Homestead_World

So, my goats are acting odd, and I am not sure why...

Frankie, my buck, has started chasing one of my does, Bree, off the hay when I feed them. He seems to be making sure my other doe, MardiGras, gets most of the hay.

My does WERE little, round pumpkins...fat as heck. But MardiGras now has a back thin like a knife and all of the "fat" has lowered...like a pot belly, but back further.

Did I accidentally buy a bred goat? Or is she going into heat? Frankie seems to keep his nose on MardiGras's butt, but has made no effort to mount her and is not otherwise acting amorous.

I haven't noticed a descended udder, but I will check more closely later.

Frankie has been acting like this for 2 days now....chasing Bree off of the hay and sometimes butting her (he's de-horned, thankfully), but guarding MardiGras carefully.

Can anyone tell me why my goats are acting weird?

Peace,
Caliann

How old are they, and how long have they all been together? Do you have any other livestock?

The girls are 6 months old. Frankie, the buck, is 3 years old. They have been kept together all of the girls' lives.

I know that does can go into a short heat when they are VERY young, like a couple of months old, and since they have not been separated, I have to wonder if maybe MardiGras IS bred.

I am about to go out there and give her a total feel-over.

Frankie hasn't acted this way before...he is generally very gentle and protective of BOTH of his girls.

I don't have other livestock. Well, I don't think the dogs, cats, parrots or fish count as "livestock" and anyway, the goats are separate from the other animals. Plus, the other critters are fixed.

Peace,
Caliann

Okay, so I went out with treats, bribed my goats, took MardiGras inside and felt her backwards, forwards and sideways.

Vulva is normal. No swelling, no color change.

Edited: Okay, compared to Bree's vulva, which is nearly non-existent, MardiGras' vulva is large...but still no discharge and no color change.

When I got the goats, both girls had NO udders. About what I expected, being young, Nigerian and supposedly never bred. MardiGras now has an udder. Not a lot, not full, but not flat-to-the-skin like it was when I first got her.

I felt her stomach. It felt like there was a mass in there about fist-sized...but I didn't feel it move or anything.

And, of course, there is Frankie acting weird....but neither of the girls show any sign of being in heat. Both of them have normal vulvas, no discharge of any kind, no smell....and, of course, Frankie is not peeing on himself or giving any other sign that he wants to "freshen up for the ladies".

Comments? Thoughts? Should I get a kidding area ready, just in case? I wasn't expecting them to even think about breeding until March at the earliest, and therefore was not thinking about babies until Fall...again at the earliest; so I am NOT prepared for kidding....or milking...or anything really.

Peace,
Caliann

I probably cannot be much help then. Your goats are much much younger that the goats we experienced problems with over the past several years.

Into the past year, we had 3 goats and 2 sheep all 7 years old (got them all at the same time during spring).

The goats were 2 male goats (both fixed) and one female goat (not fixed). One of the male goats was totally dominant, and over the past 3 summers would seldom allow the other male goat to get near the female. Unfortunately, the non-dominant male goat died on us early last year. Wife was heart broken.
The female goat had appeared very very pregnant over the past 3 summers ..but was not. But her spine and upper back was quite skinny over the same time-span. She died on us early this winter. Wife was heart broken.

Your goats are way younger. The male will probably determine his own attitude toward each of your other livestock, and sometimes his behavior will not make sense.

Sorry I cannot be more of a help to you. I hope your goats stay healthy, vibrant, and friendly for a very long time (in goat years).