We officially experienced our first goat labor and birth! Drum roll please…. introducing Edith and Marty!
If you’ve checked into the blog recently or follow us on Instagram, then you already know that we’ve been anxiously waiting for baby goats. Seeing as Fran was pen bred, we had a due date range of about 3 weeks. You guys, the waiting has been brutal! I was so nervous that we would miss the goat labor and birth, but I’m excited to officially welcome Edith and Marty to the farm!
Pre-labor
The night before Fran went into labor, we started noticing changes in her appearance and behavior. Her tail ligaments softened throughout the week, but they completely disappeared the night before delivery. Her udder grew significantly larger and her teats started sticking outwards. We kept a close eye on her through the security camera monitor, and noticed her acting different as well. She struggled to get comfortable and transitioned between laying down, standing up, and staring into space. Her tail frequently rose upwards, and I also noticed her ears go back a few times. She didn’t make any noise, but I assumed that she was seconds away from active labor.
Of course, Fran made the goat labor and birth experience confusing. One moment it looked like she was going into labor, and the next she was eating at the hay feeder acting completely normal. Ben and I kept a close eye on her through the monitor and noticed the same pattern for the remainder of the evening.
Until the following morning … when the goat labor and birth fun began!
Goat labor and birth
After an early morning nursing session with Beckham, I crawled back into bed to catch a few extra moments of sleep. Ben and I both immediately noticed Fran making noise. Within the first 30 seconds, it was clear that she was in labor. I immediately called my mom (thanks mom!) to swing over to watch the kids. By the time I started talking to my mom, I noticed a bubble and Fran was already pushing. As a frame of reference, this all happened within 3-5 minutes of her making any noise. Ben ran out to the goat house and I followed quickly behind (thank goodness for family that lives close by!)
Within a few minutes of Fran pushing, we noticed a nose, but no hoof. Although we had zero plans to intervene during the birth, Fran continued to push without progress for longer than ideal. Ben gently assisted and after few more pushes, baby #1 was born!
We (wrongfully) assumed that we had a bit of time before the next baby was born. I immediately started drying Marty off and within a few short seconds, Fran pushed out baby #2! Although we expected Fran to have 3 or 4 babies, mama surprised us with perfect twins.
There’s a strong possibility that I’ll bombard the blog and Instagram with baby goats … because you guys, BABY GOATS.
Have you experienced goat labor and birth? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!