There are signs that your pregnant goat is about to give birth that you should check for and the loss of the mucus plug is one of them. So, if she has lost the mucus plug, how soon until she gives birth?
Pregnant goats lose their mucus plug anywhere from a few weeks to a few days before giving birth. Signs of discharge on the vulva are an indicator that the goat is very close to birth. The closer she is to kidding, the darker the discharge will be.
It is important to recognize the mucus plug and know how to care for your goat during this stage of her pregnancy.
What Is The Mucus Plug
What it looks like
The plug itself will be a clump of mucus that will cover her cervix. Though you may notice that there will also be lots of mucus or discharge around her vulva and tail.
When you first notice mucus around your goat’s vulva, it should be clear or opaque white. The closer the goat gets to kidding, the mucus plug will be thicker, darker, and more opaque. You’re looking for mucus that is an “amber” color. Checking the color of the mucus is important, as you will not want the mucus to be full of blood, which can be a sign of internal issues.
What is its purpose
The mucus plug is a protective collection of mucus in the cervical canal. During pregnancy, the cervix secretes a thick, jelly-like fluid to keep the area moist and protected. This fluid eventually accumulates and seals the cervical canal, creating a thick plug of mucus. The mucus plug acts as a barrier and can keep unwanted bacteria and other sources of infection from traveling into the uterus.
Other animals that have a mucus plug
Mucus plugs are not unique to goats. In fact all mammals share this experience during pregnancy, including humans.
Leading Up To Delivery
Few weeks before:
- Maybe the loss of mucus plug
- Udders start sagging
- Doe starts wandering away from the herd
- Doe may start stretching lots
- Doe’s behavior may change
- Babies should “drop” in doe’s uterus
Once you start noticing these signs you should start keeping your doe in her kidding pen. Especially if you start to notice her wandering off. You definitely don’t want her wandering off your property to give birth. This is also a good time to make sure that the kidding pen is clean and ready for birth.
It may also be helpful to shave the doe’s udders and around her vulva. This will make it easier for you to start noticing the pregnancy signs that will come closer to birth. It will also make it easier for you to clean her during and after she gives birth.
Also, when I say that your doe’s behavior may change, I mean it will flip a total 180. If she was sweet and cuddly before she may want nothing to do with you now. Or if she wasn’t cuddly before, she may become cuddly.
Few days or hours before:
- Udders fill
- Pawing
- Loss of Mucus Plug
- Ligaments go soft
- Tail head is raised
- Vulva turns pink and Swollen
Once, you start noticing these signs you should start constantly checking on her about every 3 hours. These signs will not necessarily start appearing all at the same time. However, they all should have appeared before the doe goes into labor.
After The Mucus Plug Is Out
Once your doe has lost her mucus plug the amount of time you have until the kid is born can vary quite a bit. However, chances are high that you will only have a couple of days until the baby is born. Checking for other signs is necessary.
Each day that you notice mucus, you should note the color and then clean the doe’s vulva completely. When cleaning her off, try using an Iodopovidone and water solution. Iodopovidone is an antiseptic that should prevent infection in her vulva and vaginal canal.
This is the point where you should have a kidding kit together. This kit should be made up of at least 3 old towels, iodine, gloves, probiotics, emergency colostrum powder, molasses, and your vet’s emergency phone number.
Also, at this point, the doe should be eating grain every day and should not be underweight. Also, go ahead and continue to give her the prenatal vitamins that you have been giving her daily.
You should be checking on her constantly. Once you notice that her breathing has increased then that probably means that the contractions have started. She is now in labor. Go ahead and get your kit out and go sit with the doe. There will probably be lots of waiting. After the contractions start, what you’re looking for is a large bubble. This bubble should only last for a couple of minutes before you start to see hooves pushing out. Any longer than a couple of minutes and you should start looking for the baby.
Possible Issues
Bloody mucus
If there is any blood in the mucus then you should definitely pay attention to that. A little spotting is alright and is even pretty normal, but should be noted. If there is consistently blood in the mucus then you should take your goat to the vet immediately. This could be a sign that she is aborting the babies or that there is an internal issue. Examples of conditions that cause abortions include interruption of the fetal blood supply when injured, poor nutrition, over-feeding, stress, abortion diseases, toxicity, surgery, malformation of the fetus during development, and labor-inducing drugs.
Too early
The mucus plug can come out weeks before the birth of the kid. Now if it’s months early, that could be a different story. This could mean that she is giving birth pre-maturely, which is incredibly bad for the baby’s wellbeing and will most likely cause disabilities or death. While this can be unpreventable, you must take care of your pregnant goat properly to avoid this if possible.