Hey goat people, goat acting odd.

First, my theory: Its her first heat and she's unsure.

Reality and symptoms: I've never seen a goat in heat, and she's not bawling.

Yesterday, Gretel (Oberhasli), was slow to come out of the barn and and seemed larger, maybe bloated. I walked her around a bit, massaged her stomach (Which wasn't hard to the touch) and let her be. She wanders around and eats, but, for the most part avoids the other goats. Today, her 'bloating' is gone, but she's moving slow and still avoiding the other goats. Her vulva, usually black, is pink in colour and she walks with her tail down near the others when she wanders by. She's still eating on her own and stands for long periods of time without issue, but she seems a little wobbly.

Now... that said. She was supposedly 'bred' when we bought her on may 1st, but she doesn't... she isn't like Estelle was when she was pregnant, ie noticeably bigger and so on, except suddenly yesterday (which, again, has gone down). Is it possible for a goat to hide a pregnancy that has to be AT LEAST 3 months along (possibly more?) Her vulva is NOT POOFY.

I'm going to worm her tomorrow (hitting master reset buttons all over the place, it seems), just in case, and I'll also worm the other bigger goats while I'm at it. From looking online, ivomec 1% injectable is given at 1ml per 110lbs, sound right? BUT, if she's pregnant, will this kill or damage the kid?

I have dosed their water with oregano oil in case she's fighting something off, but these goats don't go through water quickly at all, so I might drench a dropper full of it into her mouth. The other goats aren't showing symptoms of anything, she seems to be the only one. I remember reading that if a goat separates themselves off, something is bugging them.

I'm not a 'goat person' but her behaviour sounds a lot like mine back when I had my period.

  What...it's okay to talk about a goat's period...

too funny farmchiq

i am assuming a goat's gestation is similar to a sheep? she could be bred...and that color with the vulva can increase over a couple/few days. if she is separating herself off from the herd..it could be she is thinking of kidding....just guessing here

farmchiq wrote:I'm not a 'goat person' but her behaviour sounds a lot like mine back when I had my period.  

   What...it's okay to talk about a goat's period...

LOL! My thoughts exactly, really.

bigrock wrote:too funny farmchiq

i am assuming a goat's gestation is similar to a sheep? she could be bred...and that color with the vulva can increase over a couple/few days.  if she is separating herself off from the herd..it could be she is thinking of kidding....just guessing here

The thought has crossed my mind, however she has shown NOTHING of being pregnant. She's NOT bagged up, she's not poofy in the vulva and she, until 2 days ago, had not gotten thick. She's the same this morning.

Could she have aborted?? or miscarried You say her Vulva was black and now pink?
Have you given her some mineral oil as you said she bloated and goats cant belch to remove the gas bubbles that will cause bloat so the oil will relieve that along with walk her. Baking soda also we always kept it in the pen free choice
Do you have Thiamine (vit B ) You can give her I am sure Cowtown would carry it it is injectable

But I would give her some oil and walk her if you dont have mineral oil use cooking oil

I can drench her with cooking oil today even though she isn't as noticably bloated anymore. Is there an amount I should use? What does the oil do to stimulate the release of gas, do you know?

Her skin is black in colour, and her vulva usually is as well (I was watching intently for the first month after we got her to see if it got poofy... this conversation is getting weird). But, like I said, it's pink now.

If she aborted, I haven't seen any discharge and there's no... grossness in the barn where they (when I'm lucky) are penned during the day. I was reading up on in heat symptoms, and the "most noticeable" being louder is just not there. She was butting heads last night with her head-butting buddy Sven, and she'll move quickly if she feels like she has to (ie doesn't want to be headbutted by the queen), just seems wobbly, slow and anti-social otherwise.

Give her about a 1/2 a cup of oil
the oil has something to do with coating the gas bubbles I guess so they dont pop LOL
I know it works for bloat thats about all I know
also a tablespoon of Baking soda mixed with some water and drench her with that. You can also mikx with the oil if you want and just syringe (no Needle) down her throat
Hope it helps keep us posted

Thanks, will give it a try to make sure she's not bloated

Sweetened......Bawling doesn't always mean they are in heat. A good heat should show her with a swollen pink vulva, wagging

her tail, also wagging her tail every time you rub your hand over her back. A bit of discharge with some, more with others.

She will call more. Also very friendly towards you. She doesn't really sound in heat, to me anyway. JMO.

Good Luck with her.

Check her for ticks as well.

No ticks for a couple weeks but I will thoroughly check today. Lime disease?

No idea, she's fine today. I gave her baking soda and some oregano oil. Will watch her for a few days.

possibly false labour, have seen that before.

Baking soda usually fixes whatever makes them 'off'. We had a goat kid suddenly last year, that we really thought wasn't pregnant. Her daughter is expecting this fall.