it. How far along do they have to be in their pregnancy before you can tell they actually are pregnant?

 

[freemotion]

About a month after the buck has done his job and she hasn't come into heat again you can send in a blood sample to a lab such as BioTracking and you will know for sure.

 

[ksalvagno]

You can always have an ultrasound or xray done too. The blood test would be cheaper route to go.

 

[Chirpy]

Also, Nubians generally only come into heat between August and December/January. There are some that will push those dates but not most. So, it's possible that she hasn't even come into her first heat of the season yet. I've got Nubians who don't have their first heat until late September.

If she is pregnant, and it's certainly possible, then as stated above you can do bloodwork or an ultrasound or x-ray to verify. Since my income isn't tied to a goat being pregnant or not I just wait for five months and then I know if she was pregnant or not! Since it appears that you are leaving your doe in with your buck then, if you chose to not spend the money on the testing, you will know that he will cover her when she does come into heat. The issue with that is you may not know when she was bred and thus not know when the kids are due. Which means you may be on 'kidwatch' for a couple months - not fun. In my case, I put my girls with the buck for about 32 days and then remove her. That way I have at least some realistic window on when she was bred so I know when to start watching for babies.

Or, I watch very closely and when I see the telltale signs of her being in heat I get her to the buck immediately. I do have a couple girls who show no signs of heat thus why I also use the 32ish day method of making sure they are covered.

If you see a buck successfully mount a doe -- she's probably being bred. Watch that date and see in another month if he has that interest in her again. If you don't ever see the buck mount her then... see all of the above.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Tummy typing test - get doe on stanchion(or stand over her facing her rear), place hands on her underbelly, right in front of her udder, and start typing on her belly as if you were using an old style typewriter. If the area feels "squishy", she is not pregnant... If the area feels firm, she is pregnant. {you can know the difference by doing this same test on a doe that you KNOW is not pregnant and one that you know IS pregnant}.

Trust me, the difference in feel to that area is unmistakeable. This has proven 100% accurate with my does. Like I mentioned, you just need to feel an open doe's abdomen and a confirmed pregnant doe's abdomen to know the difference.

 

[kstaven]

Tummy typing test - get doe on stanchion(or stand over her facing her rear), place hands on her underbelly, right in front of her udder, and start typing on her belly as if you were using an old style typewriter. If the area feels "squishy", she is not pregnant... If the area feels firm, she is pregnant. {you can know the difference by doing this same test on a doe that you KNOW is not pregnant and one that you know IS pregnant}.

Trust me, the difference in feel to that area is unmistakeable. This has proven 100% accurate with my does. Like I mentioned, you just need to feel an open doe's abdomen and a confirmed pregnant doe's abdomen to know the difference.

This technique does work well. Easy and quick to do at milking time.

 

[WHFarms]

Does the typing technique work when she is probably only "just" pregnant (if at all) or at most a month into her term? I'm going to try this today and see what I can feel. Thank you for all of the advice!

 

[Livinwright Farm]

It typically can be done with accuracy by the 4th week.

 

[arabianequine]

I got 3 does on May 1st of this year, that were exposed to bucks. I was positive they were pregnant but I guess just really really skinny. They still have not had any kids and the 2 boers tummy's are huge.....I hate to see what they will look like pregnant.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

arabianequine do they have an udder developing? My recently acquired does were put in with a buck the start of May and I'm expecting kids from October on. If they became pregnant right before you bought them they could still surprise you.

I tried the tummy typing with my does, had to stand at the side though as they are waaaaay to wild to stand over them. They aren't squishy, I guess they are firm but oh my I wish I had a breeding date. I didn't think they had udders developing yet but I noticed today for the first time ever I can see their teats from behind them and they look bigger than they did. I assume this is the start of development? I'd be really happy if it is. I want to see babies!