Time for another Twin Willows tutorial!! Our Spring kidding season starts this week, so I thought it appropriate to talk about predicting labor and kidding. Kat Von D is due this coming week. I took a picture of her hind end which has been shaved to prepare for birthing. This is Kat on day 143 of her pregnancy.
Kat hind end day 143. Lady Anne hijacking the pic.
If you look closely, you can see that her udder is filling and her vulva is swollen. When she wags her tail it looks very "jiggly" and you can almost touch your two fingers together under for tail head. Her body is preparing for the birth of her babies. When the doe gets close to kidding her ligaments on either side of her tail will soften. Start feeling for her ligaments well before kidding to get a feel for where they are. As the kidding date gets closer, her ligaments will go limp and eventually you will be unable to feel them. When they disappear from your touch, kidding is imminent. They might also get a sunken look on either side of their tail when the ligaments are gone. I took Trixie out and felt her ligaments this morning. She is on day 136, and her ligaments are still tight.
Two fingers locating Trixie's ligaments.
Feel for two narrow pencil-like structures on either side of the tail, behind the thurls to either side of the tail towards the pins. When the doe is unbred or is not ready to kid they will be stiff like two angled thin pencils. Push down to feel them under your fingers.
Feeling Trixie's ligaments. Location of ligaments marked.
It takes some practice to find the right location, but once you finally feel them, you will never forget where they should be. Try feeling them on your goat now to practice, so that when they are close to kidding you will know where they are.
Update 4/16/13- Wanted to add a little more about predicting kidding. The ligament test is a very reliable test, but there are other signs to look for. As the doe gets closer to kidding, she may exhibit the following other signs as well:
Update 4/16/13- Wanted to add a little more about predicting kidding. The ligament test is a very reliable test, but there are other signs to look for. As the doe gets closer to kidding, she may exhibit the following other signs as well:
- Udder fills and becomes tight and shiny
- Thick, opaque discharge from vulva becoming clear and stringy
- Doe seeks solitude, paws the ground, makes quiet baaing sounds (sometimes turning her head to her belly and talking to her babies)
- Often becomes more friendly towards her caretaker, licking the hands of the human, and generally wanting to be petted and loved on.
- Contractions can be observed. The doe tenses, arches her back, and her tail curves during contractions.
- As the labor progresses, her discharge becomes yellowish and ropey, and she eventually begins pushing.
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