The gestation period for goats is about 150 days. For miniature breeds, it is about 145 days. This can vary by a few days.
Litter size, meaning how many children will one pregnancy produce, for goats is rather small. Most will be about 1-3 kids with very rare occurrences of up to 5 or 6.
There are some signs you can look for to tell if your goat is pregnant or not. One of the main one that starts to show after about 2 weeks is her stomach will begin to tighten up and she will put on some weight.
If she is pregnant for the first time, her utters will likely begin to swell. Also, you may notice some behavioral changes along with less milk production.
A pregnant goat is going to need some special care to ensure it is healthy and safe along with her babies. Keeping the pregnant goat separated from the other animals is a critical move. It will prevent any possible fights between the animals and the risk of the goat getting sick from another animal is reduced greatly.
The food you feed the pregnant goat should be easily digestible, very nutritious, and provide fiber and other laxative-like nutrients.
Goats can get pregnant just two times a year due to their gestation period. If the goat is primarily used as a breeder she will likely be pregnant and give birth twice a year.
A goat should not be attempted to mate until at least three months of kidding.
Goats will often begin to exhibit "nesting" behaviors. This includes pawing at the ground or straw, looking for a quiet and secluded area to give birth, and other similar behaviors.
According to a study, about 37% of the time a goat will give birth to a set of twins.
A baby goat is referred to as a kid, with multiple babies being kids. Female babies are specifically called doelings while males are bucklings.
Create Date: July 12, 2024
Last Modified Date: August 15, 2024
