# A poll: When do your goats kid?



## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

How many of you have goats that kid before the 150th day? I think my goats have usually been late. But I did have a doe last year go exactly on her due date. 


Can you tell I'm anxious for my first kidding of the year? She's "due" Feb. 23rd, but I have the suspicion she will go a day or so later. Let's hope "good things come to those who wait" will be true this time. But wait...what if she does go early, am I jinxing myself that something bad will happen? Like "bad things come to those who don't have to wait"? Ahhh! help, I'm been thinking about goats too much.... :crazy


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Usually my goats kid right about day 150. I haven't ever had any be more than a couple days in either direction. It is hard not to obsess though!  I have one due today, but the day is almost over and, nothing!


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## sherrie (Jul 22, 2008)

Mine usually kid when there is bad weather coming or I have a very important event that I can't get out of.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Mine usually kid on time or late. Last year Toggy was a day early. Her kids were huge so it was a good thing!


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Since I've been keeping track I've noticed that mine normally kid on day 151 or 152. They are alpines. And in all the kiddings we've had, not one has ever kidded in the middle of the night. The earliest was 6am. Course, that doesn't stop me from having to get up in the middle of the night for kid checks, but I'm less concerned about missing births now.


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## Bernice (Apr 2, 2009)

LOL I do know that feeling about thinking of goats way too much! The does have this manual they pass around but keep hidden from us. There's a section on labor which says when they are being watched to make us wait even longer or to kid when our heads are turned. Those hidden barn cams are fun to watch!  

On a serious note.....mine are Alpines as well and have usually kidded at or around the 150 day mark. I've had a range of a week either way. It varies for each doe and I have found that they will kid closer to the change in the moon quarter too or like what Sherrie said before a storm coming or weather change. 

Can't wait to hear about your kiddings!


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## IndyGardenGal (Jun 11, 2009)

Last year I only freshened a Saanen and an Alpine. The Saanen went on day 150 and the Alpine on day 151.


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

So most others on here have experienced timely or a day later kidding as a general rule of thumb. Nice to know. 

I have seen a few websites with gestation calendars that offer a due date for you. One place just assumes an 145 day gestation. I don't get that.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Although a lot of LaMancha breeders say their does kid early, I have not experienced that. Mine usually hit it right around day 150 give or take a day.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Early morning (7-9), afternoon (3-5) and way to darn early in the morning cause 3 AM sure ain't night time. Ours ovbiviously could care less when their due date is as hardly any of them take the time to kid on the appropriate day.

So in other words....whenever they darn choose to, riffing raffing durned critters taking their gol awful time in what it is their doing and not taking heed about the goat mommas feelings or need for some shut eye! :rofl
Tam


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Mine have all kidded in the daytime so far. I have read (this is in sheep, not goats, but I think it still applies) that if you feed them after 10 am, they will usually kid/lamb in the daytime. There have actually been studies on this. This year I will probably get some crazy stuff, since I will need to be milking at an earlier time.

Here's what I had last year as far as day of kidding:

Day 148 on 2 NDs, 1 with twins, 1 with quads; and one mini alpine with twins
Day 152 alpine with a single
Day 151 saanen with a single
Day 147 ND with twins

This year, I have 1 ND bred, 5 alpines (or well, I guess 4, since one absorbed), 1 mini alpine, and 1 toggenburg. Then I will have a mini alpine to kid in fall (and possibly the alpine that absorbed).


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

My late herd usually kidded right on time. Not sure about my new herd, time will tell since they are due starting March 21st.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Well last year they all freshened on their due dates.....This year though only three have freshened so far they have all been late. So IMO they freshen when they want to


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## MayLOC (Oct 26, 2007)

hmmm.
My first four this year have been: 156, 157, 158, 158. They were bred a single time each.
Last year one of my day 158 does went to day 163 and that was a single time breeding without repeat also.


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

Sound like on time or late more than they are early though.


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Most of my does are either on time or a day or two late. I did have one go two days early last year. She hasn't kidded yet this year, so will have to see if she does the same.

I have noticed so far this year that the does having buck kids were late (or later than they were last year with doe kids), and the does having doe kids were on time or earlier than they kidded last year with buck/doe kids.

For example, I had a doe kid twin does last year very early morning of the day she was due. This year she had triplets 2 bucks 1 doe and kidded almost a day late. Another doe had buck/doe twins last year 1 day late. This year she had twin does and kidded early morning on her due date. I also just had an Alpine kid 1 day late with twin bucks. I have two does due tomorrow so I will have to see if they are early/late and what they have.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed if their does are later/earlier depending on what the kids are.


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## mommaB (Mar 12, 2010)

Dana said:


> I have seen a few websites with gestation calendars that offer a due date for you. One place just assumes an 145 day gestation. I don't get that.


It may be because the mini breeds such as Nigerians(that's what I raise) generally go between 145-150. In fact I have never had one go over 150. most of mine kid by 148, have had one go to 149. Happy kidding everyone!!! :biggrin


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

Never on day 150 or before. My Alpines have always kidded day 151 - 153.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Our nubians kid on 150 days most of the time.
Our lamancha including the mini-lamanchas were earlier 147 around.

Our crosses of Lamancha and most other breeds also kidded around 147-148. 

Rarely even carrying a lot of kids would a doe go early. Vicki


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

We have Nubians. So far this year Glo Bug kidded with triplets on day 147 and her sister Buttercup kidded with a big single buck kid on day 151. In our herd the does carrying multiples are more apt to kid early while those with singles kid late. We have eight does due this week so I'll update next week. We feed between 6:00-7:00 in the morning and 5:00-6:00 in the evening and our does usually kid in middle of the day but not always. Some people swear by the timing of feeding and kidding but it has never been a sure thing at our place.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I think because we feed so differently that it does work for us, I would bet we are in the 99% range of does kidding right before 5pm chores. Although I do feed grain right now twice a day because everyone is due to kid next month....with the 3 alfalfa pellet feeders getting 50 pounds put into it late at night, they are way to busy ruminanting all that roughage to kid...if they then miss their breakfast grain or only pick at it, they will kid by 3 or 4 in the afternoon....can't tell you how many times our children ran down the driveway from the school bus at 4:15 to kids being born, now the grandson. Vicki


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I have one doe that usually kids 3 days early. The rest are pretty right on 150.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Last year, the goats kidded from 146-154 days. The early kids were the Nubian carrying quada and a La Mancha. Several chose to kid the few days it was way below zero. This year, I bred them to kid a couple weeks later. This year it's been warmer than usual in Jan and Feb. I was just looking at the forecast for the next week and it's supposed to be colder and snowy next weekend and the first kids are due Monday. It figures.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I only feed grain in the evening. Most kids are born in the afternoon. Rarely one will kid in the morning or evening. If they haven't kidded by 10 pm, I go to bed. They never kid late night. I had never heard the feeding theory before, but it seems to play out for me. The few times I thought I'd have a late night kidding, they still waited til the next day and well into the next day, not early morning.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Edited: Mine don't have a certain day since I induce them.


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

I don't think inducing counts. :lol

I just wanted to know if the 150 day rule was very accurate and it's interesting to see that certain breeds like the Lamanchas and Nigerians tend to go a few days early, but the Alpines tend to go a day or so late. Of course all of this is within the normal range of gestation, but it's neat to see trends.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

155 here. Reliably. 
My first does to kid for this year are due in two days and are no where near ready. 
They will go 155.
Nubians
Lee


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## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

Had to look it up from last year but all the Nubian's kidded 3 days early and they either had twins or triplets. The Alpine kidded a single birth on day 151! I've got the calendar marked and waiting but since all this discusion has taken place I'm sure they will change up the birthing routine to side track me!!!
Linda


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## SALTCREEK_Nubians_Linda (Nov 13, 2007)

My Nubians go a day or two late. They seem to have the ability to hold in there and wait for a very nice afternoon, which is lovely. I think they are just more relaxed when it gets sunny and nice outside and lie relaxed in the sunshine and labor until I see them with the goop and pen them up. However, if they are very tame older girls, I will sometimes let them kid out on the clean new grass in the pasture outside the goat pen. I still have dirt floors inside the pens so the clean grass where the goats don't stand around all the time is cleaner IMHO, even with a deep hay bedding. It is a perfectly clean place for kids to be born and they are glad to let me be there and help. First fresheners need to be penned so you can help them more easily, because they don't know what is going on like older girls. Being relaxed always helps labor progress more easily. Lots of them will kid at the warmest part of the day for me, but sometimes they will kid early in the morning. Rarely they will kid in the night.

There have been studies done on cows and calving, and it was found that they will calve at a certain time of the day more often if they are always fed at a certain time of the day. I think it is if you always feed them in the morning they will usually calve in the afternoon and not at night. I will have to double check that though.


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

I have been feeding for years at 12:30 pm. and have most always had daytime born kids before 5 pm...... 
Some of the does want to eat before kidding and some want food after kidding ,if a doe in the kidding pen is in labor ,I wait till she kids before feeding the other pen does as usually the doe stops her labor to eat and then the labor can be slow starting and longer delivery time, so I try not to disturb or distract a doe in labor. 
I do have a baby monitor and I do use it and it works beautifully ! I wish I had had it years ago as it's nice when you have heavy rain or cold weather and I really want to know what's going on in the barn ,such as anyone in labor pushing,kid screaming or how much fighting is going on ... and I just turn on monitor and listen and then I mostly dont have to change into my goat clothes and go out and check  
The feeding trick works for me !


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Well, my predictions weren't true... One of my Alpine does kidded on her due date with twin bucks. So much for my buck kids being late. Most of mine tend to go either in the morning or the evening. Sometimes in the afternoon and very rarely in the night. I plan on getting a barn cam before next years kidding season.


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Nubians - on time, late and early. No rhyme and reason and all have been healthy kids and normal deliveries. The largest average, however, are kiddings around day 150.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Yes it seems having this discussion stirred things up at the barn...Calliope worked really hard to make a liar out of me yesterday. Twin bucklings on day 149!!! It made me laugh all day long since I had just posted how they always go over. But then she was named after her granddam who was THE most contrary goat of all time. 
Lee


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Lol, congratulations!


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