Goat Fetal Development

Goat fetal development is on our minds since our mature Nigerian Dwarf does are all obviously “in a family way”, and I was wondering how developed the fetuses are as we count down the days to kidding.   They still have a few days to go and they look so big already. Here’s what I found:

1^st Trimester Goat Fetal Development

• 20 days – apparent heart beat
• 28-35 days – limb buds appear
• 35-42 days – differentiation of mouth, toes, and dew claws
• 42-49 days – nostrils and eyes apparent; mammary buds in females; empty scrotal sac in males; jugular vein barely visible

2^nd Trimester Goat Fetal Development

• 42-84 days – lung bronchial divisions are differentiated and air conducting system becomes established
• 49-56 days – eyelids close, ear canal opens, soft spot on top of the head
• 56-63 days – jugular vein, facial vein and scrotal vessels all visible, nostrils open
• 70-77 days – hair appears on eyelids
• 77-84 days – horn pits appear, ear vein prominent, hair on the muzzle
• 84-91 days – hair on forehead, pigmentation around horn pits
• 91-98 days – skin whitish and thicker; jugular, facial, and scrotal veins no longer visible, hair along the top of neck; top of the head has hardened; further lung development
• 98-105 days – hair around eyes and on chest; eyelids separated; teeth buds appear

3^rd Trimester Goat Fetal Development

• 105-112 days – body sparsely covered with hair, except limbs; more lung development
• 112-119 days – dense hair covers body and limbs, teeth buds prominent
• 119-154 days – lung development competed

The girls are all in the 119 – 154-day range (see Kidding Schedule), and given the descriptions above, I can see why they’re looking big.  It seems like it’s taking forever for this year’s kids to arrive, but in reality, they’re going to be here in no time!  The picture above is of Jewel Box just after kidding in a past year – she’s just washing him off. Click here for a convenient goat gestation calculator from the American Goat Society.