| If you don't know the due date for your doe, how can you tell if she will deliver soon? There are two body conditions that are easy to identify. Your doe's udder will suddenly swell and the shape of her hips will change. Some does will deliver immediately after these changes occur, some does like to fuss around, pacing and pawing at the ground for hours. When you can see the "triangle" you know the kids are in position, she is quite uncomfortable, and it's only a matter of time. Here are a couple pictures so you can see what I'm referring to. |
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Hastings, Michigan Call: (269) 945-6247 email: sleepyz@mei.net |
| This is a picture of Cora, four years old, about to have quadruplets. These photos were taken hours before she went into labor. See how it looks like the spine is coming off from her rump - like the tail head has been pulled up? She is "loose" like that all the way up to her hips. Many does don't separate quite this drastically, but like I said, she was about to have quads. This picture also shows the "triangle" below the rump. Most does look "sunken" when they get close to freshening. However, this triangle is most distinct shortly before they go into labor. |
| Here is another angle. Can you see from this photo how low to the ground her belly is? The babies have "dropped" into position and are merely waiting for their turns to be delivered. This angle doesn't show the loosened tail head quite so well, but you can see the "triangle" and you can also see that she looks incredibly "skinny". This had also happened overnight. One day she looked like a submarine on sticks (she was 195 lbs) and the next day she looked emaciated! |
| If you are anything like me, I like to be around when the kids are born. I try to carefully note when every doe is bred. I also like to take notes on how each doe's delivery happened. Every doe is different. If a doe delivers early (as did Cora in this case), or if I forget to write down a breeding date; then, with the help of my notes, I can usually know pretty close to the day when she will be having her kids. |
| I remember one day I was cleaning out a stall, getting it ready for one of my does that would deliver soon. I looked up and saw her with this look on her face, and thought, "Uh, oh, I must have written down the wrong due date." Sure enough she had kids within a couple hours. When the kids start moving into position and the doe has mini-contractions, the doe will stand and stare at nothing - as if looking inside herself. Sometimes she even will "talk" quietly to the kids while doing this. If you see a goat doing this with the head lower and looking down the goat is probably sick. It most likely has a fever. If the goat also presses it's head against the wall it has a headache and probably needs thiamine treatments. Watch the goat closely and call your vet with your concerns. |