When will goat go into labor?

[hatykuber]

I bought this goat on October 20, the guy told me she was due in around three months. Now that we’ve had her just a few days short of four months, we’ve been very anxious for her to kid! I’ve read countless posts about people asking when their goat would kid, but I know every goat is different and thought I would get some opinions on my girl, Wonder. This is her first pregnancy. I noticed an udder beginning to form just barely, 11 weeks ago. It has filled out quite a bit in the last 4 weeks. It is not super tight and shiny yet. She has times where she acts like a buck, sticking her tongue out and mounting my other doe, for the past 11 weeks. I’ve read some does will do this in the last month of pregnancy. She’s been pawing at the ground for about 4 weeks. A couple weeks ago her vulva got a bit swollen and I thought for sure she would kid soon, but that only lasted a few days and then didn’t look swollen at all. Her pin bones are slowly getting softer but I can still feel them. This morning she had some discharge, but I know that doesn’t really mean anything. But she’s got to be getting close. I will attach a few pictures I took this morning.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I don't have goats, but I think maybe just keep waiting! She will do it eventually. I know the feeling though, because we have dairy cows, and you are just like, when will they calve? They look so close!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Looks close to me.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Usually when no one is around they kid.

 

[cassie]

Often one of the first signs of impending labor is a string of mucous. I mean a string. It will hang down. The mucous discharge gets more copious as labor progresses. The tail bone will get quite loose a day or so before she kids and the flanks appear hollow. In many cases you can almost get your fingers underneath it. Goats in labor often go off by themselves away from the herd. Hope this helps.

 

[kumquat]

How is your doe doing? Any babies yet?

 

[hatykuber]

No babies yet. She was probably bred like the day before we got her haha. We’ve had her 132 days now. Yesterday there was a bit of yellow stuff on the end of one of her teats, and I see her lick them every once in a while. Other than that, no big changes.

 

[Mysticalys]

No babies yet. She was probably bred like the day before we got her haha. We’ve had her 132 days now. Yesterday there was a bit of yellow stuff on the end of one of her teats, and I see her lick them every once in a while. Other than that, no big changes.

I don’t know what breed your goat is but with Nubians their pregnancy lasts around 145 days

 

[cassie]

The gestation for a goat is 150 days. I always figured five months even. Meaning that if the doe was bred the fifth of September I would expect babies on or about the fifth of February. That estimate worked as well for me as the complicated charts. Goats do not read the books.

 

[Mysticalys]

I have had my goats show no signs of labor at sunset and when I wake up and feed them there would be babies