Topic: Agriculture Science and Technology
Lesson: Gestation Characteristics
Frameworks: 8.7
Situation:
Freshman level class; students are learning basic information about animal science.
Interest Approach:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LApWne1Oto0&feature=related
Objectives:
1. Define terms related to gestation on a worksheet in class with 100% accuracy.
2. Describe the gestation characteristics associated with different animals on a
worksheet with 90% accuracy.
Reasons to Learn:
 Why do we need to learn about gestation?
 Why do we need to learn about the gestation characteristics associated with
different animals?
Questions to Answer:
 What is gestation?
 What are the characteristics associated with gestation?
 What are the differences in gestation among different animals?
Lesson:
 Terms: gestation, embryo, fetus, parturition, open, bred, settled, palpate
 What is gestation?
o Length of pregnancy
 Embryo
o A fertilized egg before it turns into a developed baby
 Fetus
o Unborn baby showing signs of a mature animal; developed
 Parturition
o The act of giving birth
o Calving (cows)
o Farrowing (pigs)
o Lambing (sheep)
o Foaling (horses)
o Kidding (goats)
 Open
o Not bred
 Bred
o Ready to produce offspring
 Settled
o Viable offspring
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Cattle
o Gestation period- 283 days
o First 3 months: the fetus is mouse sized.
o 3-5 months: By the end of the 5 months, the fetus is too far forward in the
body cavity to palpate (to medically examine by touch), but structures can
be felt.
o 5-7 months: the fetus becomes the same size as a cat.
o 7-9 months: The fetus makes 70% of its growth.
o Full term: the fetus ranges from 50-100 pounds.
o Palpate video (dirty jobs with mike rowe)
Swine
o Gestation period- 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days)
o Labor could last from 30 minutes to 5 hours. Between each piglet, it could
take up to 15 minutes.
o Average litter size: 8-14
Sheep
o Gestation period- 150 days
o A blood and urine test can be run to determine pregnancy after 50 days.
o Sheep and goats are similar.
Goats
o Gestation period- 150 days
o Mama goat is called a doe.
o 3 stages:
 First 50 days is most important. This is the stage where it starts to
look like a goat. At day 20, the heartbeat can be heard.
 Stage 2- the baby goat starts to move around.
 Stage 3- the baby goat develops hair and is born.
Horses
o Gestation period- 340 days (11 months)
o They can give birth anywhere from 315 days to 370 days. They are very
unpredictable.
o Early Term: 30 weeks into gestation the embryo is 1 inches long. At 60
days, its 3 inches. At 100 days, its 7 inches long and hair is beginning to
develop.
o Mid Term: 150 days, the foal should weigh around 2 pounds. At 180 days,
it weighs 10- pounds.
o Late Term: 250 days- lungs begin to develop. 300 days- the mare’s
udders will distend slightly.
o Last days: 315- the mare’s owner should be preparing for a foal.
Chickens
o 21 days for eggs to hatch
o Not technically gestation because the chicken is not actually “pregnant.”
E-moment:
o Give the students a specific date that an animal is born. Tell them the type
of animal it is, and then have them calculate approximately when that
animal was bred.
 Example: Pig; March 25 birthdate
o Why is it important to know the gestation periods of certain animals?
 So you know when to breed them to assure that they give birth at a
certain time of the year.
Review:
 What is gestation? (length of pregnancy)
 What is the gestation period of a cow? (283 days)
o Sow? (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days)
o Sheep and goats? (150 days)
o Horses? (11 months)
 What does palpate mean? (to medically examine by touch)
Sources: