It's a good idea to aim to be with the doe when she kids, because although most will kid naturally without help, there are always exceptions that we need to be prepared for. These situations can cause stress and panic (for both you and the doe). Please do your own thorough research about kidding problems, and be as prepared as you can be. Find a vet who treats goats, because not all vets are knowledgeable about specific goat problems.
WE ARE NOT VETERINARIANS, AND THESE ARE JUST OUR OWN OBSERVATIONS.
It is your responsibility to obtain
veterinary services and advice before using any of the information
provided on these pages.
A couple of weeks prior to the kidding date (kidding date = 145 days from breeding in Nigerian Dwarf goats), start watching the doe for signs that she's getting ready to kid.
1. Does start making their udders during pregnancy. Some start getting a little pudding months before their due dates, and the little udder will grow. Teats can change color and become more pink, even on dark skinned teats. For example a doe's naturally dark colored teats may end up a rosy pink by the time she kids, though this isn't always the case. A day before or the day of kidding, the udder will get big and tight, as it readies to feed babies.
2. The doe may start to go off on her own, indicating that she's looking for a nesting place to give birth. She may start doing this a couple of weeks or so before kidding. We show our does the birthing stall, and make sure they know this will be a safe, comfortable place to give birth. If she chooses a place outside or in a difficult spot for us to assist her, we will make the move to the birth stall early in the labor if possible.Our birthing stall has a walk out, so she can stretch her legs and move freely during the birth, but we encourage her to deliver inside the stall so that she doesn't need to be moved after the birth.
3. A blob of mucus (could be white-ish, could be yellow-ish) on the vulva. If no other labor symptoms are present, this is probably just the plug, and it can emerge a week or so before kidding. It's a good sign that things are happening though!
4. The tail ligaments will start to soften in the week before kidding. Normally these ligaments (they run either side of the tail) feel firm, rather like pencils. Close to kidding they soften, and as they do, they drop down.
Don't feel for the ligaments by trying to reach your fingers around the tail bones. The ligaments might have dropped and not be there, and although your fingers will almost touch around the tail head, it won't tell you the whole story. Instead, feel downward. The ligaments can drop quite low but still be felt a little - sometimes they feel like a big noodle that gets softer and more bendy. Sometimes they'll feel softer one day, and a little more firm the next. This is normal. Occasionally they can be just felt in very early labor. However, at the time just before real labor starts, these ligaments feel like 'mush' and don't firm up again. It may take some practice to learn what this feels like. Once the ligaments are gone, the area where the ligaments were looks hollowed and sunken. At this point, labor usually starts within 12 hours, often much sooner. We check ligaments once or twice a day from about two weeks before kidding date, as we've found it's the most reliable predictor of labor. When we feel mush, we check a few times during the day and at least once at night.
5. The vulva will look puffy and soft in the week or so before labor.
6. The babies will 'drop'. The doe's sides will seem thinner as the babies sit low in her belly.
7. Often does in labor are vocal. They seem to be 'talking' to their babies, nickering gently. If I notice a doe 'talking' like this, I know she's in labor.
8. Observable contractions. It can be difficult to see contractions. Some does are very stoic and
keep their labors a secret until near the end. If you know your does and
their behavior, you'll pick up on anything that seems a bit different in her behavior.
9. They often want to lick you when they're in labor. They're getting ready to lick those babies and get them clean, and they sometimes think they should lick you too!
10. Pawing, digging a nest. This is another sign that labor has started.
11. Lying down, getting up. Lying down, getting up. This is a sign that labor is progressing. The doe looks for ways to be comfortable, but it's hard!
12. Staring into space. Often does space out during contractions, only to snap out of it and go back to chewing their cud. If you suspect your doe is in labor, watch for this.
