Goats typically give birth in early spring.
While goats are fall breeders, meaning they come into heat as the days shorten in the fall, their gestation period is around 150 days, or five months. This gestation length results in kidding, or the birthing process, occurring in the early spring.
Here's a breakdown:
- Breeding Season: Fall (as the days shorten)
- Gestation Period: Approximately 5 months
- Kidding Season (Birth): Early Spring
Early spring kidding is preferred for several reasons:
- Better Growth Rate for Kids: Spring weather is generally more conducive to kid health and growth.
- Lower Mortality Rate: Milder temperatures reduce the risk of hypothermia and other weather-related complications for newborn kids.
- Comfort for Animals and Herder: Spring provides more comfortable conditions for both the goats and the people caring for them during the birthing process.
