How to Calculate a Goat's Due Date
Goats are good at hiding their pregnancies. Even the most skilled farmer can have difficulty detecting whether a doe is expecting, making it rather hard to determine a goat's due date if you don't know when she was bred. Some goats will offer a few subtle hints of how far along she is, however. These will help you calculate your goat's due date.
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Instructions
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Count 150 days from the day your goat was bred to calculate her due date. A goat's gestation period is typically 150 days, but she can give birth a few days early or late.
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Observe your goat to see if she comes into season. Most does come into heat every 18 to 21 days during the breeding season, which runs from September to December. If your goat does not go into heat at the regular times, she may be pregnant. You can estimate that your goat will go into labor 150 days after she was expected to go into heat.
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Perform an ultrasound on the goat. This is the most definitive way in learn if your doe is pregnant, and your veterinarian may be able to tell her due date based on the size of the unborn kids.
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Examine your goat's udder for changes. Some, though not all, goats that have never given birth before will start to develop milk in their udders four to six weeks before going into labor. Does that have "kidded" before may fill their udders up about a week before they are due. So if your goat starts to develop an udder that has milk in it, prepare for the birth of the kids.
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Tips & Warnings
Because it is hard to determine pregnancy, allow only intentional breeding. Keep your doe away from bucks. Never house them together or let them run together.
It is nearly impossible to diagnose a pregnancy based on a goat's appearance. Many goats that look pregnant aren't, and those that are pregnant may never show at all. If a doe look wide, it is probably her rumen, a chamber of the stomach. A well-developed rumen is a sign of good health.
