milovany Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 (edited) Our mama dairy goat just gave birth to two cutie little kids three weeks ago and we now think there's another living one still in there. She's still big and my daughter says she feels something in there (when she turned to move away from us yesterday, the side bulge wasn't just spread out and flabby, but you could see it shape around something inside, so I'm thinking so, too). Our breeder always asks us to leave the mama-to-be at her place for a month to be more sure that the goat was successfully bred, but it seems this time our goat bred near the beginning of her stay and again, different estrus, nearer the end of her stay. Any similar experience out there? Advice? What will we need to know/do? Yes, I'll google this too but it's always nice to hear from people directly,too. My daughter said she thinks that (if the baby[-ies] survive), she'll have to bottle feed because the bigger siblings will just push them away if they try to nurse. I suppose we could take the babies off the mama for a week or something so that the babies can try and nurse? From what I read, we'll have to get a colostrum replacement for the babies. Aye-yi-yi. We are in the middle of a move and will have less than three weeks, once we close next week, to be out of our place. NOT a good time, but apparently the Lord thinks it is. :) Edited July 3, 2017 by milovany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I would have a vet check her. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I'm no goat expert, but I second the recommendation to have the vet check her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Wow....I had no idea that was even possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 (edited) I have a vet. appointment for an ultrasound on Monday but she could deliver before then. I guess we'll see what happens! She's a great mama so I hope everything's fine and if she does deliver another one, that it goes well. One vet that I talked to (not the one I have the appointment with, and who doesn't have the facilities for surgery anyway) said she would do surgery ASAP, but I guess I don't agree. The mama isn't having any negative symptoms whatsoever and if baby is in there and living, which we think it is (IF there's a baby in there still), I don't see why it couldn't deliver naturally. I guess I'm thinking about a situation we're aware of where a mama delivered two kids and then was done -- except there was still a baby in there, which eventually died. The mama went downhill over the course of a couple of weeks and eventually either delivered the dead baby or had surgery to get it out. That didn't turn out well (lost the baby, but not the mama although she took awhile to recover), but our mama isn't going downhill at all. She's happily taking care of the two babies she does have. Edited June 30, 2017 by milovany 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Hmmm. I am a small town girl, not a country girl, and have never even heard of this so I have no idea. But it is fascinating, so please update with how mama is doing. Baby goat pics are also always welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) I know nothing about goats, but I can tell you that googling superfetation leads to fascinating reading and as many questions than answers. Did you know that kangaroos make tea on the day they give birth, and the fertilizes egg is basically frozen in time until the older sibling leaves the pouch? How weirdly fascinating is that? I've also be reading this article about a couple that made tea only once, but conceived two girls ten days apart. It raises many questions, the biggest one being how did they figure it out? The article implies that the couple was undergoing fertility treatment, and maybe that's why they were closely monitored, but that doesn't fit with the single cup of tea. Sorry to distract from your kids. I hope you have a happy outcome. I really had no idea this was possible? Edited July 1, 2017 by Daria 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Have you washed up and put your hand in there to check her? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Most likely it's another kid of the same developmental stage. Check if the cervix is closed because if one is stuck it will die and you could lose the ewe if it gets infected. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 So fascinating. My big question is how is the second uterus connected to the ummm birth canal (I just couldn't put the v word in type on a forum - would we call that the "tea cup")? I just wonder if that could pose a problem when it came time to birth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Also, was the bulge on the left side? We just moved our sheep to fresh pasture and their rumens are very bulging. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) Thanks for the interesting stories, Daria (lol!). Not two uteruses, Rose, same uterus for both, from what I understand anyway! Just somehow -- if it is a true superfetation -- she went into heat again even though already pregnant and got pregnant again. It has actually happened in humans, too, but still, very rare. Fairfarmhand, we'll do the ultrasound on Monday. She's all closed up; the birth was three weeks ago. I've put my hand (arm, really) in to help deliver breeches before, but I don't know that I should do it now (?). Besides, after two kids were born two years ago, I reached in to see if there was another and said, "Nope! Nothing here..." and the biggest of the three was born a couple of hours later. Sigh. I'm an accidental goat midwife. And yes, we're aware of a situation such as what you described (where a baby didn't come out and ended up dying and infecting the mama goat), so since we don't want to lose this mama, we'll take her in on Monday. In that situation, the mama went downhill continuously from shortly after the birth until they treated her a couple of weeks later once they realized what was going on; in our situation, the mama goat is doing fabulously and we think we feel the baby moving. I've read now about deliveries about 3 weeks after a first delivery. Anyway, we'll find out on Monday. Thank you so much for your thoughts! Edited July 1, 2017 by milovany 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 I know nothing about goats, but I can tell you that googling superfetation leads to fascinating reading and as many questions than answers. Did you know that kangaroos make tea on the day they give birth, and the fertilizes egg is basically frozen in time until the older sibling leaves the pouch? How weirdly fascinating is that? I've also be reading this article about a couple that made tea only once, but conceived two girls ten days apart. It raises many questions, the biggest one being how did they figure it out? The article implies that the couple was undergoing fertility treatment, and maybe that's why they were closely monitored, but that doesn't fit with the single cup of tea. Sorry to distract from your kids. I hope you have a happy outcome. I really had no idea this was possible? One of the interesting things with kangaroos is they appear to be able to regulate their fertility based on the season and availability of feed because of this. quite a handy skill... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Ok...another thread I HAVE to have an update on Monday!! Hope all the animals involved are healthy and well!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 UPDATE: No extra babies in there. What she felt moving was probably the omasun ("water stomach" according to Dr. Dan) and what I saw bulging out was probably a hernia. So there we go! Thank goodness. I'm not up to another baby right now, as I'm sure is the case for mama goat, too. (Can you imagine giving birth twice in a month?!) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 UPDATE: No extra babies in there. What she felt moving was probably the omasun ("water stomach" according to Dr. Dan) and what I saw bulging out was probably a hernia. So there we go! Thank goodness. I'm not up to another baby right now, as I'm sure is the case for mama goat, too. (Can you imagine giving birth twice in a month?!)Um...no. No multiple births over a month. Just. No. Glad it all worked out!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Oh good! I'm glad she is going to be okay and no more goat babies to deal with :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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