 moon phase info |
This article will further explore my findings and take into consideration a variety of factors in this strange, yet intriguing phenomena.
For the most part, my goats have been run together in a herd with several bucks and several does. They do of course follow the course of nature in which dominance and submission is sorted out without interference by a human - unless of course, a particular goat shows extreme weakness and separation from the herd is vital to its survival.
But before you take my findings as the logical explanation and indication of overall kidding behavior, do know that I earlier stated that this behavior can be expected better than 90% of the time. There have been exceptions and these exceptions are most often with a particular group of does and even in their subsequent offspring.
For example, I owned a doe that was reported to be a percentage Boer. She was supposedly a Spanish-Boer mix with no real definitive history. No matter how nice of a place I would fix up for her complete with warm bedding, straw, hay and water, she persisted on having her kids as far out of sight as possible in the pasture by a tree. And none of these kids were ever born during a phase of the full moon. Rather, they were born when there was no moon at all! Talk about being private! Furthermore, each of her doe offspring performed in the exact same manner for a few years afterward.
Time of year doesn't seem to play any role in whether or not kids will be born during the full moon phase. Nearly each one of my goats has followed this full moon calendar in the heat of summer or in the very chilly winter months. However, I can relate that most of my goats are most likely to kid between the months of December and March.
I have read posts from a number of other goat owners over the years and have paid close attention to the phase of the moon when they announce their goats have kidded. The greatest percentage of these also fall within the full moon phase. The exceptions seem to be those owners who shelter their goats under artificial light or in complex shelter arrangements.
I do not see anything wrong with raising goats in this manner. However I feel strongly that goats may be influenced by artificial light in such a way that their biological clocks are stimulated and disturbed to the point that they cannot discern what phase the moon may be in. There is some evidence to support this in studies on the pineal gland in goats. http://www.ag.fvsu.edu/html/publications/GoatCenter/amoah2.htm
Why would goats display this behavior?
Three schools of thought here, the first using the percentage Boer mentioned above...I feel strongly that some breeds of goats such as the Spanish are less likely to be domesticated and feel a need to protect their young by keeping them hidden until any dangers have passed. Since this breed of goat may have been one of the last to be truly domesticated, they are more likely to be the stronger in giving birth and will be less likely to encounter problems in giving birth to one or more kids at a time.
The second thought is that the more domesticated goats have had many more years of human intervention and are usually more apt to have problems in kidding. We as goat owners are providing them nutrition and chemicals they may otherwise not receive in the wild. Perhaps they find their own type of safety in being able to immediately see their newborn kids.
But these schools of thought are paralleled by another puzzling fact. While you won't find highly definitive answers (yet), there is much indication and reference to many other undomesticated animals giving birth either in the new moon or full moon phase. Even though a goat gives birth during a full moon phase, they don't always kid during the darkness of night!
And even though animals other than goats are not clearly documented in this behavior, You will find much speculation on animals being more prone to biting during a full moon. So there is no simple answer -- only facts and statistics as they present themselves in each and every unique situation.
This article will be continued as I compile more facts and statistics. If you would like to contribute your own thoughts and findings on this subject, please feel free to email me at gary@goatworld.com.
