Kidding Process
In most instances, goats will complete the kidding process with very little intervention. Every doe is different so knowing what is normal and not normal can take some experience, but the information here can be used as a guide. If in doubt, please consult your vet.
Timing and Duration
Goats have a tendency to kid throughout the day, with most activity taking place between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. Does will, of course, kid outside of these hours, but with the majority of the activity taking place during the day, monitoring does is made much easier. As long as you do a thorough check at the end of the work day to ensure there are no does showing signs of starting to kid or in a state of distress, you can usually leave them unchecked again until the next morning.
Doelings / first kidders will be in active labour for longer than mature does, and are more likely to show signs of pain and distress during labour. Despite this, don't rush to intervene unless you sense that something is not right or the labour has not progressed after an hour or so. First kidders may be in a state of active labour for 1 - 2 hours, whilst mature does may kid within less than 30 minutes of showing signs of starting to kid.
Signs of Labour
In the 24 hours before active labour starts, you may notice the doe separating herself from the rest of the mob, and commonly will display 'nesting' behaviour by pawing at the ground. The pin-bones may be seen to drop in preparation for labour, the vulva may become swollen, and the udder will tighten ('bag up').
Approximately 6 - 12 hours prior to active labour, a clear mucous discharge will be visible.
As the goat gets closer to kidding she will go through periods of resting (during which time she may be breathig heavily), and periods of restlessness.
A goat will look for a secluded spot away from the rest of the mob to give birth. Despite this, does giving birth at a similar time will group togther with one another. It is common for a doe about to give birth to 'steal' another mum's baby and try to claim it as her own, or 'hang around' other mums who have just given birth. Does will often 'abandon' their first-born while giving birth to the rest of her babies. Regular checks during peak kidding times is needed to ensure the best chance of correctly identifying whose baby belongs to who or if a goat has given birth already or is preparing for birth.
Onset of Kidding
As the first baby descends the birthing canal, the doe will usually sit while pushing the legs and head out. They will then often stand and use gravity to help the rest of the baby come through. Typically there is a short delay of 10 - 30 minutes from the birth of the first baby to the birth of subsequent babies. During this time the mother will lick clean the first born baby. Subsequent babies tend to come in quicker succession than the first and second babies.
it is not uncommon for does to be seen walking around during active labour, with a part baby emerging. Whilst this is somewhat normal, it can also be due to the doe beig disturbed (by human/farming activities) or an indication that the birth is not progressing as it should. Always perform a quick visual check to ensure correct presentation of the baby (see below).
After the babies are born, the rest of the placenta will be delivered and blood stained discharge can continue on and off for several weeks post kidding. Some does will kid very cleanly, and you will need good powers of observation to idetify and mark her as having kidded. If in doubt, a doe's vulva can be inspected for signs of trauma and/or splitting associated with the birthing process.
Presentation of Kids
The normal presentation for the first baby to be delivered is front feet first, followed by the head. The second baby then typically tends to be delivered back legs first. Because the birth canal is nice and open from the delivery of the first baby, this breach delivery doesn't tend to cause any problems. If the first baby presents breach however, the doe will often need assistance to successfully deliver the baby. Gentle pressure and manipulation is usually sufficient. If in doubt, consult your vet.
Birthing Difficulties
Birthing difficulties occur when the baby comes out head first with no feet presented. In this instance, intervention is required in order to push the head back in and scoop at least one leg forward so that the babies shoulders can get into the correct alignment for passing through the birth canal. You should not attempt this on your own without prior experience or the support of someone who is experienced, or your vet. If the baby has the head and one leg already presented, gentle assistance as with a breach birth, is often enough for a successful delivery, without the need to manipulate the head position.
Further difficulties are associated with multiple babies presenting at once. At first glance, a baby may appear to be presenting normally, but if the baby is visible but not delivered within 1 hour (or less if you have other cause for concern), inbestigation should take place. It is possible that not all legs visible belong to the same baby, or you may discover 1 head and three legs coming out. Alternatively, the front legs may be presented, but the head has twisted back and therefore the baby does not continue to be delivered normally. Experienced farmers are usually able to gently manipulate the baby/babies and assist the doe in the birthing process. It is important to seek advice from someone with experience and/or your vet before attempting this on your own as you may inadvertently cause internal damage to the doe.
If a doe has had a hard labour or you have had to assist in any way, anti-inflammatory medication is advised. Internally assisted does should also be given an antibiotic. Always remember to record and mark the doe clearly as being treated and remember to follow any withhholding periods (which will extend to meat withholding periods on the babies who have suckled).
