SonRise Acres
Loving the herd life
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.
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.