What are symptoms of a goat going into labor?

Question

My 2 year old female goat may or may not be pregnant; im not sure. But if she were, she is expected any time now and she had a white-ish discharge today. She has also been spending more time in her house laying down which is very unusual because she is usually a very social goat. Does anyone know the labor symptoms so I know to take the proper preparations of a kid?

Answer 1

About a week to 10 days prior to kidding, your goat's udder should be bagging up and filling with colostrum.

A whitish or stringy discharge or the loss of a mucous plug is usually seen within 24-48 hours prior to kidding.  She may also seem uncomfortable or restless.  Make sure she has a clean, dry stall to kid in away from the rest of the herd.  Other goats will be curious and may be intrusive.  There is also the possibility of another goat trying to "play" and injuring a new kid.

Kidding usually takes place in the evening and you may want to check her regularly starting in mid afternoon.  Have some clean towels to dry kids and some iodine to dip the navels after birth.  I try to stay with my does while kidding to assist if necessary.  Pygmies especially can run into problems with actual delivery.

As labor begins, you may also notice her arching and flattening her back.  They will noticeably start pushing when contractions are steady and strong.  Labor should progress fairly quickly.

Twins or multiples are also common.  She won't be done delivering until she expels the placenta (afterbirth).  This usually happens within an hour or so from the delivery of the last kid.  I also milk my goats immediately after kidding - this helps expel the afterbirth and I can get a little colostrum to bottlefeed the kids if I need to.

Has your doe had her CDT injection?  If not, make sure you vaccinate your kids within the first week, followed by the second dosage 4 weeks later.  I also have to give our pregnant does a selenium injection prior to kidding, as our area of the country is very selenium deficient, which can result in "floppy kid syndrome".

If she is a first-time freshener, you may want to keep your farm vet's number handy in case of emergencies.  I had one of our does with a bad presentation this spring that nearly killed her, and I had a terrible time trying to get a vet on call.  You may want to call ahead to see who is available in case of an emergency.

Sounds like you're going to have some new arrivals soon.  Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Answer 2

Wait for the goat to pop em out and check on the babies in about 15 mins.