A goat placenta is a large, flat, reddish membrane studded with dozens of small, button-like structures arranged in rows. It looks quite different from a human placenta. Rather than one solid disc of tissue, a goat’s placenta is a long, thin sheet of membranes with many individual points of attachment scattered across its surface. When it comes out after delivery, it’s typically a glistening, somewhat translucent mass with dark red or reddish-brown knobs dotting its length.
Overall Size and Shape
A full-term goat placenta weighs roughly 170 to 200 grams (about 6 to 7 ounces) and can measure over two feet long but only a fraction of a centimeter thick. One well-documented specimen measured 68 by 35 centimeters, while another measured 62 by 14 centimeters. The variation depends on the breed, the number of kids, and individual differences. When it first passes, it often looks like a long, wet, slightly bloody membrane trailing from the doe, sometimes hanging in folds before dropping to the ground.
The Button-Like Cotyledons
The most distinctive feature is the cotyledons, small raised bumps that look like round or oval buttons embedded in the membrane. A typical goat placenta has 50 to 125 of these structures, each between 1 and 5 centimeters across. They’re arranged in rough rows along the surface and are darker and thicker than the surrounding tissue, usually deep red to brownish-red in color.
Each cotyledon is the fetal side of a connection point. During pregnancy, these cotyledons fit into matching sites on the uterine wall called caruncles, forming a lock-and-key attachment called a placentome. This is where nutrients and oxygen pass from mother to kid. When the placenta detaches after birth, the cotyledons pull free from the caruncles, which is why their surfaces look raw and slightly textured, almost like tiny cauliflower heads or mushroom caps.
The Membranes
Between the cotyledons, the placenta consists of thin, semi-transparent membranes. The innermost layer, which surrounded the kid directly, is the amnion. It’s thin, smooth, and often has a slightly pearly or whitish appearance. The outer layer, which lined the uterus, is thicker and more vascular, with visible blood vessels running across it. These membranes are slippery when fresh and may appear yellowish, pinkish, or pale gray depending on how recently they passed.
The umbilical cord connecting the placenta to the kid is short in goats, typically around 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long and roughly 1 centimeter in diameter. It contains visible blood vessels and is usually pale and twisted.
When It Passes After Delivery
The placenta normally passes within a few hours of the last kid being born. It’s considered retained if it hasn’t been expelled within 12 hours, though this is uncommon in goats. As it’s being expelled, it often hangs from the doe in a long, dangling mass. This is normal. You should not pull on it, as the uterine caruncles need to release naturally.
A healthy placenta is uniformly reddish with intact membranes. Warning signs include a foul smell, thick yellow or greenish pus on the cotyledons, or membranes that look unusually discolored or decomposed. Pus-filled cotyledons in particular can signal an infection that caused abortion or stillbirth.
Why Does Often Eat It
Many first-time goat owners are startled to see their doe eating the placenta immediately after delivery. This is completely normal behavior, even for herbivores. The behavior likely serves several purposes: it removes material that could attract predators, helps stimulate bonding and maternal care through brain opioids released during consumption, and clears membranes away from the newborn’s face to aid breathing. Some researchers also believe the temporary shift toward eating tissue reflects genuine hunger after the physical demands of labor. Does that eat their placenta may also experience a mild pain-relieving effect and improved milk production.
Safe Handling and Disposal
If the doe doesn’t eat the placenta, or if you need to handle it for any reason, wear nitrile or latex gloves and ideally a mask and eye protection. Goat placentas can carry several pathogens that infect humans. Q fever, caused by a bacterium that spreads through airborne particles from reproductive tissues, is a particular concern. Brucellosis and chlamydiosis can also transmit through direct contact with placental tissue or fluids. These infections cause flu-like illness in people and can be serious, especially for pregnant women.
Place the placenta in a double plastic bag as quickly as possible. Dispose of it by burning, burying, or composting it well away from your herd’s living and grazing areas. Make sure dogs, cats, and wildlife can’t access the disposal site. Clean and disinfect the kidding area, including any contaminated bedding and soil, to prevent disease from spreading to other animals in the herd.