Goat getting ready to kid? Help?

[VKat]

Okay I looked up info online about that vaccine. Seems like some people give it, and some don't.
I think I want to be on the safe side- so hopefully we can find it
What about other vaccines- are there any others I need? Or it would be wise to have?

 

[VKat]

What selenium product do you guys use/recommend?

 

[H Diamond]

CD/T stands for Clostridium Perfringens, Types C & D plus Tetanus Toxoid. It is a vaccine to help prevent enterotoxemia and tetanus. This is what you can get from Jeffer's http://www.jefferspet.com/products/bar-vac-cd-t
This is what TSC has on their website: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/goat-vac-cdt-10-dose-20-ml-durvet-vaccine
Having some powdered milk on hand is great, especially for colostrum supplement. It won't have the antibodies, but will have the nutrition.
I personally dislike kid replacer, every time I've used it I've had problems with it. You can use regular old Vitamin D milk from the grocery store also. It's what I prefer, but there are a few folks who think the replacer is best. It's a personal preference.

The mucous can be there awhile before kidding time. They can lose their mucous plug days in advance of kidding. It's gets me every time one does it too, lol. I'll be like, you're not supposed to be kidding yet! And the doe is just like dude.. chill out, I know what I'm doing. Lol. I have an older doe (10yo) that as each year goes by she loses her ligaments earlier and earlier. Now, she has none like a month before kidding. Most of my does though progressively lose them the week of kidding. It's not a hard and fast rule, but it is a nice guideline to have. The same for udders... some does will start growing them weeks before and some don't fill them up until after they kid. Those ones always get me too, because I'm frantically scratching around to get some colostrum thawed and suddenly there is milk.
If you have the ability, can you post a picture from the rear of your doe?

 

[H Diamond]

What selenium product do you guys use/recommend?

I first started using the gel: http://www.jefferspet.com/products/selenium-vitamin-e-gel-for-goats

Now I just get a bottle of Bo-Se from my vet when I need it. It's a prescription only, so you need a good working relationship with a vet to get it. The injectable is a much more concentrated form. My bucks and does both get a shot about a month prior to kidding, and all the kids get 1/4cc at birth. I am selenium deficient, so mine need it.

Another thing you might want to research (yes I know.. more, lol) is copper. Are you or does her hay come from a deficient area?
You can go here: http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/countydata.htm and click the maps for both selenium and copper to see.

 

[VKat]

I first started using the gel: http://www.jefferspet.com/products/selenium-vitamin-e-gel-for-goats

Now I just get a bottle of Bo-Se from my vet when I need it. It's a prescription only, so you need a good working relationship with a vet to get it. The injectable is a much more concentrated form. My bucks and does both get a shot about a month prior to kidding, and all the kids get 1/4cc at birth. I am selenium deficient, so mine need it.

Another thing you might want to research (yes I know.. more, lol) is copper. Are you or does her hay come from a deficient area?
You can go here: http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/countydata.htm and click the maps for both selenium and copper to see.

Thank you so much for the info. I am having trouble finding a gel around here.
What about this for vitamins? Is this any help for her at all?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/goats-prefer-power-punch-8-oz

 

[VKat]

The mucous can be there awhile before kidding time. They can lose their mucous plug days in advance of kidding. It's gets me every time one does it too, lol. I'll be like, you're not supposed to be kidding yet! And the doe is just like dude.. chill out, I know what I'm doing. Lol. I have an older doe (10yo) that as each year goes by she loses her ligaments earlier and earlier. Now, she has none like a month before kidding. Most of my does though progressively lose them the week of kidding. It's not a hard and fast rule, but it is a nice guideline to have. The same for udders... some does will start growing them weeks before and some don't fill them up until after they kid. Those ones always get me too, because I'm frantically scratching around to get some colostrum thawed and suddenly there is milk.
If you have the ability, can you post a picture from the rear of your doe?

Sure. I started to worry about it looking yellowish. Yesterday afternoon I gently wiped her with a warm, wet washcloth.
This is this morning.
Is this normal?

 

[VKat]

and here is her little udder.
She's really little under there, usually you can't her udder at all, but she isn't filling out "bagging"? yet.

Am I mistaken about her being pregnant?




Looking at this photo makes me think I should shave her up a bit maybe if she is. Is that important? It might upset her :/

 

[H Diamond]

Personally, I don't use anything like that. She definitely doesn't need it right now.

That mucous isn't abnormal.

She's starting to make an udder. With FF's (first freshners, that's what a first time momma is called) some start to make their udder weeks in advance, and some wait till just a few days out.
You can clearly see the two halves starting to form, so in my experience, it looks like she is definitely starting to make an udder.
Shaving isn't a have to, it's not even necessary, it just keeps things a little cleaner. Alot of her udder is going to drop down out of all that long hair, so it will be a bit different. I only clip my goats if they are crazy hairy. It gets in the way, and if you plan to milk, sometimes you can pull on it. With a sort of skittish goat, I'd just wait and see how hairy she really is down there after the udder forms.

 

[VKat]

Personally, I don't use anything like that. She definitely doesn't need it right now.

That mucous isn't abnormal.

She's starting to make an udder. With FF's (first freshners, that's what a first time momma is called) some start to make their udder weeks in advance, and some wait till just a few days out.
You can clearly see the two halves starting to form, so in my experience, it looks like she is definitely starting to make an udder.
Shaving isn't a have to, it's not even necessary, it just keeps things a little cleaner. Alot of her udder is going to drop down out of all that long hair, so it will be a bit different. I only clip my goats if they are crazy hairy. It gets in the way, and if you plan to milk, sometimes you can pull on it. With a sort of skittish goat, I'd just wait and see how hairy she really is down there after the udder forms.

*insert my sigh of relief here* Thank you! I'm super happy to hear this is normal. Thank you!
I just ordered that gel from the Jeffers site (they are having a sale today too) Don't how how quick it will get here, but at least it's on the way.

 

[VKat]

Another thing you might want to research (yes I know.. more, lol) is copper. Are you or does her hay come from a deficient area?
You can go here: http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/countydata.htm and click the maps for both selenium and copper to see.

Looks like I am in an area on the low middle end for selenium according to the map.
Is this something they can have too much of? I know it's in the loose minerals I give her. Should I give her extra?
How much is too much?