The following resource illustrates the various positons a kid can be in and tips to correct the position if needed. You can download a full pdf version for free on their website Weed 'em and Reap
This kid was identified as coming head first but with only leg out. Gentle assistance resulted in a successful birthing.
Post-Kidding Period
In most circumstances, the babies birth sack will break as part of the birthing process. and the umbilical cord will break away. A baby may be fully birthed but still connected to the mother by the cord. Do not be in a rush to move the baby - as the doe stands or moves to clean the baby, this will naturally break away.
In rare situations, the birth sack will remain in tact. If the mother does not clean the baby immediately prior to birth and the sack remains closed, the baby will suffocate. It is not possible to avoid all instances of loss this way, but close continual observation during the kidding period can save these babies by breaking the sack near their nose as quickly as possible.
Leaving the babies to be licked by the mother post-birth aids in the bonding process and increases the chances of the baby being mothered correctly. Early identification of which babies are born to which mother is important, but avoid handling the babies until they have been cleaned by the mother.
On our farm, all babies are marked with a non-permanent spray after birth, along with their mother, so they can be identified for transferring to the milking herd the following day. Replacement kids are tagged with a small EID ear tag soon after birth, before correct identification becomes tricky. All babies are navel sprayed with iodine as soon after birth as possible. This helps dry up the navel and disinfects the area, reducing the incidence of navel infections.
The day after giving birth, the mother will be moved to a colostrum mob. This mob is also often refered to as the 4-Dayers as this is the number of days they will stay in this mob before being transfered to the main milking mob. Over these days, the milk composition is changing from colostrum to whole milk, at which point it is suitable for sending to the milk processing facility. The milk collected from the colostrum mob will be used to feed young kids (assuming the herd is free of CAE and Johnes). Each doe will be checked for mastitis prior to her first milking in the colostrum mob, and again before she is cleared for transfer to the main milking mob.
Managing the Colostrum Mob
As does kid, they are giving a spray in the colour of the day, as are any kids born that day. A series of 4 colours are used and rotated in sequence. Each morning, the 'colour of the day' does in the colostrum mob are checked, and if clear for the vat, are marked green and separated out. That means tha later in the day, the newly kidded mums with the same colour marking can be brought into the colostrum mob, where they will remain for 4 days, until their colour becomes colour of the day again.
Goats that have been cleared for the vat and are ready for transfer to the main mob are marked green. This is important in case the mobs accidentally get mixed at any point.
The Importance of Colostrum
Good quality colostrum will look thick and creamy. It is very nutrient dense, so a baby only needs to manage to drink a small amount initially to get a good dose of nutrition. Colostrum contains many antibodies that will protect them from disease in the early weeks of life. Of course, the mother needs to have been in good health herself in order to produce good antibodies in her colostrum, Vaccinating the does prior to kidding helps ensure this transfer of antibodies (referred to as passive transfer).
The timing of receiving the colostrum is vitally important. In order to get the most benefit from the antibodies, the baby must receive colostrum within the first 6 hours post-birth. After this time, the colostrum is still an important source of nutrition but the lining of the kids intestine will have reduced its ability to absorb the antibodies.
As we 'do the rounds' during kidding, any baby that is identified as not being mothered is brought into the rearing barn early so that colostrum can be fed to it as soon as possible. Signs that a baby isn't being mothered include being cold and shivering or a coat that looks crusty (from not being licked clean post birth), not be actively up and running around due to lack of nutrition, or visibly weak and thin.
Colostrum can be stored in a freezer for up to a year so it is a good idea to collect and freeze some good quality colostrum over the kidding period as a backup source for the following year. Does who have slipped (aborted) just prior to kidding, gave birth to stillborn babies or who for some reason did not feed their own babies, can be a good source of high quality colostrum. If the doe looks unwell, she may be harbouring diseases that caused her to abort, in which case you don't want passed on so use your 'farmer' judgement). Alternatively, if you have access to cow colostrum, this can be used as a good substitute.
Kids that do not receive sufficient colostrum in the first 6 hours post birth are likely to show up as failing to thrive in the first few weeks of life, or they will appear healthy and normal but will have poor immunity that will affect them later in life, usually within the first 6 months.
Colostrum and Disease Transmission
There is no doubt that colostrum is vital for the on-going health and well-being of the kids. BUT, both CAE and Johnes diseases are transmitted through colostrum, and in the case of Johnes, also from udder contamination. If you suspect a doe has one of these conditions, it is better to remove the babies before they have the opportunity to suckle from the mother, and hand feed them colostrum from a doe you know is free of these diseases or with a substitute such as powdered colostrum or cows colostrum. In an ideal world, these does would be culled from the herd prior to mating.
