Goat Birth

A Normal Birth & Delivery here at Texas Skyz Farm

Hope, about a month away from her due date:

Most Dwarf goats kid around 145 days after they are bred. Generally, I start watching does really closely after 140 days bred. I check ligaments daily and watch for a change in behavior. If a doe kids before 140 days bred the baby may be premature and may need special care to survive. I have had a few does go over 150 days but it is not common in my herd.

*WARNING*
This page shows pictures of a goat GIVING BIRTH!
I tried to keep pictures as clean as possible for those with a weak stomach but it is .... BIRTH! There will be minimal goop, blood, a goats rear end and a CUTE little baby at the end!

Yes, if the weather is NICE I will let does kid outside with the herd. Once baby is born I will remove the mom & baby from the herd for a few days. If the weather is not ideal I will pen them up where I can keep them warm and dry.
Hope kidded on a hot summer day. (July 31, 2015)

On day 147 Hope had removed herself from the herd. Staying at the far corner of the pen. Her rear legs had become VERY straight (also known as Posty). She was restless, getting up and down over and over again. She was pawing the ground and changing positions often. The time was near!

Here is Hope having a standing contraction.

This white/clear stringy mucus is normal. You can see it up to 12 hours BEFORE kidding or even at the very last minute.

Hope was switching positions with every contraction but some stay in the same spot.

And then she laid down to have the next one

Another really big push

Most does will have babies laying down but some will have babies while standing up. I let mom do whatever she wants to do unless I feel their is a stuck kid that needs repositions. If a kid is stuck sometimes standing up or switching sides help them line up.

Once a doe starts HARD pushing they should not be HARD pushing for more then 30 minutes. Honestly, I want to see a slow steady progress. If I feel things are going slow I will check the kids position. Sometimes they just need tiny adjustments. Also, the 1st baby should be born no more then 30 minutes from the time the water breaks. If a doe goes past 30 minutes it could mean the kid is stuck, too large or in the wrong position. Depending on your experience level you will need to check the position of the kid or find a vet.
I did not get to get a chance to get a picture of the water bubble. Her water bubble broke before it emerged.

A foot!

Mom was struggling a little and getting tired so I grabbed 1 foot and gently pull DOWN only while mom is pushing. When pulling a foot pick the one that is out the farthest. It is easier to deliver a kid with 1 foot father out then the other. If both feet are out in the same length the shoulders can get stuck.

Here comes the 2nd foot

Ok, no more pictures.. Baby NEEDS to come out! You can see the tongue is not the bright pink it should be. Mom is a 1st time mom is having a little trouble getting the head out. Mom is just getting tired. This is not uncommon is young 1st time mom's. She just needs a tiny bit of help pulling the baby out.

A few more big pushes and a bit of pulling/wiggling from me ..... We have a BABY GIRL!!!

If it's warm outside I let Momma do the rest. This helps her bond with the baby! If it is cold, babies are born under heat lamps and I help dry them quickly. At this time you can dip navels in iodine. This helps to dry them out and prevent infection. I try to keep babies off the dirt until they find their feet but it doesn't always happen.

Here she is finding her feet and exploring the green grass!
Less then 1 hour old!

A Blue Eyed, Polled & Moonspotted Doeling! My lucky day!

I always clear babies mouth/nose and wipe the face clean.

Just a few minutes later baby had found her feet and nursed. I them moved them to their own pen away from the herd. Mom gets a HUGE bucket of water OFF the ground (so baby doesn't fall in!), a bucket of feed and alfalfa hay. Mom will need to eat and drink well to feed her and the new baby.

A few hours later and baby is bouncing around & mom has passed the afterbirth