200 The Care of Animals 



Mare about 344 days, or eleven months 



Cow about 280 days, or nine months 



Ewe about 152 days, or five months 



Sow about 112 days, or three and a lialf months 



Bitch about 63 days, or two months 



Pregnant animals frequently give birth to their young 

 sooner than the period indicated. If the young animal 

 is sufficiently developed to live, it is usually called a 

 premature birth ; if the fetus is not sufficiently devel- 

 oped to live, it is called an abortion. Pregnant animals 

 may also carry their young longer than the period 

 indicated. 



SIGNS OF PARTURITION, OR APPROACHING BIRTH 



At the close of the period of gestation, signs of 

 approaching parturition usually appear. The mammary 

 glands become distended, the vulva enlarges, and the 

 mucous membranes lining the vagina become congested 

 and red. In cows, the hip bones tip forward a little, 

 and a small depression on each side of the root of the 

 tail appears more marked. The cow is commonly said 

 to be "down in her hips." In mares, a waxy secretion 

 often appears on the ends of the teats. There is a 

 tendency for the animal to isolate herself from others, 

 and to hide away. As parturition approaches she be- 

 comes somewhat nervous, stepping about uneasily, the 

 uneasiness increasing until labor-pains set in. 



Parturition is the birth, or expulsion, of the young 

 from the womb. The mouth of the womb dilates, the 

 vagina and vulva enlarge, the membranes that surround 



