If you’re wondering how to naturally induce goat labor, there are a few techniques you can use to help your doe achieve her goal. These include putting her up during the night, squeezing the udders, and pre-treating an ovular dose with progesterone. Read on to discover how to induce goat labor naturally, and then try one of these methods to see if it works for your doe.
Putting the doe up at night
The natural way to get a pregnant goat to give birth is to put her up at night. There are certain signs of early labor, including a swollen vulva and thick discharge that looks like snot. You should also watch for paw marks on the floor and vocalization from the doe. The doe may also paw at her bedding and her tail may begin to lift and soften.
If the doe is in active labor, you can gently push the kid out. You need to be dexterous and have some knowledge of goat anatomy. Never try to insert a human hand inside the doe’s uterus because it could cause infection. Having small hands can help a lot. Make sure to feel the kid’s feet and fingers to make sure they are alive.
Another good way to tell if the doe is in active labor is to watch her behavior. During contractions, she will arch her back and tail. If her head and hooves don’t appear after her hooves, she is in active labor. You can also look for signs that the kid is breech by noticing that she has a tail. You can also pick up on signs of discomfort by watching her behavior during contractions.
Once the doe has given birth, she should be placed in a smaller pen for bonding. A 5 by 5-foot pen with clean bedding will be ideal. Avoid using wood shavings as these can penetrate the mucous membranes and stick to the wet kid. If the baby is still small, the doe can be put up again at night. And, if all else fails, she can always return to the pen and give birth to her kids.
Bagging the udders
If you are trying to induce goat labor naturally, you can use a natural method such as bagging the udders. Does tend to nurse from one side of the udder when they first conceive. As the udder begins to fill up with milk, the kid will choose that teat instead of the other. This method can be used even if the ewe has only one kid.
When the ewe is in heat, her teats are full. A second bag may also be present, but it contains dark fluid. The vulva, which surrounds the kid (and is usually filled with mucus strings), has begun to develop. Once the water bags are present, the doe will strain and stand up a few times, pawing the bedding. It may even show off the kid’s toes and nose during the second stage.
While your goat is nearing delivery, she may be exhibiting signs of mastitis. Some goats will actually expand their udders before the actual delivery date. This may mean that the pregnancy is false, but it is still a great way to induce goat labor naturally. If you notice any of these signs in your goat, it is time to bag the udders. There are a few other signs of pregnancy that indicate your goat is in labor, such as a full udder and an outward-pointing teat.
When you notice that your doe has a full udder, it is time to place her in a birthing stall. Try to get her to relax while you wait for her to give birth. Try offering her grain to get her to nurse. If this doesn’t work, you can also try tying her to a wall, or even putting her in a watering bucket.
Pretreatment of an ovular does with progesterone
To successfully induce labor in a goat, the buck must be introduced into the mating cycle at least 4 weeks before ovulation. This approach ensures that a doe’s ovulation period will be relatively synchronized with her buck’s. A noncyclic goat will have a short ovulation period with no or very little estrus. In addition, pretreatment with progesterone helps eliminate premature luteal regression and silent heat.
Squeezing fluids out of the kid’s body during delivery
While the breech presentation of a kid is common, the frank presentation poses a risk of the child inhaling amniotic fluid. Often, the breech presentation can be easily remedied with the gentle pulling of the kid’s hind legs. Another method of bringing the head out is to wrap the kid in a towel. This method is not recommended if the kid’s head is facing the back of the goat’s body. Squeezing fluids out of the kid’s body during delivery will also help clear the kid’s lungs.
Once the doe is in the right position, begin pulling the kid out. This will make it slide out with a gush of fluid. If the kid’s head is covered in a membrane, dry it off. Hold the baby on its hind legs to drain any mucus. Then, tie off the umbilical cord an inch from the kid’s belly and cut it just past the thread. Dip the umbilical stump in Betadine and then lick it.
Normal delivery should include the kid with its head facing downward, both front legs extended, and two front hooves. Normal delivery is difficult for a goat, and there are a number of possible reasons for this. A child with a dead baby, a full uterus, or a breech-born kid might be a sign of an abnormal delivery. Other symptoms of an abnormal delivery include the kid being back feet first, being face down or upside down, or being unable to turn the baby inside the birth canal.
Squeezing the kid’s body during delivery can also be a good method for causing a premature baby goat’s birth. This method involves administering a small dose of oxytocin to encourage the doe to expel the placenta. Afterward, the doe should be carefully monitored to ensure that it has passed the placenta and the kid has not deviated. A breach baby goat will slough off a bloody discharge for a couple of weeks. If the bloody discharge is not filled with bright red blood, this is normal.
Signs of pregnancy toxemia
To induce labor in a goat, the first step must be to determine if the doe is suffering from pregnancy toxemia or ketosis. Pregnancy toxemia is the accumulation of ketones in the blood caused by the incomplete breakdown of body fat during pregnancy. This condition is common in doe’s during the last six weeks of pregnancy and is caused by either too much grain or the wrong type. The presence of ketosis and hypoglycemia may also indicate this condition.
In a study on the signs of pregnancy toxemia in goats, clinical symptoms included anorexia, an unpleasant sweet-fruity odor in the breath, bloat, grinding of teeth, frothy salivation, and apparent blindness. Biochemical tests revealed that the goats with pregnancy toxemia had reduced glucose and increased SGPT and SGOT. They also had elevated creatinine and BHBA levels.
Moreover, animals with high body fat levels tend to exhibit respiratory signs. The liver cannot cope with these high levels of ketones, which are excreted in milk. Consequently, the body must burn off excess ketone bodies before the labor starts. This process, called ketosis, has a negative impact on productivity. As a result, goats may develop pregnancy toxemia before or after kids.
While pregnancy toxemia is a potentially fatal condition in goats, if it is treated properly, the animal will likely recover. Treatment for advanced pregnancy toxemia focuses on preventing ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia and ensuring the fetus is alive. If this fails, an emergency c-section may be considered. In some cases, it is not feasible to cure the disease.
Clemmie Roob
A veterinarian, Clemmie Roob earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences. In addition to practicing veterinary medicine, she also develops web content professional, focusing in her writing on veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences and research, alternative and complementary medicine, and comparative medicine.
