Livestock Gestation Chart
Livestock gestation ranges from 114 days in pigs to about 395 days in camels. Cows carry a calf for roughly 283 days, horses for 340, sheep for 147, goats for 150 and alpacas for 345. Use the table to compare species, then open a species page for a due date calculator and a full milestone timeline.
| Species | Average days | Range | Months | Young |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pig | 114 | 112–116 | 3.7 months | 8-12 piglets |
| Sheep | 147 | 144–152 | 4.8 months | 1-2 lambs |
| Goat | 150 | 145–155 | 4.9 months | 1-3 kids |
| Cow | 283 | 279–292 | 9.3 months | 1 calf |
| Water buffalo | 310 | 300–320 | 10.2 months | 1 calf |
| Horse | 340 | 320–370 | 11.2 months | 1 foal |
| Alpaca | 345 | 335–355 | 11.3 months | 1 cria |
| Llama | 350 | 330–365 | 11.5 months | 1 cria |
| Donkey | 365 | 340–390 | 12.0 months | 1 foal |
| Camel | 395 | 390–410 | 13.0 months | 1 calf |
What these animals have in common
Farmed species share a planning problem: a single service date has to drive vaccination, feeding, housing and labour weeks or months later. Most livestock carry a single large offspring that must stand and suckle within hours of birth, which is why gestation is long relative to body size and why the last third of pregnancy accounts for the bulk of fetal growth. Feed demand rises sharply in that final period, so body condition is built before birth rather than after it. Multiple births shorten gestation by several days and raise the risk of a difficult delivery, and heat stress, poor nutrition and advanced maternal age each shift the date. Across every species here the practical advice is identical: record the service date, treat the calculated date as a midpoint, and have a clean, well-bedded birthing area ready a week before the earliest date in the normal range.
Species pages in this group
Frequently asked questions
Figures are averages from published data. Individual animals vary, and results are for planning rather than veterinary advice.