Gestation Period of Sheep, Goats and Camels: Due Date Guide

A ewe is pregnant for about 147 days (normal range 142 to 152), a goat for about 150 days (145 to 155) and a camel for about 390 days, or 12 to 13 months. To find the due date, add these days to the mating date. Litter size, breed, age and nutrition can move birth a few days earlier or later, so prepare for the whole range, not a single day.

Knowing the gestation length is more than a curiosity. It lets you plan feeding in late pregnancy, prepare the birthing pen, schedule labour, time vaccinations with your vet and decide when to sell lambs or calves. Without a mating date, every birth becomes a surprise.

Gestation length at a glance

A few points that explain the variation:

• Breed. Different breeds have slightly different averages within the normal range.
• Litter size. Ewes and does carrying twins or triplets often give birth a little earlier than those carrying a single.
• Age and condition. Very young females and those in poor condition can be less predictable.
• Season and environment. Heat, stress and poor nutrition can affect the end of pregnancy.

A birth well outside the normal range, or a female that goes far beyond her due date, is a reason to call the vet.

How to calculate the due date

The calculation is simple once you have the mating date:

• Sheep: mating date + 147 days.
• Goats: mating date + 150 days.
• Camels: mating date + about 390 days.

Example: a ewe mated on 1 March 2026 is due around 26 July 2026, and births can be expected from roughly 21 to 31 July. A goat mated on the same day is due around 29 July. A she-camel mated on 1 March 2026 is due around 26 March 2027.

When the ram runs with the ewes for several weeks, you usually do not know the exact mating date. Options:

1. Use a raddle or crayon harness on the ram and note the date each ewe is marked.
2. Change the crayon colour every 2 to 3 weeks to see which ewes returned to heat.
3. Use the first day the males went in as the earliest possible mating date, and plan births for a window instead of a day.
4. Confirm pregnancy by ultrasound, which your vet can usually do from about 40 to 45 days after mating and which also helps count lambs.

For camels, breeders often note the "tail-up" response of a mated female to a bull, but a vet check is more reliable.

The stages of pregnancy and what each needs

Splitting pregnancy into stages helps you give each female what she needs, when she needs it.

Early pregnancy (first months). The embryo attaches and the placenta forms. Avoid stress, rough handling, long transport and sudden ration changes. Keep body condition steady rather than pushing weight up or down.

Mid pregnancy. Growth of the foetus is still modest. Maintain condition, keep up parasite control and vaccination as your vet advises, and separate females by expected due date if possible.

Late pregnancy (the last 6 weeks or so in sheep and goats; the last months in camels). Most foetal growth happens here, while the rumen has less space. Energy and protein needs rise sharply, and underfeeding can lead to pregnancy toxaemia, weak newborns and poor milk. Our guide on feeding pregnant and lactating ewes explains how to adjust the ration.

Close to birth. Move females to a clean, dry, quiet birthing area and check them several times a day. Signs that birth is near:

• Udder fills and teats become tight.
• The vulva swells and relaxes; mucus may appear.
• The area on each side of the tail sinks.
• The female separates herself, paws the ground, lies down and gets up often.
• In camels, the udder fills, the female becomes restless and may isolate herself.

Using gestation dates to plan the season

Gestation length turns your mating plan into a full calendar. If you know when the males go in, you know roughly when births start, when lambs will be weaned and when they will reach market weight. Working back from an important selling date, such as Eid, is one of the most common reasons breeders plan matings carefully. See our breeding season plan for the full method.

A typical planning sequence for sheep:

Tracking pregnancies without a notebook

On a farm with dozens or hundreds of females, a notebook of mating dates quickly becomes impossible to follow. The key information for each female is: mating date, male used, pregnancy check result, expected birth date, and what happened at birth (single, twins, triplets, stillbirth or abortion).

In Throf, recording a mating or insemination starts the production cycle for that female. Pregnancy moves through early and late stages to "close to birth", the expected date is calculated for you, and reminders warn the team before births are due. When the female gives birth, you record the lambs or kids and they are linked automatically to their mother and father, which builds your pedigree for the next breeding decisions.