This one's for all you experienced goat keepers who have witnessed many births. Have you found a time of day when does tend to deliver more often? In the wild goats generally kid in the afternoon, both where the temperature is at its highest and to give it best opportunity to avoid being preyed upon. Is this true of domestic goats?

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), February 28, 2002

Answers

hmmmmmm, thinking back on it, mine have either kidded in the wee hours of the morning or in the early afternoon. Funny though, the ones that kidded in the wee hours were housed in the barn; the ones in the afternoon were in the field. In His grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), February 28, 2002.

Most of my goat have kidded in the daytime. In the four years we've had goats only one has kidded like at 5AM. Seems like mid morning and mid afteroon kids are most common. I better knock on wood.

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

Most of my girls kid between 6 and 11 pm. I do have 2 that kidded in the day this year. Both had problems with the kidding so I was glad that they were in the day so I could get ahold of my vet to get advice.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), February 28, 2002.

For years here it seemed like we had many late night kiddings, then I switched to feeding my goats their grain in the late afternoon instead of the mornings (when they GET grain that is...not all get grained every day).. and the last few years I believe we've had more early morning-mid morning kiddings rather than evening or late night ones. Suits me better...especially in the colder early spring days...better light and less cold! :)patty Prairie Oak Miniatures http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak visit our message forum! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Littlegoats moderator

-- Patty Putnam (littlegoats@wi.rr.com), February 28, 2002.

Hubby swears by this theory he has. he had this theory after yrs of having our cow dairy. He claims that if you feed the goat at regular times every day that they will kid in the morning or early afternoon. At first I looked at him like he wa scrazy, but ya know, he is right, we haven't had a middle of the night kidding in yrs.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

hmmmm....Well, I am pretty strict on my feeding schedule and feed two times a day everyday. I have only had four births, and this includes the first one this year, but they have all been during daylight hours. One year they were both at the same time, about 3pm. This year Slinky gave me an am after two years of 3pm births. Interesting idea, tho. I guess I will see with the other does very soon!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

Most of our kiddings are about 4 in the afternoon, and the only way I know this is that I am forever delivering kids, and yelling at my daughters to "change your clothes, so and so is kidding" as they come down the drive off the school bus! I take great care to feed good hay, usually their alfalfa at 10 pm, the last time I am in the barn, with a rumen full of roughage they can not kid, they have to lay down, rechew it all, and then go into labor. Sure enough if they don't eat their breakfast, they will kid later that day. My older does will hold off having kids during really bad weather, but the yearlings do whatever they want. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 01, 2002.

Wow, Vicki, you are a neverending font of insights. I had never thought of a connection between full rumen and kidding. How interesting! I've never fed my goats that late at night. That's another topic I'll set in motion.

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), March 01, 2002.

So far all of our does have delivered between 1-4pm (while I'm still at work or in the car ride home!!!) 5 does finished and 2 more to go. Isn't this fun?!!

-- Sharon in AL (Sharonspaws@aol.com), March 01, 2002.