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July 19, 2004
In Labor Yet Not
Well we have had much going on lately here on our little farm. First off Thursday our goats found a way out of thier pen. So we had to lure them back in once Brian returned home with some goat chow & a new fence so we can not have them escape again.
Friday I went out to check on the goats in the late afternoon and discovered Petals, our female goat, was having contractions! Now there was no signs of the udder being full of milk, but she was having contractions, she was producing all the right hormonal fluids that pregnancy induces, so I naturally concluded such. So we thought she was in the early stages of labor since I read that the milk bags can fill at the last minute. The picture is of her while she was having a strong contraction, her stomache changed out of shape quite obviously.
Saturday we went about our planned activities, which included clothes shopping for me. When returning we thought for sure she would have had her kid by then, but she hadn't. She had even stopped all signs of labor, although her hind end had changed to show signs of delivery approaching. So we watched her into the wee hours of the night, still no kid or active labor. Just an occasional contraction. So off to get some sleep we did.
Then early Sunday morning she began some heavy laboring including pushing. We thought "a-ha" its coming! But since she has taken so long we were concerned there was complications. By 11am we called a vet, since she had done heavy pushing with NO progess. Brian goes to the vet by 1pm, only to call me a few a littlre while after getting there to tell me he was on her way home. He said the vet thought she was pregnant, since she was showing all signs of last stage of labor, however the cervix was closed up tight, the milk had not come in, and he could not find a kid inside,so he conluded she is either in early preterm labor or has vaginitis. The latter being what he leaned toward so she was treated for such. Now if that wasnt even something to confuse the heck out of someone I dont know what was. For three days we thought she labored, yet NOTHING. Though I thought it strange to go on so long in labor and yet show no signs of trouble. What a strange situation though, but I did read that those raising goats would at least see this once...yet we get it on the first round! How funny!
Comments (1)
Chari:How odd. In the 10+ years I raised dairy goats, I never saw such a thing!
But with our horses, we've got one that's fooled us twice now. She comes into season, gets covered by the stallion - acts pregnant and gets HUGE but then no baby! We're giving her one more chance to produce a baby and if she fails again, it's bye-bye girlie.
Posted by Chari | July 21, 2004 2:31 AM
Posted on July 21, 2004 02:31
