Methods for determining pregnancy in goats

Goat pregnancy can undoubtedly be called the most responsible period in goat breeding, but it does not cease to be less pleasant or exciting for the farmer. If the breeder competently approaches the breeding process, then it is important for him to know as soon as possible about the result of mating.

How to determine if a goat is pregnant

A pregnant goat needs special care, rules of keeping, limiting contact with other domestic animals and a more nutritious diet. However, answering the question of how to determine the pregnancy of a goat in the early stages is not so simple. Only by comparing many factors, it can be assumed that the goat will soon expect offspring.

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How is pregnancy going in goats?

Pregnancy in goats is often mild and almost asymptomatic. Throughout the first half of the term, the behavior of the pregnant woman practically does not change, and her lifestyle differs little from other goats. It will be possible to say with confidence whether there will be a replenishment on the farm soon or not, it will be possible only in the second half of the term, when you can visually notice the roundness of the abdomen and the asymmetry of the sides. Around the same time, the kids begin to actively grow and beat in the stomach. The composition of goat milk is also changing: it becomes more nutritious, with a high content of calcium.

During the second period of the goat’s pregnancy, the body undergoes a great strain, as it loses nutrients in the milk during milking, and also allocates everything necessary for the development of the embryos. Working in such an exhausting mode, the body uses up all its reserves that it needs for the future period of lactation. In order to launch the goat in time, and she managed to gain strength for the future feeding of the cubs, the farmer should also know in advance about her interesting situation. To maintain immunity during this period, it is useful to add special top dressings or vitamins to the animal’s feed.

Signs of Pregnancy

In a period when it is not yet possible to externally determine the result of mating, you can observe the pet and note certain signs that indicate the onset of pregnancy:

  1. After mating with a goat, the goat has good milk yields.
  2. After 2-3 weeks after covering, a new period of hunting did not come.
  3. Already from a month old, you can notice an unusual sipping for goats, with the help of which the animal gradually straightens the spine.
  4. The skin folds around the external genital organs are smoothed out. It is advisable for beginner breeders to see in the photo how the female genital organs are modified. This sign of pregnancy is the most accurate and early, since the birth canal begins to prepare for the future lambing from the 10th day of pregnancy.
  5. The abdomen slightly increases in volume, asymmetry of the sides appears.
  6. The pelvic bones noticeably expand, the ligamentous apparatus relaxes.
  7. An experienced livestock breeder can feel the enlarged uterus and fetuses already from three months of pregnancy.
  8. Such obvious signs of pregnancy as fatigue, apathy, increased appetite appear in goats by the beginning of the fourth month of pregnancy.

To learn about pregnancy with almost 100% probability, laboratory tests will help. By donating blood for analysis, you can find out not only about the absence or presence of pregnancy, but also about the period up to a week. An indicator of the level of the hormone progesterone, which steadily increases in accordance with the term, will help in this. This hormone grows from the first week, it is actively involved in the control and maintenance of pregnancy, as well as in the formation of the placenta and the fetal membrane.

If the farmer has the opportunity to visit a veterinary clinic, then modern diagnostics will be able to determine the presence of pregnancy in a goat with 100% probability. Otherwise, you will have to rely solely on a combination of signs by which you can suspect prejudice.

Another accurate laboratory indicator of the presence of pregnancy is the study of mucus from the cervical canal. However, this diagnosis can be carried out only in special veterinary clinics, since if sterile conditions are not observed, infection can be introduced into the animal’s genital tract. Also in the veterinary clinic, you can conduct an ultrasound examination, which, even at the shortest possible time, will help to accurately determine the pregnancy of a goat.

Folk methods for determining pregnancy in a goat

There are methods for determining pregnancy that have not been scientifically proven, but farmers successfully apply them and share their observations on the Internet. One of these folk methods suggests determining the pregnancy of a goat using soda. To do this, it is necessary to collect the morning portion of the animal’s urine in a sterile jar and pour 1 tsp into it. soda. The mating will be considered successful if the powder precipitates unchanged. If the soda reacts and hisses, then pregnancy has not occurred.

No less popular methods using iodine tincture. Instead of soda, you can drop a couple of drops of iodine into the urine, if the drops remain on the surface – the goat is pregnant, otherwise they will dissolve. The next method is similar to the action of litmus paper. A small piece of thick paper is taken and dipped into a jar of urine. Then a couple of drops of iodine are dripped onto the leaf. If the tincture has changed its color to purple, then we can judge a positive result, in bluish – a negative one.

Some people prefer to check the pregnancy of a goat by milk. This method is very ancient, but in the villages it is often used as a kind of test. A couple of days after coating, the goat is milked, and then a couple of drops of this milk are added to a glass of clean water. If the drops settle to the bottom, it can be assumed that the goat was able to become pregnant. If the result is negative, the milk will dissolve in water, slightly coloring it.

Pregnancy duration

On average, the normal pregnancy of a goat has a duration of 150 calendar days. However, this does not mean at all that if your goat did not please with the addition of exactly 5 months, then you should run to the veterinarian. Fluctuations in the duration of gestation are permissible both in one direction and in the other, but care must be taken that the period of walking does not exceed 1 week.

How long does a goat’s pregnancy last with multiple and singleton pregnancies, and is it possible to determine how many babies will be born by the date of onset of labor? It has been noted that a singleton pregnancy can last a little longer, and lambing with a multiple pregnancy usually occurs a couple of days earlier.

Lambing in females is usually quick and easy. Kids appear one after another, often no human help is required. The newborn is wiped with a dry, clean towel and placed closer to the mother. Goats show a strong maternal instinct, so the kids do not require special care. The farmer should only create optimal conditions in the goat house where the babies are, as low temperatures, drafts and dampness can harm the health of the cubs.

Anna Evans

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