Do goats have a AM/PM preference for kidding?

[cfarmher]

Is it typical for them to give birth at a certain time of day, or does it just happen any old time?

Thanks,
Crissei

[mygoat]

Well, not only does it depend on the doe, but it also depends on the time of year. I've foudn that my does that kid in the summer kid around 5pm, when it starts cooling off. And depending on the day temp, during the spring my does like to kid between 9 am and 3 pm. I haven't had a ton of does kid here, but I've had a few and none have ever been at night... Luck, maybe? LOL

[needstoknowmore]

had one before 3 am. Not sure heard the screams found the kid dried off. And another about noon that day. Have read that a doe will kid about the same time each year. Don't know if it is true. Still have 4 weeks to test the theory!!!

[oberhaslikid]

I breed on the week days in the evening and they have always kid in the evening. I bred 2 on the weekend in mid day and thats when they kid during the day. 7 years now

[Eunice]

We have been blessed to usually have kids born in the daytime. Our range on 15 kiddings is from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

[TC]

My does kid around the clock, more during the afternoon however. But my does seem to repeat their pattern. If they kid in the night, they usually repeat that, or if they kid in the early morning, usually they'll repeat it. When I write down their kidding dates, I also include the time, to have the notes to look back on the next year.

[mammawof3]

I have almost 100%-daytime births.Last year tended to be mornings-this year has tended to be afternoons. I very rarely have any born in the middle of the night.(none so far this year-1 last year) One doe has kidded at 6:30 a.m.-the last 2 years!

[moonspinner]

90% of mine kid between late morning and mid afternoon.

[mary,tx]

It depends on the goat.

[chris30523]

I read somewhere it depends on when they are usually fed? Last year I fed mine once a day in the evening and all 14 kidded in late afternoon.This year I changed to a twice a day feeding and so far all 3 that have kidded have kidded about 4:00 am.(these three kidded at about 3:00pm last year) I have 19 more to go.I think next year I will go back to the once a day feeding

[Jim S.]

chris, yes, it is highly correlated to when they are fed -- the same as with cows. In my own herd this time (so far -- we are not quite done kidding yet), I religiously feed once a day between 5-6 p.m. I have had 10 does kid so far. Eight of the 10 kidded during daylight hours.

That correlates with cattle studies showing about 80% daytime births to cows fed in the evening hours. See as one such study:

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/exten/cc...mecalving.html

I would be interested to hear from others. We had a thread on this once, and it pretty much confirmed it.

The benefits to daylight kidding are many. They include less need for intervention because of ease of observation, less predator impact on pasture-kidded goats and kids, less loss of sleep for herder (potentially benefiting the disposition and thus the marriage! LOL), and easier access to professional veterinary help if needed.

All my goats pasture-kid. Upon observation, we then either just leave the kids to her observed excellent caregiving, or get the kids and have mama follow us back to a kidding pen in the barn if we feel she may be a tad overwhelmed. They stay in the pen one day, then are turned out.

In this way, we hope we are teaching and encouraging our does to take care of business in the way that is most akin to Nature, and offers us the least chance to work. Hey, we're lazy, what can I say? LOL.

[cfarmher]

Thanks everyone!

The time of birth correlating with the feeding time is so interesting, I sure hope thats the way it works for us!

I would even prefer the middle of the night as opposed to assisting in broad daylight with my two year old in tow, and hubby at work.