![]() Other than last years fiasco, I was a kid the last time we had goats kidding. But this goat was nothing like the book says. She had a retained placenta that resulted in uterine infection (she and her kids are still with us). We had our first doe last year kid with major complications. Soon you’ll have adorable kids bouncing around the stall, and friends or family lining up to see them. But, being prepared for the basic goat care after kidding steps outlined above is a good idea as a minimum. There are many situations that could arise that would require more assistance so it’s important to have the Vet’s number on hand too. Promote bonding – Keep the kids and mother together in the kidding stall for at least 3 – 5 days to promote bonding between them.Deworm – Worm the doe a week prior to kidding so that by the time you’re ready for milk, the wormer will be out of her system (Ivermectin and other wormers are not allowed in drinking milk).Introduce concentrate – Introduce the doe to more concentrate (grain) slowly give her lots of your best quality hay as she ramps up on grain.Be sure to verify that all the kids are really drinking. Remove teat plugs – It may be necessary to remove teat plugs so the kids can get the colostrum.They like their water to be warm and you can also add electrolytes to help them recover. So, it’s important to re-hydrate the doe after she freshens. Warm water – The doe will have lost a tremendous amount of body fluid during freshening.*Whenever vaccinating, have Epinephrine on hand in case of shock, 1/10 to ¼ cc to be administered subcutaneously. If the dam was not given a CDT shot 30 days in advance, administer the CDT shot subcutaneously at 2 cc’s per kid at 1 to 3 days and then again at 30 days (they need to have the one at 30 days as a minimum)*. CDT Shot – If the mother doe was given a CDT shot 30 days in advance of kidding, then a CDT shot is only necessary at 30 days.Administer the BoSe subcutaneously at ¼ to ½ cc per kid*. Others give a shot to only those that appear weak. BoSe Shot – In areas where selenium is deficient, some give a BoSe shot to all kids when they are born.Artificial Sources – goat colostrum replacer from sources like Jeffers, etc.Do not microwave or overheat to reconstitute the colostrum (put in a warm water bath instead) or you’ll destroy the benefits. Frozen Colostrum bank – you can put colostrum in the freezer in quantities that you’ll use in Ziploc bags (date the package – it’s good for about a year).Mother – the doe produces colostrum for about 24 hours after kidding and it’s most beneficial if the kids get it from Mom.There are four possible sources of colostrum in decreasing order of benefit for newborn kids: Colostrum is how the mother transfers the antibodies that will protect the kid until it can manufacture its own protection (see Newborn Kids Need Colostrum for more on this). Colostrum– Kids need to get colostrum within about 6 hours (12 hours is getting late) and it’s best to make sure they get it within the first 2 hours.You can use iodine spray or dip the umbilical cord and naval in the iodine. Regardless of whether you or the doe cut the umbilical cord, make sure the leftover umbilical cord and kid naval get covered with 7% iodine. Naval Dip – Be prepared to tie off the umbilical cord at the naval (we use plain dental floss for this) and then cut the umbilical cord (this is what the surgical scissors are for) on the doe side.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |