So, yes, goats definitely have periods, so you should be aware and be looking out for that. it’s nothing to worry about, but you don’t want the situation like I had where you’re concerned about why your goat is bleeding.
Let’s look further into this.
Do goats have periods and bleed?
They do have periods and bleed, yes.
In a way, it’s quite strange that this is the case.
Though we might tend to think of it as a typical thing of most animals, we are actually outliers in the fact of our bleeding during the menstrual cycle.
In fact, there are very few other examples in nature.
It’s common in some primates, and other than that only known in bats, elephant shrews, and other species of mice.
But, yes, goats are one of the few that do share this trait.
Most animals tend to reabsorb the uterine lining that is shed during the menstrual cycle, rather than expelling it completely.
This is why it’s uncommon for mammals to have periods of this kind.
It is in some ways less wasteful to the body’s overall energy to reabsorb the lining.
So, you know you need to look out for a goat’s period, and that menstrual blood is nothing to worry about.
The thing about a goat’s period, though, is that this is when it is in heat—or sexually receptive.
If you’re going to keep goats, you’ve got to know the basic ins and outs of this process.
How long is a goat’s period?
So, there’s a few ways we can answer this question.
As you’re probably aware, it is generally taken that the entire cycle of a human menstrual period is roughly four weeks.
There will be some discrepancy, but it’s in this ballpark.
However, the period of bleeding and other symptoms usually lasts only a few days.
This is the same with goats.
The entire oestrus cycle lasts around 21 days.
The period of heat, or oestrus, lasts anywhere from 12 to 48 hours.
This is what we would realistically call its ‘period’.
So, the cycle should repeat every 21 days.
The actual bleeding and being in heat will last, at most, a couple of days.
This will only be once your goat has reached sexual maturity.
So, when do goats reach sexual maturity?
When do does start having periods?
A female goat will start its oestrus cycle more or less as soon as it becomes sexually mature.
For females, this is a bit earlier than males.
Most does are sexually mature by around 20-25 days—quite a lot sooner than the males!
So, you can expect your goat to start having periods and bleeding from only a few weeks after it is born.
Is a period the same as being in heat?
Well, again, it does depend on how precisely we use these terms.
In essence, yes, they are the same thing.
However, we use the term period to describe a specific part of the cycle—not the whole thing.
This is the key distinction.
When a goat is in heat, it is at its most sexually receptive.
This is the same time that it should be having its period, or bleeding.
In heat is the more common way to describe sexual receptiveness, though, so it may be more helpful in the long run if you get used to this terminology.
Do goats have discharge when in heat?
Yes, they do.
This is when they should be bleeding.
As I said, being in heat and having their period will coincide closely and usually overlap.
The discharge will be the expelled uterine lining which, like us, the goats get rid of rather than reabsorbing.
You usually don’t really need to do anything when your goats have this discharge, unless it appears to be building up.
You should ideally be regularly cleaning your goats anyway, as its certainly not a good idea to let menstrual discharge build on your goat’s rear end.
The discharge is nothing to be squeamish about—it’s going to be a part of goat rearing, especially if you want to breed them.
Goat periods are a natural and normal part of their development, then, just like us.
Their bodies go through continuous phases of sexual activity.
A goat bleeding in this way is nothing to worry about, although you should still keep an eye on goats during this time.
It can be stressful, especially if they are being bothered by males.
In any case, though, it’s going to be a natural and typical part of looking after goats, so you’ll have to get used to it!