Good news...

Last fall I packed up my two doelings, Echo and Bliss, and took them to a farm to spend a little quality time with a buck. In the past I have brought a buck here, but I didn't want all my does impregnated, just my youngest two, so this seemed like a good plan. Until it didn't. The farmer called me after about two weeks and told me that Echo, my favorite of the two, was very sick with pneumonia.  He treated her with everything he had, and I consulted my veterinarian, but Echo succumbed to the illness.  The farmer was horribly apologetic, and though I was very sad, I know that things like this can happen.  A few weeks passed and he messaged me that Bliss had been bred, and I could come get her. So we did. She was fine and fit, and settled in nicely once home.

If a goat is bred and conceives, it is said that she has "settled." I was waiting to see if she had settled or was still "open." So I watched.  21 days after she was bred, her next estrous cycle would kick in if she had not conceived. She spent that day yelling her head off from dawn till dark. Calling in this way is one sign of estrous, and I was concerned. Having lost her sister, I was wondering if this entire event was simply doomed.

 For months I've been staring ominoiusly at her belly, trying to decide if it was getting larger. I have not been able to keep my eyes off her tiny udder, was it growing at all? She has remained fairly slim, though her appetite is ravenous. If she had conceived, she would be due to kid around April 18th. Surely she's be looking more plump by now? I kept thinking how sad it would be to not have a doe to milk this season, or a kid or two hopping and bopping about. I decided to put myself out of the misery of not knowing and invite my wonderful veterinarian to come and do an ultrasound.  She fit me in today.

Bliss was not exactly cooperative. The vet smeared copious amounts of lubricant over her belly, and tried to rub the ultrasound wand under her tummy. My naughty goat ignored the bucket of food I had provided and responded by squatting lower, and lower, making it difficult for the ultrasound machine to register what was going on inside. 



But the news was good.

 

I'm not sure what this image reveals, I think it's just the horns of the uterus, but sometime during the session the doctor saw a kid. And that is good enough for me.

It makes me happy to think there will be a kid (or maybe more!)  bouncing around the pasture this spring, being mischievous and making me laugh.

So there was good news at FairWinds today. Another sign of spring, kidding season will be here soon, and "we" are expecting.