Sunday, August 2, 2009

How long do goats stay in labor before delivery?


Answers:
150 days, give or take a few days.

I've attached a link that describes the stages of goat pregnancy and care.

Enjoy - little kids are the sweetest!

*edit* I read the question as: How long is a goat pregnant? My apologies. Anyway, that same link has information about labor.
Once the amniotic sac breaks, it should not be long at all, anywhere between 20 minutes to two hours. If she has not delivered by this time, you have a problem and should call a vet immediately
It ranges. Every goat is different and there is no specific time frame for it.

When labor starts they can go right away and other times it can take a few hours. When the kids start coming it shouldn't be, but minutes. Anything longer and there is a problem. When they are going into labor there are a few signs. Some don't even show signs, but the usual is they stop eating, pace a bit, they are secluding themselves, their mucus plug will come out (you'll see icky discharge, this means they are getting ready to deliver), and they tend to have their kids in the early morning. Before dawn, well my goats do. What a pain.

I have heard that if you feed does (who are close to delivering) late at night they won't kid until later in the morning. I'm going to try this trick when kidding season starts. We'll see. Anyway, if it is a senior doe who has been there before, the labor goes quick. First timers can take longer.

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