Basic Goat Care
Introduction
Before you begin shopping for goats to bring to your homestead, we believe you should thoroughly research to be sure goats are suitable for your goals and lifestyle. It is a myth that goats are care-free animals that have a tough constitution. While it's true that some breeds, namely the heritage breeds, are more parasite resistant and can thrive on less grain, all goats still need to be managed properly.
We do advise that if your primary goal is to keep sections of your land cleared with little interest in providing meat for your table, that you consider purchasing whethers, and that you keep in mind goats are browsers and not grazers, which means they are not very effective lawn mowers. We re-emphasize that all goats require basic care; if you are unable to provide the care, you should not consider acquiring goats for your homestead.
This guide is for general goat husbandry that we employ on our farm---it's what works for us. The following information is our experience and opinion, meant to showcase our husbandry techniques. We raise meat-type goats and therefore will not cover topics pertaining to dairy animals. If you're interested in dairy, we suggest you look to a reputable resource, such as Fias Co Farm, for dairy selection and guidance.
We do advise that if your primary goal is to keep sections of your land cleared with little interest in providing meat for your table, that you consider purchasing whethers, and that you keep in mind goats are browsers and not grazers, which means they are not very effective lawn mowers. We re-emphasize that all goats require basic care; if you are unable to provide the care, you should not consider acquiring goats for your homestead.
This guide is for general goat husbandry that we employ on our farm---it's what works for us. The following information is our experience and opinion, meant to showcase our husbandry techniques. We raise meat-type goats and therefore will not cover topics pertaining to dairy animals. If you're interested in dairy, we suggest you look to a reputable resource, such as Fias Co Farm, for dairy selection and guidance.
Our Guide for Raising Goats Successfully
1. Acquiring Goats
2. Goat Housing
3. Nutrition & Basic Care
4. Breeding Goats
5. Common Goat Ailments
1. Acquiring Goats
2. Goat Housing
3. Nutrition & Basic Care
4. Breeding Goats
5. Common Goat Ailments
Acquiring Goats to Begin a Herd
As mentioned in the introduction, you should determine your goal for bringing goats to your homestead long before you begin the process to obtain them. Do you want them for meat? Do you want them to manage your land, controlling brush and weeds? Do you want to improve the breed with a strict breeding program, to advance the standards of the breed? Do you believe in biodiversity and want to help preserve an endangered/rare breed? Or do you want them simply for pets? If you are looking for breeding programs for meat, breed improvement and rare breed conservation, spend the time and effort to be sure you are buying foundation stock for your herd from a reputable breeder---someone who will take the time to help educate you on the breed, who is more concerned about the best placement of their goats than with making a dollar from them. A reputable breeder will be knowledgeable about his breed and will be very open to your questions; he should even have questions of his own for you, seeking a responsible home for his animals. A reputable breeder will provide his herd with proper care and will test his herd for diseases such as CL, CAE, and Johnes. If you're looking to begin a serious meat production endeavor with your goats, you will want to purchase from a farmer who has kept meat records of his herd and has proven successful in the meat market himself. If you're seeking to help with breed conservation and improvement, as we are at our farm, you will want to search for herds with quality old bloodlines that are breeding for the breed standard with a strict program. If the standard calls for a hardy goat that thrives on mostly forage in the diet, in our opinion, you don't want to buy from a breeder who is feeding mostly grain to his goats, because either the high foraging trait has been lost due to mismanagement, or is on it's way to being lost due to an over-dependence on the grain fed by the producer.
If your goal is to manage your land with goats or to have them just for pets, we do not advocate breeding for these purposes. We advise you to buy wethers (castrated males) from reputable breeders. Farmers who are truly breeding to improve their herds will cull heavily, meaning they will only leave intact those males who are exceptional for their breed and will not breed any females that fall short of the standard, either. At our farm, we wether bucklings that are not outstanding representatives of the breed. We would sell wethers to an approved pet home or for brush goat purposes. Any doelings born that would not meet our requirements will stay on our farm, but won't be part of our breeding program; not selling an inferior doe ensures a lesser quality goat will not enter the gene pool of the breed.
The very last place you should ever consider purchasing a goat is from the market or auction. You are opening your farm up to potentially serious diseases that might take years to remove from your soil, in addition to supporting the backyard breeders who are not paying attention to quality or improving the breed.
