| Watching
the birth of kids is one of the most rewarding things about
raising goats. Understanding the process of what is happening
can help you to determine when the birth is likely to occur
and can help you decide when a doe needs assistance. This
fact sheet provides an overview of the kidding process as
well as signs that kidding will soon occur. |
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Last Month of Pregnancy
During the last month of pregnancy the doe will need more energy
to keep up with the demands of the kids growing inside of her.
During this time, her belly will grow and her udder will begin
to produce colostrum, the first milk. You may also notice that
the doe has more difficulty getting up and moving around due
to the weight of her pregnancy.
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As the doe prepares
for birth, her udder will become full and tight and her
vulva will swell and become dark pink in color.
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Last Week of Pregnancy
During the last week of pregnancy the doe's body begins
to prepare for kidding. A few days before she goes into
labor, her vulva will begin to change from light pink to
a dark pink color. The vulva will also begin to swell. The
udder is full of colostrum and will feel tight and hard.
The last change you will notice is a relaxation of the muscles
in the hip area.
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The Onset of Labor
At the start of labor, the doe will become unsociable and restless.
She will move away from the main part of the herd and will spend
extra time getting up and laying down. Her vulva will be very
swollen and will appear very relaxed. If it is feeding time, the
doe will be reluctant to eat with the rest of the herd. Take
time each feeding to watch your does for signs of abnormal
behavior. This is your first clue to check the herd more often
for anyone who is kidding.
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The appearance of the
water bag shows that kidding is progressing. The clear fluid-filled
bag is the sack around the kid to be born. A water bag with
red fluid appears after the first kid is born.
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As the onset of labor gets closer, you will
notice her starting to dig a nest in the bedding. As the labor
progresses, the doe will intermittently stand up and lay
down. She may also turn circles while bleating. The first
sign that the kids are coming is the appearance of the water
bag. The bag will be filled with a clear fluid. Once the water
bag breaks, the kids should be born within 30 minutes. It
is also normal for the doe to lick the bedding where the
water has broken. If you find that the doe is not progressing
with the labor, you may want to check to make sure that the
kids are positioned correctly for the birth. |
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The Birth Process
Once the water breaks you should soon see the appearance
of the front feet. The kid's head should lay above and between
the front legs in a normal presentation. The feet should
also be pointing downward in a normal presentation. Feet
that are pointing upward are generally from a breech birth.
Kids can be born in the breech position, but you will want
to be sure to have the birth progress rapidly. As soon as
a breech-positioned kid is born, hold him up by his back
legs and rub down his sides to help remove any fluid from
his lungs.
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This doe has already
given birth to her first kid and is well on her way to
giving birth to another kid. Note the feet have appeared
outside the birth canal. A closer inspection shows that
the feet are positioned correctly and are pointing downward.
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The next step in the birth process is the appearance of
the head. Most of the time a thin membrane will still cover
the kid. This membrane should break as the kid is born.
However, you may want to be nearby in the event that the
kid needs assistance. If the birth is progressing, allow
nature to take its course. Only assist if necessary.
Remember that a young doe who is giving birth to her
first kids will take more time to complete the birth process
than an older, more experienced doe.
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Shortly after the feet appear, the
head should appear above and between the front legs.
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Allow the doe to push
the kid out on her own. Also, be
sure to let the umbilical cord tear on its own.
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As more of the kid appears outside of the doe, allow
the doe to continue pushing until the kid is completely
born. When the doe stands up, the umbilical cord will
break on its own. Do not cut the cord as this is likely
to cause excessive bleeding. Allow the cord to tear on its
own.
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Once the kid is born, check to make sure that it is breathing.
Wipe the head and nose off well to make it easier for the
kid to breath. If the kid is not breathing, try inserting
a piece of straw a short way into a nostril to encourage
the kid to sneeze. You may also need to lift the kid up
by the rear legs and vigorously rub its sides.
In cold weather it is also a good idea to dry off the ears
and tail as best as possible. This helps to prevent freezing.
Allow the mother to lick the kid to clean off the rest.
She should be "talking" to her kid now that he
is born.
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Use a towel to dry off
the kid's head and nose. This will
help him to breath easier. Also place the kids at the doe's
head to encourage her to lick them off.
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Allow the doe to lick
her kids. This
helps clean off the kid as well as helps
the mother to identify her offspring.
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If the mother is still lying down, move the kid toward
her head so that she can lick off the kid. This is a bonding
process for the mother and kid to identify each other. They
will need to be able to identify each other once they are
turned out with a group of does and kids.
Do not move the mother and her new kid into a kidding pen
until she has given birth to all her kids. A doe that
is forced to kid inside the smaller sized kidding pen runs
a higher risk of laying down on the first kid that was born
while she is giving birth to the second kid.
Kids who are born outdoors on pasture don't have to be
brought inside to a kidding pen. Use your best judgement
based on how well the doe is caring for her newborns.
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A vigorous kid will soon be trying to stand up. For weaker
kids, they may need a few minutes longer (sometimes up to
an hour) before they are ready to stand up to nurse. You
may want to give any weaker kids a dose of Nutri-drench
to provide extra energy until they are able to nurse on
their own.
Once the doe has finished giving birth to all of her
kids, she can be moved into a smaller kidding pen for several
days. This gives her additional time to bond with her kids
and allows you to keep a closer watch on the kids to make
sure they are getting enough milk to drink.
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A vigorous kid will soon begin
trying to stand.
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Check the doe's teats to make sure
they
are open and to make sure the doe has milk.
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Your last tasks once mother and kids are in the kidding
pen are to check her teats to make sure they are open and
to check that the mother has milk. Another task is to dip
the kid's navel in iodine to prevent any navel infections.
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Dip the kid's navel in iodine to
prevent a navel infection.
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| The process of kidding is an exciting part of nature. It doesn't
take any time at all until the barn is full of a group of happy,
healthy kids. Understanding this process will help you to determine
when a doe will kid and will hopefully allow you to spend more
time sleeping at night and less time getting up in the middle of
the night to check on the does! |
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