13. Maniacal cud chewing. Some does will chew chew chew their cuds during labor. Some will even grab snacks of hay and just keep on chewing. I believe this is a comfort to them and probably has some physiological benefits as well. Watch for the chewing to stop and the staring into space as this could tell you when they're having a contraction. Some people say their does won't eat their morning feed if they're in labor - this has never happened with us. We've had does run to gobble up their breakfast and then run back and push out babies ten minutes later!
14. Labor hurts, and one indication of pain in goats is that they will push their heads against the wall, fence, tree, whatever. Usually when I see a doe pushing her head against the wall of her stall, I know things are getting closer!
15. Thick goo. A thick string of white, clear, or slightly yellowy goo is a sign that things are going to happen very soon!
16. When contractions are getting heavier, they're more noticeable and even the most secretive doe will have difficulty hiding the fact. The doe will stand, her back legs stiffen, her back tends to draw up, and her tail will lift. She looks very uncomfortable! This is a good time to begin timing contractions if you haven't been able to already! I like to time contractions because it informs me how labor is progressing. Just like with human women, contractions start out further apart and get closer together and stronger before the pushing stage begins. When I time contractions to be 2 minutes apart, I don't leave that doe again. At around 1 minute to 45 seconds apart, I know that pushing is probably imminent.
17. Just as with human women, does can have an observable 'transition', though not all do. The contractions have been coming every two minutes, then 90 seconds, and then... nothing. The doe can take a much needed rest at this point, which can last for five, ten or fifteen minutes even. This isn't a lack of progress unless contractions don't start again. Once the contractions start, they will be hard labor, and pushing won't be far behind. If your doe has a transition, this is be a good time to offer her an electrolyte drink and some extra calcium. (Calcium is used up every time the uterus contracts, and the doe can start to feel very tired, so a boost of calcium is often quite helpful.We give a little extra calcium at the start of labor, and during labor, particularly if it's a long labor.)
18. Little pushes. In this early stage, the doe is usually lying down and she will stiffen her leg out during a contraction. She may give some small pushes, eg. one, two, three little pushes during the contraction. She may grunt a little. This is not full on active pushing, so don't count this as the time she starts to push for real.
19. Full purposeful pushing. At this stage, she is actively bearing down. Usually, the doe will yell during the contraction (but some don't make much noise at all.) Try not to panic even though it's hard when your doe is yelling. After a few contractions where she's bearing down hard, you should begin to see a bubble emerging. Sometimes it looks as though that bubble can in no way come out through that very small opening. Try not to panic (I repeat this to myself, EVERY time!). Amazingly, she will gradually stretch. A baby will usually be born within 30 minutes of the start of this hard pushing.
20. Baby birth positions and birth. There is too much to go into here, particularly about birth positions and what can go wrong. I'm not an expert nor a veterinarian, so I cannot advise on how to proceed if things don't go to plan or aren't straightforward. Please do your own thorough research about assisting in a birth.
21. Once the kid is born, you should be there to clear its face, especially in the event that the sac hasn't broken. Then, put baby near mom's face so that she can start cleaning up! Some new does don't understand that this is their baby, and can be quite confused, even afraid of the new bundle! If she doesn't start cleaning baby, we smear some of the birth liquid onto her nose/lips, and this usually initiates her instincts. Sometimes the baby crying will get her to respond. Just be patient, assist her to stay calm and accept her baby.
22. If she starts to have contractions and begins to push out the next baby, be ready to move the first baby out of harm's way. She may simply push the next baby out, or she may get up and walk around, lie down, get up etc. Baby will need to be kept warm while she delivers the next one.
23. Babies will want to nurse fairly quickly, but some are a little slow. Be patient while they try to learn where the teats are, but assist if necessary. Sometimes the new mother loves her baby but wants to keep cleaning it, rather than let it nurse. Some newbies will step away from their babies if they get near the udder. This situation requires a gentle hand to help her baby to the teats. We back the doe into a corner where she can't easily step away, and usually everything falls into place once the baby is able to latch on and nurse.