In short, decide on your goals for owning goats, then look for a reputable breeder, and take the time and money to invest in a quality herd---even if you don't intend to breed. Your efforts will reward you in the end with healthy, well-bred animals.
If your goal is to manage your land with goats or to have them just for pets, we do not advocate breeding for these purposes. We advise you to buy wethers (castrated males) from reputable breeders. Farmers who are truly breeding to improve their herds will cull heavily, meaning they will only leave intact those males who are exceptional for their breed and will not breed any females that fall short of the standard, either. At our farm, we wether bucklings that are not outstanding representatives of the breed. We would sell wethers to an approved pet home or for brush goat purposes. Any doelings born that would not meet our requirements will stay on our farm, but won't be part of our breeding program; not selling an inferior doe ensures a lesser quality goat will not enter the gene pool of the breed.
The very last place you should ever consider purchasing a goat is from the market or auction. You are opening your farm up to potentially serious diseases that might take years to remove from your soil, in addition to supporting the backyard breeders who are not paying attention to quality or improving the breed.
In short, decide on your goals for owning goats, then look for a reputable breeder, and take the time and money to invest in a quality herd---even if you don't intend to breed. Your efforts will reward you in the end with healthy, well-bred animals.
Goat Housing/Fencing
Our goats require simple housing. We find providing an open barn with around 2/3 of an acre paddock, where the goats can come and go as they please, makes happier and healthier goats. Keeping goats in crowded conditions invites parasites and injury. We put the goats out to graze during the spring, summer and fall, and return them to the paddock at night for added protection from predators. They winter in the paddock, which makes it easier for us to feed hay to them. We also have 12x12 kidding stalls which are very comfortable for the does and kids, giving them a clean, secure environment away from the rest of the herd until the kids are old enough to join the adults.
Their myotonia means Fainters cannot climb or jump as well as other goats. Their muscles tend to lock up when the raise up to climb or try to jump, and this means fencing requirements are not the same for them as other breeds. We can pasture ours with two strands of temporary electrical rope, with the bottom strand about mid calf and the top strand at knee high. If we have young kids, we'll add a third strand of rope about 4 inches below the typical bottom rope (a little above ankle high), because kids can slip under the rope placed at mid calf height.
Their myotonia means Fainters cannot climb or jump as well as other goats. Their muscles tend to lock up when the raise up to climb or try to jump, and this means fencing requirements are not the same for them as other breeds. We can pasture ours with two strands of temporary electrical rope, with the bottom strand about mid calf and the top strand at knee high. If we have young kids, we'll add a third strand of rope about 4 inches below the typical bottom rope (a little above ankle high), because kids can slip under the rope placed at mid calf height.
Nutrition and Basic Care
Feeding
Our Fainting Goats require very little grain to thrive. We only feed about a half cup of textured goat sweet feed daily to each doe in the winter; in the remaining seasons, grain is basically offered by hand on occasion, as a treat. Any more than that, and they quickly become overweight. We do provide them with access to all the forage they want in season, and hay in the winter. Pregnant and lactating does may receive a little more grain, varying with each individual's needs. Growing kids receive around a half cup daily from about 8 weeks until 12 months, with a bit more during the winter. Other breeds may not flourish under these conditions; please do your research on any breed you're considering. No matter the breed, though, take care to make changes or additions in feed very slowly. Quick dietary changes can be deadly.
Care must also be taken if you choose to give grain to bucks or wethers. We don't offer grain to our males after they are a year old, and what little we offer the growing bucklings contains ammonium chloride to protect against urinary calculi (UC), a painful and deadly condition affecting bucks and wethers. A proper calcium to phosphorus ratio in feed, hay, and minerals is critical in preventing UC; the ratio should be 2 to 1. A too-high phosphorus level is the main culprit in causing UC. We also grow and feed as treats a variety of vegetables and herbs. Our Fainters love pumpkins, comfrey, sunflower seeds, nasturtium, and peppers, to name a few. Some plants should not be fed to goats, however; please visit this website for a list of plants to avoid: Cornell University Poisonous Plant list.
