How to Tell If a Goat Is Pregnant

Because of the way goats are built, it can be difficult to tell that a goat is pregnant simply by looking at the shape or size of her abdomen. For that reason, there are other ways that are more reliable for identifying a pregnant goat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Keep track of when the goat was bred. Many goat owners keep their goat bucks and does separate so that they don’t have unexpected kids. If the goat was bred intentionally, you can expect a kid or two in about 150 days. If more than 160 days go by without a kid, the goat was not pregnant.

2. Go to the vet. If you keep your males and females together, you will likely have unexpected pregnancies and be unable to tell when the kids will be born. The only sure way to know that a goat is pregnant in these cases is to take the goat to a vet for an exam.

3. Look for an udder on a goat that has never had kids before. An udder developing on a young goat can indicate that the goat is pregnant. There is little way to tell how far along the goat is, however, even when the udder develops.

4. Keep an eye on the goat that you suspect is pregnant. If the goat has had kids before and is pregnant with one kid, there is usually no way to tell it by sight. If the goat is pregnant with two or three goats, you may be able to tell that the goat is wider than before. This may not occur, however, until near the end of the pregnancy.

Tips & Warnings

• Goat kids need prenatal care to be as healthy as possible. If you suspect a goat may be pregnant, make sure the goat's nutrition is sufficient for a pregnancy. A veterinarian may need to give the goat vitamin injections or vaccinations to ensure the health of the kid.