Instructions
Look at the goat's stomach as it grows larger. If you can see the heads and hooves of the fetuses pushing up against it, she is getting close to birthing.
Examine the goat's udder in the weeks leading up to parturition. Although the udder will become bigger and more swollen as birth approaches, it will fill up with colostrum, thick milk, right before birth.
Look at the goat's vulva. About a week before giving birth, the vulva will begin to swell up and stretch so the kid can pass through. Also, ligaments around the sides of the goat's tail will change, becoming soft and pliable one to two days before birth.
Watch the goat's behavior. When she is closer to birth, she may sleep sitting up rather than lying down. A week or two before birth, the goat will begin "nesting." This means picking out an area to create a nest there. One or two days before birth, she will begin acting restless, bleating and pawing the ground.
Look for signs that birth is imminent. The goat will start getting up and lying down repeatedly, all the while straining to push the kids out.
How to Tell if a Pygmy Goat Is Ready to Give Birth
Pygmy goats have a gestation period of five months after breeding. At the end of this time, period parturition occurs, which is the process where the mother goat expels the fetus from the uterus. To prepare for the new kids and help the mother through the birthing process, it is important to recognize the signs a female goat gives before she is ready to go into labor. Some signs are obvious, while others may be more difficult to detect.