Don't overlook the importance of fresh, clean water provided daily. Again, goats have a strong reluctance to ingest anything that is unclean. They are savvy in knowing what to take into their bodies. We place our containers on top of some stacked pallets to keep the waterfowl out of the goats' drinking water; otherwise, the birds will quickly make a mess of the water troughs and the goats will avoid the water. We also use a smaller sized trough which forces us to completely change the water every 1-2 days and keep things fresh and clean.
Care must also be taken if you choose to give grain to bucks or wethers. We don't offer grain to our males after they are a year old, and what little we offer the growing bucklings contains ammonium chloride to protect against urinary calculi (UC), a painful and deadly condition affecting bucks and wethers. A proper calcium to phosphorus ratio in feed, hay, and minerals is critical in preventing UC; the ratio should be 2 to 1. A too-high phosphorus level is the main culprit in causing UC. We also grow and feed as treats a variety of vegetables and herbs. Our Fainters love pumpkins, comfrey, sunflower seeds, nasturtium, and peppers, to name a few. Some plants should not be fed to goats, however; please visit this website for a list of plants to avoid: Cornell University Poisonous Plant list.
Don't overlook the importance of fresh, clean water provided daily. Again, goats have a strong reluctance to ingest anything that is unclean. They are savvy in knowing what to take into their bodies. We place our containers on top of some stacked pallets to keep the waterfowl out of the goats' drinking water; otherwise, the birds will quickly make a mess of the water troughs and the goats will avoid the water. We also use a smaller sized trough which forces us to completely change the water every 1-2 days and keep things fresh and clean.
Parasite Control
We believe in a proactive approach to parasite control as much as possible. We have ducks which do a fantastic job of eradicating liver flukes and snails. We also avoid grazing the goats when conditions are wet, either from dew or rain. Wet browse is a superb haven for the snails which carry meningeal deerworm. We wait until the sun dries the grazing areas before allowing our goats there and rotate the goats in the grazing areas. Short browse will force goats to eat too closely to the ground where parasites can easily be ingested.
Because of the resistance worms have developed to dewormers, we do not deworm unless absolutely necessary. We use a 6 Point Checklist to determine which goats to treat:
1. eye check for anemia (blood feeding worms/coccidia)
2. back check for body condition score (all worms/coccidia)
3. tail check for soiling (scour worms, coccidia)
4. jaw check for edema (blood feeding worms)
5. coat check for condition (all worms, coccidia)
6. respiratory check for cough (lungworm)
*illustrations below are copyrighted and used with permission
1. Eye Check
We use the FAMACHA method of determining which goats are anemic and need de-worming. We check each goat monthly (bi-monthly in the summer and early fall). Pale eyelids (3-5) indicate a worm overload and warrant treatment. If you're experiencing a lot of issues with parasites, you should run fecals to determine what you're dealing with and if your treatment is effective.
1. eye check for anemia (blood feeding worms/coccidia)
2. back check for body condition score (all worms/coccidia)
3. tail check for soiling (scour worms, coccidia)
4. jaw check for edema (blood feeding worms)
5. coat check for condition (all worms, coccidia)
6. respiratory check for cough (lungworm)
*illustrations below are copyrighted and used with permission
1. Eye Check
We use the FAMACHA method of determining which goats are anemic and need de-worming. We check each goat monthly (bi-monthly in the summer and early fall). Pale eyelids (3-5) indicate a worm overload and warrant treatment. If you're experiencing a lot of issues with parasites, you should run fecals to determine what you're dealing with and if your treatment is effective.
2. Back Check
We also use the 0-4 body condition score system to determine which goats need to be dewormed. We do the formal back check monthly, but daily observe weight in the herd. If a goat's condition drops towards 2, it's time to consider deworming; including scores from the other check points would determine if de-worming is necessary, or if the producer is dealing another ailment of concern.
We also use the 0-4 body condition score system to determine which goats need to be dewormed. We do the formal back check monthly, but daily observe weight in the herd. If a goat's condition drops towards 2, it's time to consider deworming; including scores from the other check points would determine if de-worming is necessary, or if the producer is dealing another ailment of concern.
3. Tail Check
Pictured above is the dag diagram typically referred to in the sheep industry. Stained coats at the tail indicate diarrhea. Diarrhea in goats has a plethora of causes. We would actually just keep a very close eye on a goat showing a score of 2, as long as the diarrhea was acute, short-lived and not chronic; any progression would warrant de-worming (if the goat was showing other poor scores on our checklist) or another medical treatment, especially if accompanied with other symptoms.
