Timing of births?????

[willow_girl]

I used to work irregular hours, and did my barn chores (feeding, etc.) whenever I got around to it ... and my animals also gave birth any time of the day or night ...

For the past 6 months, I've been working a job with regular hours, and I do chores at the same time every morning, when I get home from work.

Two weeks ago, my ewe lambed, and this morning, my doe kidded ... both were in the process of having their babies when I got home.

Coincidence, or ????

I'm almost tempted to believe that they waited until they knew help was on the way!

Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?

(BTW, I've heard of llamas and horses that were closely watched by owners eager to witness the birth ... only to deliver when the owner was called away momentarily! )

[Jena]

If you feed cows in the evening, they will typically give birth during the day. My first calf was born this morning. I don't know about other species.

I feed my horses once a day, in the mid afternoon. I dutifully checked my mares as they approached foaling. After about two weeks of midnight runs to the farm, one gave birth as I was walking out to check at 8pm. The other went a couple weeks later at about 10am.

I just figure I'm lucky. I have one mare to go and she'll probably foal at 3am or something.

Jena

I found that once i started filling the mangers really full late in the evenings,that 100% of my does kidded between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.,no more out at the barn at 2,and3 and midnight....before that, nearly all would be middle of the night...not coincedience in my opinion.

This is too cool.... I'm going to keep watching this one - maybe when I get some larger stock I can try some of the info here!

Sue

[Charleen]

Last week we had 2 goats deliver at exactly the same time. 2PM. One was on day 152 and the other was day 154. Each had twins and I needed a catcher's mitt. That night there was a full moon.

But...I had another deliver at 12:15AM. She was at day 154 also. 10# buck.

I wish I could find a simple solution to timing births. Even when we've scheduled and induced, that baby won't come until it's darn good and ready.