I need some tips other than "know the breed date" and "watch for tail ligament"! I got a new milk doe last week of August and have been milking her steady, but she's got kids kicking and rolling around in her. No, it's not her rumen. It's the distinct and autonomous kicking of kids. She hasn't cycled or bred that I've witnessed since I got her and she came with a buck. I was told she last gave birth in April this year. She was milking 2 quarts per day when I got her and is up to giving 3 quarts a day (though yesterday she gave 3.5 and might do the same today).
I want to dry her up for birthing so I'm not milking colostrum from the kids. Any pointers on gauging her progress? I've tried testing the ligament thing in the past but haven't really 'figured it out', and if I recall correctly, that also only tells you when she's about to give birth.
Edit; I'm talking about the brown doe. She also came with the white doe, in the first photo, who likewise has not cycled nor bred that I've witnessed (and these things don't usually go unnoticed, I keep an eye on the ladies and keep my birthing dates in order). She came 6 weeks into drying up from being milked, and instead of trying to bring her back into milk I just let her be. So she's theoretically 12+/- weeks from the last time she was milked and he bag is probably bigger than it was when I got her. Both these does came with a buck and were supposedly open, having last kidded in April. They weren't housed with the buck but shared a fence line, and I know a silly wire fence doesn't stop determined goats. Here they live with the buck full time, so it's possible they bred after I got them but I sure didn't see evidence of it and I doubt I'd feel kicking kids just 6 weeks in!
I want to dry her up for birthing so I'm not milking colostrum from the kids. Any pointers on gauging her progress? I've tried testing the ligament thing in the past but haven't really 'figured it out', and if I recall correctly, that also only tells you when she's about to give birth.
Edit; I'm talking about the brown doe. She also came with the white doe, in the first photo, who likewise has not cycled nor bred that I've witnessed (and these things don't usually go unnoticed, I keep an eye on the ladies and keep my birthing dates in order). She came 6 weeks into drying up from being milked, and instead of trying to bring her back into milk I just let her be. So she's theoretically 12+/- weeks from the last time she was milked and he bag is probably bigger than it was when I got her. Both these does came with a buck and were supposedly open, having last kidded in April. They weren't housed with the buck but shared a fence line, and I know a silly wire fence doesn't stop determined goats. Here they live with the buck full time, so it's possible they bred after I got them but I sure didn't see evidence of it and I doubt I'd feel kicking kids just 6 weeks in!
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