4. Jaw Check
A goat overloded with blood feeding parasites (Barberpole worms, liver flukes) may begin to develop edema in the jaw area. This is commonly called Bottle Jaw. The swelling is more prevalent in the evening and can go down each morning and reappear after grazing all day. A goat with Bottle Jaw would definitely warrant de-worming, as this is a result of severe anemia. The FAMACHA check done routinely would usually indicate a problem long before a goat would develop Bottle Jaw.
A goat overloded with blood feeding parasites (Barberpole worms, liver flukes) may begin to develop edema in the jaw area. This is commonly called Bottle Jaw. The swelling is more prevalent in the evening and can go down each morning and reappear after grazing all day. A goat with Bottle Jaw would definitely warrant de-worming, as this is a result of severe anemia. The FAMACHA check done routinely would usually indicate a problem long before a goat would develop Bottle Jaw.
5. Coat Check
We observe and handle our goats daily, so it's easy for us to assess the condition of each goat's coat. Optimal condition is a shiny, full coat. Generally, the duller and rougher looking the coat is, the less healthy the animal is, and this could be due to a worm overload. Again, we would look at the other checklist scores to determine if we needed to de-worm.
We observe and handle our goats daily, so it's easy for us to assess the condition of each goat's coat. Optimal condition is a shiny, full coat. Generally, the duller and rougher looking the coat is, the less healthy the animal is, and this could be due to a worm overload. Again, we would look at the other checklist scores to determine if we needed to de-worm.
6. Respiratory Check
A cough that is chronic indicates lungworms in the goat. This is a condition for which we would administer a dewormer.
We use Cydectin pour-on administered orally. Cydectin takes care of stomach worms and lung worms. We used to use Ivomec Plus 1% injectible given orally; however, the worms in our area have become resistant to the Ivomec. Does that have kidded are wormed within 24 hours of the kidding, regardless of condition. This is due to the high level of stress kidding exposes the goat to, which can and usually does result in worm overload.
We also use Dimethox 12% to control coccidia in our goats. We were using Corid, but found the parasite had become resistant. We manage the kids so that they are not in contact with the rest of the herd for the first several weeks of life. We administer the Dimethox for 3 day intervals once a month for the first three months. After that, we would dose the kids again only if we were having a particularly warm, wet season or if they were showing obvious signs of infestation. Signs of coccidiosis can include unthriftiness, lack of growth/weight gain, diarrhea (greenish cast), and poor coat condition. It can kill a kid quickly, sometimes with little warning.
We use Diatomaceous Earth, or DE, (make certain to use only food grade from a feed store) to dust the goats beginning in late fall to prevent lice infestations. Winter is particularly conducive to lice issues because the eggs hatch better in colder weather; higher temperature will prevent the louse egg from developing. We typically apply the DE once a month for prevention. There are two kinds of lice that plague goats: biting and sucking. Biting lice prefer to live at the base of the tail, between the legs, on the shoulders, head, neck and along the back, but can appear anywhere on the goat in a heavy infestation. Sucking lice feed almost constantly and leave tell-tale signs of oozing blood that clots on the goat's skin; these lice are usually found on the legs. DE doesn't kill eggs, so if your goats have a bad infestation, reapplying the DE every 10-14 days for a couple of months is necessary to keep the nymphs from reaching the adult stage. We also dust the bedding.
We also use Dimethox 12% to control coccidia in our goats. We were using Corid, but found the parasite had become resistant. We manage the kids so that they are not in contact with the rest of the herd for the first several weeks of life. We administer the Dimethox for 3 day intervals once a month for the first three months. After that, we would dose the kids again only if we were having a particularly warm, wet season or if they were showing obvious signs of infestation. Signs of coccidiosis can include unthriftiness, lack of growth/weight gain, diarrhea (greenish cast), and poor coat condition. It can kill a kid quickly, sometimes with little warning.
