Spring brings new life

 

Spring means new life on the homestead and last Spring, we were blessed with the first new births in our herd of Nigerian dwarf goats. Our Molly had a doeling we named Angel, and Our other doe had a buckling we named Oreo. As new homesteaders, it was overwhelming and exciting at the same time. What if something goes wrong, will I know what to do? I worried about the what if's, so I studied about goat kidding from online resources. I was ready to assist if need be, when your animal's lives are in danger, you can do things you thought you could never do but thankfully everything when smoothly with the births, and the mothers took wonderful care of their newborns. This month, we are expecting three births on the homestead, our two Nigerians dwarf goats, and our Katahdin lamb will be due at the end of March. It's an exciting time and I am looking forward to welcoming these little ones to the homestead. 

Breeding

How do I know when my doe is in heat? 

• Wagging the tail frequently increases the presence of males. 
• Successive bleeping when the goat is alone.
• Lack of interest in food.
• A drop in milk production.
• Stays close to the buck and allows mounting.
• It mounts on other goats.
• Excited or restless.
• Swollen Vulva.
• Vaginal discharge.

How old should a buck be to breed? 

• A buck can breed as early as 4 months of age, however it is better to wait until the buck reaches a year old. 
• A 1 year old buck should not breed with more than 10 does a month. As he gets older he will be able to service double that amount. 

 How old should my doe be to breed?

• A doe can reach puberty at the age of 4 to 12 months. Puberty begins when the doe first goes into heat. The heat cycle for goats is every 18 to 24 days.
• A doe can be bred when she reaches 60% of the average adult weight for her breed. If a goat is bred too young, she may have trouble kidding, and it may harm her reproductive changes later on.
• The gestation for goats is 145 to 152 days. The doe can have a single, twins, or triples. Both of our does were new mothers and only had single births. 

Signs of Pregnancy

• Increased appetite as well as decreased milk production. A pregnant doe will moderately increase. If your doe is being milked, as her udders recede, milk production will decrease. It is recommended to stop milking two months before kidding to give her body time to recoup.
• Will not go into heat. If a doe is successfully bred, she will not go back in heat. The heat cycle for goats is 17 to 25 days. If a bred goat is around a buck, she will show little interest in him. If a doe fails to breed before the end of the breeding season, she will fail to come back into heat.
• Change in personality. A timid goat may become friendly toward people, or vice versa. Progesterone causes these changes in personality until the end of pregnancy.
• A pregnant doe will increase in girth behind their front legs. Some you may notice right away, and some show this growth in a couple of months.
• A buck's personality changes toward the doe,  he was once gentle around her and now he has become aggressive.
• Change in shape. The goat's right side may protrude farther out than the life side. A protrusion on the left side is an indication of a full rumen, which is the largest stomach compartment in ruminants. However, if the doe is carrying two or three kids, they may obtrude into the rumen and make the left side bulge out. If a doe has kidded before, she may not show as much on her sides and will show more with a drooping belly. Older goats may only show a month and a half before labor.
• Udder changes. For the first-time mother, the does' udder will slowly develop within 6 weeks of pregnancy. and have nicely filled out by 12 weeks. If your goat has previously kidded, the udder may not fill until a month or days before she is due to kid.
• You can feel the kids. Around 4 months of gestation, you may be able can feel the kids move by placing your open hand on the right side of the goats' side and belly in front of the udder. 

Doe health during pregnancy

• Maintaining exercise by normal walking and grazing during pregnancy ensures the doe stays in optimal health and will be able to carry the extra weight she will gain in the last two months of pregnancy and that she will have a successful labor and delivery. It is a good idea that before the doe is ever bred, she is not overweight. 
• Feeding Your doe extra calories during the last two months is very important. The kid develops 70% of their weight from day 100 to birth. Malnutrition during this important period may result in low birth weight, mortality, and slow growth. It is important to note that during pregnancy, a doe requires additional nutrients for energy so it is important to feed high-quality food. The kid takes up most of the space in the doe's abdomen, so she is unable to eat enough low-quality food to supply the needed nutritional requirements. The mother's body will do without to supply the kids with the needed nutrients, thereby taking away reserves and harming her own tissues. The doe will not eat as much during this time, so that is why it is a necessity to feed high-quality food. 
• Health Maintenance measures such as deworming should be done one month before birthing. You should also give a vaccine for  Clostridium perfringens C and D and tetanus toxoid should be given not less than 3 weeks prior to kidding.

