Expecting goats?
I keep reminding my dairy does that I got them for milking but they don't seem to understand that they have to have babies first. And having babies means you have to be friendly with the buck. Real friendly! I'm starting to think they are waiting for true love to come along. It's just not happening.
{sigh} Does anyone have a sonogram machine sitting around? Or, I wonder if EPT's work on goats. They are supposed to be 99.9% accurate...
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| "We want a Mr. Darcy, not a Little Joe Cartwright." |
I thought breeding the goats would be easy.
Boy + girl = kid.
Here's the problem. There is only a 24 hour window for the girls every 21-28 days and I'm not sure when that is. After 6 months, I still can't figure out the signs of heat. I really thought they would act like love struck teenage girls drooling over the captain of the football team but they are not. Joe, with his brown goatee, is a cute guy. What's the deal?
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| Little Joe ~ rugged, dark hair, sweet ~ how could they not love him? |
Unless... they are already pregnant! But how do you tell when a goat is expecting? It's not like their hooves swell, they throw up in the mornings or they crave mexican food. Those would be helpful signs! So, what are the signs of an expecting goat? Not showing signs of going into heat. Well, that's helpful especially if you never saw them go into heat in the first place!
{sigh} Does anyone have a sonogram machine sitting around? Or, I wonder if EPT's work on goats. They are supposed to be 99.9% accurate...
LOL!
ReplyDeleteyou need to visit Teresa at Eden Hills. she's posted some pretty informative things about pregnant goats. i'm sure she'd give you some tips! http://edenhills.wordpress.com/
Omg I laughed so hard! Had to read aloud to the husband. I AM pregnant, throwing up and have had Mexican food for the last two nights!
ReplyDeleteI haven't a clue about pregnant goats but that was hilarious! You almost make me want to get goats just to see if *I* can make them 'fall in love with the cute football captain...
ReplyDeleteHilarious!
That's pretty funny...but...not to you. Hopefully, by the time I get my goats, you'll be the expert and I can call on you.
ReplyDeleteHave they been exposed to the buck before, or are they penned separately? If they're together, you can send a blood test to Biotracking. It's incredibly easy to draw blood, and each preg test is only $6.50 or so. If they're not penned together and you're having a hard time seeing when they're in heat, you may need to just put them together in case you miss a heat. Farm supply catalogs sell things called marking crayons that fit into marking harnesses worn by rams, so when they mount a ewe you can tell they've been bred. I like to take the crayons and just rub a good bit on the buck's chest so I can see if he's mounted the doe. :-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the wrong time of year for them...do they normally have spring babies? Maybe when they figure that there isn't going to be another option introduced they'll go for each other!
ReplyDeleteToooo funny!!! I was told by Phil at Tyne Goat Farm in OKC that they have a 24-72 hr breeding window??? But I'm with ya, I haven't noticed any real signs of them being in heat. Going to wait until next month or October, so we don't have babies in a February ice storm. So far I've only found one breeder who will do a "drive way" breeding, and I guess that's what I'll be doing. He offered to rent be a buck, but I had to decline that one. Doubt the neighbors would appreciate it. ;) I bet a local large animal vet would preg check them for cheap here in a few months if you still haven't noticed anything!
ReplyDeleteCan't help you there!... what TexWisGirl said sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you you found my site useful. Those goats can be frustrating when trying to figure them out. I personally think Little Joe is adorable!
ReplyDeleteTeresa
Should you break out the pee-on-stick tests in desperation...you have to blog that one! LOL
ReplyDeleteNot sure on the goats, but I wonder if they show signs of being in heat like mares do?
ReplyDeleteLoved this blog entry. Dont have a clue ... But that little guy is a cutie. How could they resist
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could read Pride and Prejudice to the girls and then rename the buck Mr.Darcy. If they're true romantics that might work.
ReplyDeleteToo funny! I can't wait to hear more - I know nothing about goats at all - so I certainly can't answer any of your questions.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are going about it the wrong way. Instead of keeping them together put Little Joe in another pen. The star crossed lover thing works every time. Every goat we ever had was able to get where you didn't want them. I started using reverse psychology and would try to keep them from where I wanted them and it worked.
ReplyDeleteKim, your to cute, I can tell you from mine, and my boys and girls have not been together yet. I'am waiting until November, so ( hopefully ) in April we will have some babies. I'am learning from the first one's, you dont want to start disbudding, when it gets hot, it's horrible, I want go thru that again. I have been watching them, a for awhile now there's been awhole lot of noise making going on, its unreal the girls will go by the boys stall and stop and start making all that noise, like grunting, and blowing , and the boys there worse than the girl's, but they have some disgusting things they do, while this is all going on, yes if you have ever heard when the girl's , ( go in season ), or ( get there visitor ), the boys will pee on there face, then blow it out onto the girls, yes I have seen this with my own two eye's, but that is what goats do, so look for the noise to start, then you can try date night again. Good Luck, I love Little Joe.
ReplyDeleteWe have a goat who we think is pregnant. she looks like she has another goat in her belly (she is huge!) and she even has milk in her udder. Everyday for the past month we have been thinking there will be a baby. In doing my research, they can even produce milk if they arent pregnant! Aside from paying the vet to come out, we have no idea whats going on with her! yikes!
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