Doe seems to be in labor for a week Rapid breathing and occasional pushing

AmberSue said:

We recently acquired a doe who we didn't know was VERY pregnant.🙄 She was eating like crazy. I can feel pronounced baby movements...little hooves. She had the littlest string of goo for two days. She gave a big push and then walked away like nothing happened. ? She is breathing very rapidly and has been for days. I had to deworm her 4 days ago with an iron shot, vitamin B drench which seemed to help her breathing, but now she's doing it again. She's tried to push multiple times but only one push here and there (maybe 2 times a day). She's unevenly bagged up on one side. I don't think it's mastitis. Her temp is between 102.5 and 103.5. She's chewing cud. Anyone have any advice please? Thank you!

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Welcome to the forum!

She isn't pushing, once they start pushing they have a kid out within a half hour. If they don't and no one intervenes the doe and kid will die. I would guess she is grunting from the kids squishing her lungs (common at the end of pregnancy), and possibly starting to prolapse which can be mistaken for a kid coming out. When pushing, the does stomach tightens HARD, she pushes out her legs, and will sometimes lift her lip with each push or scream. I would guess the rapid breathing is more like a one after another grunt or umph sound? That happens when the lungs are squashed by the kid at the end of the does pregnancy.

Here is an article with a video included on how to tell when your goat is going to kid, I would highly recommend it! What to Expect When Your Nigerian Dwarf is Giving Birth (Kidding/Freshening) and When to Worry

Thank you SO much for your reply! The link you sent was very helpful. She has some amber goo today, so I'm hoping this is it and praying for a successful healthy kidding...

AmberSue said:

Thank you SO much for your reply! The link you sent was very helpful. She has some amber goo today, so I'm hoping this is it and praying for a successful healthy kidding...

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Any updates?

Well...thus goat just keeps us on our toes! She's super full in her udder, shiny and everything. Her discharge has significantly increased, and she's pretty hot tempered with the other does😄 BUT she's keeping her buns in the oven. She was extremely anemic, and I think that's what caused the heavy breathing...and she's huge of course. I will let you know! Thanks for asking! Not knowing a due date is rather anxiously laborious. I'll be happy when the frequent checks are over🙂

Finally!! Pepper had triplets yesterday morning. 2 doelings 1 buck. The 1st was breech legs back. She held everything up, but we got her straightened out. All healthy kids. Mama is doing pretty good. I gave her molasses water and been doing electrolytes, B vitamin drench and the prebiotic. However, one side of her udder is HUGE and the other is shrinking. She has been uneven up to kidding. I was hoping that she'd even out. Her temp is fine, and I've seen milk discharge from the engorged- side teat. I'm going out every hour to get the kids to nurse that side hoping we can get things evened out. Do you have any suggestions as to what to do ? Or are there just goats with uneven udder? Thanks, Lil Kickuh Heaven!

AmberSue said:

Finally!! Pepper had triplets yesterday morning. 2 doelings 1 buck. The 1st was breech legs back. She held everything up, but we got her straightened out. All healthy kids. Mama is doing pretty good. I gave her molasses water and been doing electrolytes, B vitamin drench and the prebiotic. However, one side of her udder is HUGE and the other is shrinking. She has been uneven up to kidding. I was hoping that she'd even out. Her temp is fine, and I've seen milk discharge from the engorged- side teat. I'm going out every hour to get the kids to nurse that side hoping we can get things evened out. Do you have any suggestions as to what to do ? Or are there just goats with uneven udder? Thanks, Lil Kickuh Heaven!

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Happy to help! I am glad everything went well and you were able to get the kid untangled and out.

I am SO sorry for the late reply! I have had a bad busy week lol. I would just put her on the milk stand (if you have one)(if not, tie her to a post) and put her dinner or breakfast bucket of grain by her head. Put the kids on that side and let them nurse. if it is still full after that, you can milk out the full side until it isn't tight anymore. It is likely too full and hurts so she won't let the kids nurse on that side. Once it is milked out and the pressure is relieved it should be good and the kids will nurse on that side. You will want to do this twice a day. If not they can get mastitis and their udder can fill so much it actually "blows" out their teat which will never return to its former state. It is really common for kids not to eat on one side for one reason or another, so don't worry.

Also, you will have to post baby pictures!