Fias Co Farm:
Goat: Kidding Photos

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Czarinaweena Kidding

Czarinaween's kidding on 3/11/2007

This is Czarinaweena's first kidding.  She did a great job. 

 

1) Getting Serious 

This is the classic getting serious pushing pose.

2) The Bubble

There can be two different kinds of "bubbles".

  1. The "water" sack bubble. 
  2. The bubble the kid is in. 

You might see one, or the other, of these sacks. You also might see neither, or you might even see them both at the same time.

3) The Bubble burst 

Seconds after the last photo of the Bubble was taken, it broke on it's own. Now there is a lot of slime to deal with. We clean this up as quickly as we can to keep the area fairly dry. Things are going to start happening fast and furious soon, so cleaning up as you go is a good idea.

4) Amber goo  

This is a sure sign of impending kidding.

5)  First sign of a foot 

The foot is always white due to it's protective covering (which is shed very soon after birth). 

If the sole of the foot is pointing down, the kid is coming out "diving", front feet and head first. 

If the sole of the foot points upward, the kid is coming out back legs first.

6) The second foot  

The first foot is fully out, and you can see the toe of the second foot at the upper left. 

Knowing both feet are forward, and this is probably a correctly presented kid, I will now assist the kidding.

7) Pulling the first foot 

I grab the foot and gently pull, out and slightly down, when the doe pushes. 

Note I am pulling with one hand and taking photos with the other. This is not as easy as it looks. 

Always have plenty of paper towels handy

8) Straightening the leg

The foot is coming our further as I pull.

9) The first leg is now straight

See how the foot is now further out... the elbow was "back" and my pulling has fully straightened the first leg. See the kidding positions galleries for more information regarding "elbows back". 

Pulling both legs straight will make delivering the kid easier for the doe. 

Now I will move to the second foot

10)  Pulling the second foot  

Grab and gently pull when the doe pushes. 

If you don't have a camera in your other hand, you could hold on to both feet with both hands.

11) The second leg is now straight 

The second elbow was indeed "back". See how the two feet are now level with each other. Both legs are now fully extended

12) Back to the first foot 

I move back to pulling the first foot. Always pull one then the other in an alternating manner.

13) and back again to the second foot  

We are making good progress through the delivery. With my help the doe has been able to save a lot of her strength, which she is going to need because the worst is yet to come.

14)  More help 

Assistant arrives to aid in delivery. 

With two hands free, he can more easily work both legs in an alternating manner. 

Two things to note now:
1) You can just start to see the kid's nose and tongue to the right, at the tip of the left hand thumb . The kids tongue is always sticking out when it is being born.
2) The doe's rear is really bulging. This is because the kid's head is presenting itself. Now comes the hardest part: 
getting that big head through that little hole

15) The Tongue

You can see the tongue, it's purplish/pink. 

We know the kid is presented correctly now. When the doe pushes, it's time to pull harder.

16) More pulling 

Alternation pulling the legs. There is no question you can see the tongue now. The hardest part is getting here fast.

17)The doe laid down 

Czarina decided to lay down now so she can concentrate totally on pushing. Well,... more like she collapsed... this is really hard and painful for her right now. 

Does can deliver standing or laying, it is their personal preference. 

We're almost there.... keep pulling when she pushes.

18) OUCH 

Just keep telling the doe, and yourself, that once the head is out, this is all going to be a lot easier

19) The kid is deleivered! 

Once the head is out, the rest comes very quickly. 

We hold the kid up so any fluid that might have gotten into the lungs can drain out. I will grab a paper towel and wipe the kid's nose and mouth to help clear them of fluid and mucous. 

The kid is covered with birth goo which we will help clean off him as quickly as possible so the doe can concentrate on cleaning and drying the kids and not on eating the goo..

20) Happy new mom and kid   

The kid is immediately placed on a puppy pad in front of the doe so she can start cleaning him and bonding with him. 

The next kid that is about to come will be much easier since mom is now quite stretched out. And also, because we assisted with the birth, Czarina also still has plenty of strength left to deliver her second kid and care for both new babies.

 

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