Ligaments soft while laying, hard while standing

[Keeper of insanity]

Good morning. I went outside to do one of many checks on Rainy today. If my calculations are correct tomorrow should be 150 days since the deed…but she was kept with the male for a while longer while his pen was being put up…anyway, I’ve checked her ligaments a few times a day for the past week or so (because that’s when I first learned that I should). I’ve checked them while she stood and while she laid down. They’ve felt consistently the same, like two pencils jutting out from either side of her tail/spine. But! This morning while she was laying down I ran my hand down her spine and couldn’t immediately find the ligaments. I got excited, felt a little more, found them, but they were nearly non-existent. Very mushy. So I sat there with her until she decided to get up and stretch. I checked her ligaments again and they felt like two hard little pencils
Why? Why were they soft while she laid but hard once she stood?

 

[Mini Horses]

Relaxed. Positioning. What about her udder? Filling, soft, tighter from filling? While some won't come into full milk until kidding....most will tighten and teats will stand out.

See why some friends & family are appalled? We're feeling up animals, staring at private parts, describing "unmentionables" and think it's a great discussion! like, do you want cream in your coffee?

 

[Keeper of insanity]

Relaxed. Positioning. What about her udder? Filling, soft, tighter from filling? While some won't come into full milk until kidding....most will tighten and teats will stand out.

See why some friends & family are appalled? We're feeling up animals, staring at private parts, describing "unmentionables" and think it's a great discussion! like, do you want cream in your coffee?

She appeared to be relaxed. Her udder has been looking filled for a couple of weeks now. But I don’t see the shiny/glossy look I’ve read about so perhaps she’s not completely filled? I would say it still feels soft. Definitely doesn’t remind me of when I breastfed and was full of milk, like if I made more we’re going to need a bucket, but does remind me of as I was getting closer to due date how full they feltif that makes sense…
She was chewing her cud, staring off into space. She was laid down with her legs tucked in under, slightly leaning towards one side. I did also notice that while she was laying her (vulva?, business end? Was really pressed out. But then when she stood it went back to how it’s been looking for the past week, only slightly puffy and slightly loose. I figure it was just the pressure from laying down?
My oldest daughter is ‘so not looking forward to helping’ simply because she’s worried she’ll throw up
I actually use Nutpods in my coffee and hot tea, so that’s had it’s own bunch of laughs and giggles

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes, makes sense. She's getting close....

It could happen fast...they love to surprise us.

 

[Keeper of insanity]

Yes, makes sense. She's getting close....

It could happen fast...they love to surprise us.

Like how fast do you think? I’ve had to run to a part store about an hr away to get a part for my husband’s truck…so that’s two hrs at least away from home

 

[Keeper of insanity]

I’ve tasked two teenage boys with goat backend checks every half hr.

 

[Ridgetop]

See why some friends & family are appalled? We're feeling up animals, staring at private parts, describing "unmentionables" and think it's a great discussion! like, do you want cream in your coffee?

I have to be careful letting friends and family look through my photos! When they quickly hand the phone back and look pale I know they have reached one of my informational pix. We used to go to a local Mexican restaurant with a group of horse friends every Monday for $1 taco night. Our teenage kids sat at a different table. One night they accused us of driving away other patrons that were seated near us. The reason? Our discussion of AI which included a description of semen collection, the use of artificial vaginas, and "teaser" animals! We couldn't understand why our kids said WE embarrassed them since this was normal dinner table conversation at our various households!

Without BYH DH and I probably wouldn't have any friends at all!

 

[Ridgetop]

She was chewing her cud, staring off into space. She was laid down with her legs tucked in under, slightly leaning towards one side. I did also notice that while she was laying her (vulva?, business end? Was really pressed out. But then when she stood it went back to how it’s been looking for the past week, only slightly puffy and slightly loose. I figure it was just the pressure from laying down?

I have been breeding dairy goats and sheep for 32 years now and still haven't been able to tell the difference between "mushy" ligaments and normal. I CAN palpate rabbit does and feel that they are pregnant though which many people can't, so I guess it's a tradeoff. LOL

I use a breeding harness with colored crayons to tell the exact date she is bred. This seems to work better for me than trying to check ligaments. I just watch for any problems when she is lambing/kidding. Usually few problems though.

Unless there is a reason you want to be present to pull kids away (we always did for our dairy does) or she might need kids disentangled and pulled (our Nubians used to have triplets and quads routinely) you will probably just go in the house for 5 minutes to get a coffee refill and return to find her nursing her twins! And laughing at you.

Good luck!

 

[Mini Horses]

or she can taunt you for days!!

 

[Keeper of insanity]

She is definitely a master taunter
I just want to be present to assure drying off and warmth is sufficient. And to be there in case of emergencies. It’s cold and rainy today. And I just feel like I can never get her room warm enough
We have a heat lamp, but technically it’s up high (out of reach) and though it is ‘warm’ I worry it’s not warm enough for a wet newborn