Goat Kidding Season is Coming!

I'm not joking...goat kidding season is coming! (Ha Ha Ha!!!)

All joking aside, kidding is what it is called when a mama goat (doe) gives birth. We have several does that are due to give birth during the month of February. For a little science lesson, goats have a gestation period of around 150 days. I typically pay attention to the date of breeding and then add a formula in my excel spreadsheet that calculates 150 days from that point. I have found that rarely goats go on their actual due date. They are usually 2-3 days either earlier or later. That being said, I am fully prepared for kidding up to 10 days before their due date and watch carefully for signs of labor. In my goats, signs of labor are: separation from herd, not eating, pawing at the ground, soft talking (cooing at their bellies), wanting "mom" (my goats actually want me to be with them when they give birth and will call for me if I leave), "nesting" (which means they make a nest in the straw, lie down and then get back up again), and obvious signs of discharge and pushing--but I never wait for them to get that far.

My does typically have between 1 and 3 kids each year. Twins are most common. The color and gender of the babies are determined by the sire (dad)...though you will hear me asking the doe to make sure she gives me all girls ;-). From the moment a doe starts actively pushing, she has one hour to get the first kid on the ground. I have been doing this long enough that I can tell before an hour if there is a need for me to assist, but that is the general rule. After the first kid is out, all subsequent kids have 20-30 minutes to arrive before I go in to assist. The mama will clean off the first kid immediately after it is born with fairly rough licking. This encourages the baby to stand and nurse. A baby should have her first taste of colostrum within 20 minutes of kidding. I will not leave the barn until I have seen all of the babies nurse completely unaided. There is so much more I could say about this, but I will leave it here for now.

The wonderful thing about our goat barn set up is that we are able to have people observe kiddings with little discomfort to our does. If a kidding should happen during a Homeschool Days event, a free-for-all will happen in the backyard and children will be invited to come watch the kidding, or they can do whichever alternative project we have set up that day with Ms. Paula (or just play). 

I also text people who live within 20 minutes if I have a goat going into labor at a decent time of day. I try to text before she actually starts pushing if I know that it is coming soon. If you would like to be added to that texting list, please let me know (either in person or by sending me an email on here). 

Below is a calendar of due dates for my goats for this year so you have an idea of when they might happen...again, rarely do they actually kid on their due date. That would be too kind of them, since I don't actually get any sleep until all my babies are on the ground...I'm so thankful my husband had barn cameras installed for those middle of the night checks! 

Warnings:

Watching a goat give birth is miraculous. This is my favorite time of year. I love seeing how many babies each mama has, finding out what colors the babies are, and watching the new babies nurse for the first time. It is very peaceful and fulfilling to watch a new mother tending to her babies. 

That being said, births do not always go perfectly. There is a possibility that a baby could be born dead or have complications. We have only lost one doe during kidding in the last 11 years (it was our very first kidding), but that is a possibility as well. About 10% of the time, we will need to go in to assist proper birthing position. We have on occasion had to resuscitate a kid that got stuck in the birth canal. If you have a child that would be traumatized in these situations, please be aware of the possibility ahead of time. If I think that there will be an issue, I will give you warning to leave, but I don't always know. 

Also, as much as I enjoy allowing people the freedom to watch, this is a stressful time for my does. If you cannot sit quietly and watch with only whispers or quiet talking, I will not hesitate to kick you out. My goat's well-being is most important during kidding season as they trust me to protect them while they are at their most vulnerable. I take that trust very seriously.  

Happy Kidding Season!