Signs of Labor

• The tail will drop As the doe nears the delivery date, the pelvic bones will spread out. By looking a the backbone of the goat where the tail connects, you will be able to see an indention on each side. You can also feel the ligaments, they will loosen more every day until the birth date.
• Losing the plug. A small amount of discharge leaks from the vulva. This can happen days before labor beings, and even up to 2 weeks before. 
• Streaming. Is when a large amount of discharge comes out, this indicates that the doe is in active labor. However, there have been cases where this has happened and continued for several days. If the discharge becomes blood-tinged, this is usually a sign something is wrong with the kid. A vet should be called.
• Bag Strutting. This is a very good indicator that delivery will be soon. The bag will be full and shiny and extremely tight. 
• I want to be alone. If a goat goes away from the herd and isolates herself, this is a very good sign she is in labor. Goats are herd animals, and you know something is wrong when they separate themselves from the herd. 
• Pawing. Goats will begin pawing the ground when in as though she is making a place to kid.
• Soft bleeping. This is much softer than the normal bleeping sound. The goat is usually looking for a place where she feels safe, can lay or stand comfortably, and often looks back at her belly.
• Labor. It actively started when the doe starts to actively push. It is important to watch the birthing process to ensure everything is going well. Watch the vulva to make sure that when the goat is pushing, it is opening and pushing outward.
• Houston we have a problem. If the doe continues to push longer than 1 to 2 hours, and the labor is not progressing, the vulva is not opening and pushing outward, there may be a problem with the positioning of the kid, or it may be that the cervix is not dilating enough to let the kid in the birth canal. A vet may have to perform a C-section if the latter is the case. If the kid needs to be repositioned, and you feel comfortable and know how to do it, you can help with the birth.
• Transparent bubble. There may be a transparent bubble that appears during kidding. This doesn't happen with every birth, but it is part of the birthing process. When the bubble comes out and breaks, the doe may drink some of the liquid. Another bubble may come out with a kid inside, you will easily be able to see the hoves and nose of the kid if it is inside. When the water breaks, the labor should progress within the next 2 hours. If it doesn't, there could be problems. The doe may have a dead kid that is not pushing to get out, so she doesn't push, or there is a problem with the positioning of one or more of the kids.

The Birth

• The first sign of a kid should be a single hoof. Look closely to see if the kid is coming out front first in which you will see the top of the hoof, or rear first, you will see the bottom of the hoof. Both are actually alright, as long as we see progression in the birthing process. There may be a problem if we don't see any progression and may have to step in to help by pulling on her leg while she pushes. If there is still no progression you or a vet may have to go inside to assist in the birth or reposition the kid if necessary. If you are assisting use proper hygiene. Wash your hands with a disinfectant hand wash, and clean the back end of the doe. Put on surgical gloves, and use an OB  lubricant. Insert one finger and work slowly, go as far as necessary until you feel what is going on. Feel for legs to figure out what position the kid is in. Antibiotics will have to be given if you have to assist by going in to stave off possible infection.
• The head is the hardest part to get out, once the head is out, the rest of the body slides right out. Check to see if the mouth and nose of the kid are clear, and it is breathing.
• Clean and coat the umbilical cord with iodine to help keep infection at bay. 

After the birth

• Not all goats take up with their newborn kids. After the birth, is when the bonding of mother and baby starts. It is very important to make sure that the mother is tending to the kid(s) by cleaning them off. If the doe gives birth when it is cold, drying off the kid needs to be done as fast as possible. You may need to assist with the cleaning and drying especially if she has several kids to tend to.
• It is extermely important that the kid(s) nurse  within an hour of birth. Colostrum is the mothers first milk and has the nutreints and antibodies the new kids need to be healthy. Within 24 hours of birth, the kids will be unable to absort these antibodies and nutreints so time is of the essence. If a kid doesn't receive colostrum, it's chance of survial is slim because when it is born it has no antibodies and has a weak immune system to fight off disease. 

 Nursing Kids

This is a job you may have to help with. Kids are very wobbly and uncoordinated and may need help finding the teat. You may need to hold him or her to the teat if they can't stand on their feet yet. It may take some time for the kid to know what to do, so be patient and persistent. If the mother is not holding still, giving her some grain may help calm her while you help the kids learn to nurse. If you aren't having any luck getting the baby to latch, or don't have a cooperative mother, milk her and make bottles for the kids so they can get the colostrum. Do not give up and leave the new mom and her kids until you have seen her nurse them. If the mother refuses to let the kid(s) nurse after trying everything you know to do, the kids will need to be bottle-fed. They can still live with their mother and the herd because they are herd animals and need to learn and adjust to living with the herd.

Resources