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about fourteen days gestation we palpate the doe to see if she is pregnant.
This allows us to save time if we need to rebreed her and helps us to
plan for the litter if we find she is settled.
Palpation is not really too difficult, and the more you do it the better
you’ll get. I
now can palpate at only nine to ten days’ gestation, with great accuracy as to
how many will be in the litter.
Anna has learned to palpate successfully at fourteen days.
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| The
doe’s uterus consists of two “horns” or branches which will each harbor
one or more embryos.
In the non-pregnant doe the uterus seems to feel kind of “curled up”
just ahead of the pelvis with no bumps or swellings of any kind.
When we palpate the pregnant doe, we are actually sliding our fingers and
thumb down either horn of the uterus, which has grown and straightened out
toward the rib cage and exhibits “bumps” the size of grapes along it’s
length. These
are the embryos, encased in little capsules of amniotic fluid.
At about two weeks’ gestation the embryos occupy the abdominal area
just between and a little ahead of the hind legs.
As the pregnancy progresses, they become less firm and grow farther
toward the rib cage, both of which make them harder to discern by palpation.
So fourteen days is the optimum time to check for them. |
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How to Palpate: Below: the correct position for palpation
Close
your fingers and thumb together to form a “channel” between which you’ll
feel the embryos slide as you check for them.
Now lift up with your left hand and arm, letting the weight of the
doe’s body rest on your hand and allowing her abdominal area to fall between
your fingers and thumb.
Wait for just a moment until the doe relaxes her abdominal muscles before
you begin to palpate.
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Press
the doe’s abdominal cavity between your fingers and thumb and slowly slide
your hand back toward the tail.
Now slowly slide your hand back forward, to a point just behind the rib
cage. If
the doe is pregnant you will feel what seem to be “grapes” in size and
consistency slide between your thumb and fingers.
Don't confuse these with fecal pellets, which will be like a small string
of pearls in size, harder in consistency, and more numerous.
You will probably only find two to five embryos in a Jersey Wooly doe.
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The
problems most people seem to have in learning to palpate probably come from not
being bold enough in pressing the abdominal cavity firmly between the thumb and
fingers and not pushing upward enough into the abdominal cavity.
Granted, you want to use care, but the embryos and the doe are tougher
than you think and you won’t hurt them.
Do move slowly and gently, however, and once you’ve found an embryo or
two, let the doe go.
There’s no need to prolong such an uncomfortable procedure longer than
necessary. As
soon as you’ve determined that she is pregnant, mark your calendar for the 28th
day of her gestation so you’ll be ready to put her nest box in!
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First
take the doe to a counter-height surface with a carpet pad, such as a show
table.