TIME-PATTERN ON PARTURITION SEQUENCES IN BEETAL GOATS AND CROSSES - COMPARISON BETWEEN PRIMIPAROUS AND MULTIPAROUS DOES

Peri-parturient behaviors and lime budget of parturition sequences wer e observed in 106 does maintained under confined but undisturbed condi tions. incidence of isolation and intolerance to conspecifics were obs erved in 80% of does 4-6 h before kidding, whereas intense restlessnes s occurred in 79% does 1-4h pre-kidding. Both the primiparous and mult iparous does behaved almost in the same way except the manifestation o f restlessness which was more intense among primiparous does. Delivery in does while sitting was more frequent than that in standing posture (71% vs. 29%). More than 90% of kids were born head first and with on e foreleg preceding the other by 1-3cm while passing through the birth canal. Parturition duration (from appearance of water bag to complete expulsion of fetus) in first and second kid birth was 20 min and 6 mi n, respectively. Time gap between first and second birth was 6 min. Do es needed 149 min past-birth for complete expulsion of placenta. Time budget of parturition sequences did not vary significantly between pri miparous and multiparous does. Hourly frequencies of birth showed that 80% of kidding happened between 06:00-18:00h with a major peak around 16:00h. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.