Comments on: Goat Birthing Signs

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:06:13 +0000

Patti, you did good to remove her from the herd. Keep her in a smaller area with fresh hay & water (and a heat lamp if you’re in a cold part of the country)… check on her every few hours if you can, if not, that’s okay – she’ll be fine. Nature is funny like that! Sometimes does will show plenty of symptoms & other times not. A few years ago, I checked on one my does around 9:00… it was pouring rain & she was under cover, just chomping on hay. By the time I reached my house about 900 feet away, I looked out & saw her standing in the rain looking at something in the grass that I thought was a fly away Walmart bag. I pulled out my binoculars & saw that it was her kid.. she’d just dropped it right there, less than 10 minutes after I checked her out. Her bag was not even shinny! If she’s not in distress, there’s nothing to worry about!

By: Patti

Patti — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:17:07 +0000

Enjoyed reading all of the post. I have a 2 yr old doe about to kid. On her first go round she showed no signs and I had left her with the herd only to find 2 dead babies ahe had during the night. I seperated her out today because she paws at the ground, bag is full/kinda shiny, and she’s been yawning all day. She’s alittle skiddish and I’m afraid to be too close for fear she won’t concentrate on what she needs to do when it’s time. I really don’t know what more I could do. Any suggestions would be helpful.

By: Christine

Christine — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:38:23 +0000

Don’t worry about her… no signs of distress – no need to worry!

By: cuindy

cuindy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:21:23 +0000

Just how puffy and swollen should her back end be? My Milly has been puffy for 5 days now. No sign of contractions. She is happy and eating and the babies are moving like crazy, but I am worried that she is so puffy and swollen. Any suggestions?

By: Christine

Christine — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:45 +0000

Salwa, how do you know she has a 2nd kid inside? Mom can eat regular food, hay & a bit of grain. Also, if delivery was difficult, you can add some sugar or molasses to her water for extra energy. If you're talking about what to feed the kid, you must try to get her to get the colostrum from mom. Try to get mom to nurse her every 2 hours. Sometimes, after a few tries the mom will give up and let her nurse from then on. If you have to have to bottle feed the kid, you must get kid replacement milk. If you go to my Facebook & pose your questions, you will get many answers almost immediately.

By: salwa

salwa — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:19:44 +0000

plz plz plz help me my she_goat gave one baby goat after 24 hour struggle 2nd baby does not come out n die inside her …now she is in v big pain ….wat should i give her for eat as well as how milk give to her 1st baby .because other milk makes her indigestion…plz kindly some body reply as soon.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:57:34 +0000

Shanna, sorry for not replying sooner. In the future for a quick answer, please go to my Facebook page where there are always experts with a quick response.

No need to call a vet unless she’s in distress… for example if she’s been pushing for more than 20 minutes. Even then, most times you can help your doe by feeling the position of the kid & maybe helping to turn it around.

Goats have been giving birth by themselves for thousands of years… we’re just too darned anxious! Good luck & remember to have fun with your goats!

By: Shanna

Shanna — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:06:18 +0000

Hello. I am in need of some help! One of my goats had a thick white mucus cicle around 5 days ago, which I am assuming was her plug. Yesterday about 3pm MST I brought her into the kidding stall and she was showing all the signs of a doe in labor…except having discharge. Throughout the remaining day and night and into the current time of 7am she has been showing signs of contractions but still no discharge! Besides calling a vet, is there any other advice? Maybe I am imagining it all but she is definitely uncomfortable yet never getting serious about pushing.

By: Kirstie

Kirstie — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:45:46 +0000

So my doe is due tomorrow. She’s been showing signs of labor for the past week now, just the usual long term kind of signs like losing her plug and she appears to be a little sunken in. She’s been SUPER moody, one minute she’ll be rubbing against me for attention as she always does then a split second later she’s wacking me in the shin or back of the knee (and she’s still got her horns–ouch). I just went out there and she pooped, pooped again, peed, pooped again, then peed again. I’m guessing that’s a good sign that the babies are coming like super soon? Also, what’s your opinion on how much exercise a pregnant doe should get? I know with sheep if they run during pregnancy there’s a chance of the lamb getting jumbled up and could come out paralyzed or even still born. I haven’t heard if it’s the same with goats though. I have a horse that adores my doe (the feeling is mutual between the two of them) but so he starts trotting around which makes my doe join in on the excitment and runs around like crazy till her belly drags her down. Do you think there’s any possibility that all that running could affect her kids?

By: Kirstie

Kirstie — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:33:20 +0000

Yeah, keep your head up and look forward to the next one. But I agree with Christine, some animals won’t even have their babies till after you leave. Me and my friend sat in with her doe for two days and a night straight after she started showing signs of eminent labor but she didn’t have the kids. We left the next night to sleep inside and when we went back outside to feed the next morning at 6, there were triplets but sadly the little doeling was dead But it’s all a learning experience so don’t lose faith in yourself