We use Diatomaceous Earth, or DE, (make certain to use only food grade from a feed store) to dust the goats beginning in late fall to prevent lice infestations. Winter is particularly conducive to lice issues because the eggs hatch better in colder weather; higher temperature will prevent the louse egg from developing. We typically apply the DE once a month for prevention. There are two kinds of lice that plague goats: biting and sucking. Biting lice prefer to live at the base of the tail, between the legs, on the shoulders, head, neck and along the back, but can appear anywhere on the goat in a heavy infestation. Sucking lice feed almost constantly and leave tell-tale signs of oozing blood that clots on the goat's skin; these lice are usually found on the legs. DE doesn't kill eggs, so if your goats have a bad infestation, reapplying the DE every 10-14 days for a couple of months is necessary to keep the nymphs from reaching the adult stage. We also dust the bedding.
Vaccinations
We vaccinate our goats with CD&T toxoid every spring. Kids receive a vaccination at 3 weeks of age, and a booster at 6 weeks. Every spring and fall, we also give 1cc of BoSe (selenium supplement) injections, since we are deficient in our area. We give additional BoSe to pregnant does ( see goat breeding section of this guide).
Minerals/Supplements
A good loose goat mineral supplement is a must. Blocks are difficult for goats to obtain correct amounts, so we use loose mineral free choice. Always be sure to provide a mineral with high copper content---we use Ultralyx 16:8 formulated specifically for goats; but keep in mind sheep and cattle should not receive this goat mineral due to the copper level (sheep) and the selenium level (cattle). The mineral should be kept clean. Goats refuse to eat anything that has contaminants (such as droppings) in it, and understandably so. Make sure the mineral you use has a calcium-phosphorus level of 2 to 1, or you could be inviting urinary calculi to overtake your bucks and wethers. We also provide baking soda free choice. It helps keep the digestive system in order.
We do not copper bolus our goats. There's some controversy concerning bolusing; some argue it's vital, others say it's easy to overdose, and copper toxicity can kill. Proper copper levels are necessary for the health of the goat; it helps the goat fight against parasite overload. We feel the Ultralyx mineral is working well for us. Our goats have healthy coats in good condition and do not display the tell-tale sign of deficiency, the fishtail (goat's tail will be flat and split, resembling the shape of a fish tail) the balding around eyes and ears, or the reddish tint to the black coats. Unless their conditions change, we have no plans to include copper bolusing in our herd's health care regimen.
We do not copper bolus our goats. There's some controversy concerning bolusing; some argue it's vital, others say it's easy to overdose, and copper toxicity can kill. Proper copper levels are necessary for the health of the goat; it helps the goat fight against parasite overload. We feel the Ultralyx mineral is working well for us. Our goats have healthy coats in good condition and do not display the tell-tale sign of deficiency, the fishtail (goat's tail will be flat and split, resembling the shape of a fish tail) the balding around eyes and ears, or the reddish tint to the black coats. Unless their conditions change, we have no plans to include copper bolusing in our herd's health care regimen.
Hoof Care/Grooming
Goats need their hooves trimmed periodically. We find they vary in frequency as to when they need a trim; some go longer between trims than others. You should check hooves every 1-2 months. You'll need a good pair of shears, and a horse hoof pick works well to clean the hooves prior to clipping. The goal is trim so that the heel and the toe are at the same level. Look for the growth rings on the hoof; these are the correct angle for the hoof to end up. The toe grows much faster than the heel and because of this, people tend to trim at an improper angle, thrown off by the excess toe growth. Following the growth rings on the hooves will help you keep the angle correct. Start trimming slices off the hard side wall of the hoof and the soft, white center to level the hoof out. Trim until you see the white start to turn to pink. Then just trim the heel down to the same growth ring the toe is on; you want the heel and toe at the same level. Also trim any little flaps that might be protruding from the slit in the hoof, between the two nails. If you nick the hoof or cut too deeply and the goat bleeds, stop trimming for the day and apply iodine to the hoof before releasing the goat. If the hooves are terribly overgrown, it's best to trim in small increments over several days, or once weekly until you get the hooves into shape. Some groomers also finish the hoof by rasping the bottom.
Training your goat to allow brushing is also a good idea, even if you aren't planning to show. A good regular brushing keeps the coat clean, gives you time to put your hands on the animal for evaluating condition/health/etc., and makes the goat more tolerable of handling. It also removes dandruff and increases blood flow. At a minimum, brushing out goats in the spring helps them during their annual shedding. We also have woven wire fencing in our paddock which our goats love to rub against to rid themselves of excess fur. We use a metal curry comb for spring brushing and just a stiff brush when we do regular groomings.
Training your goat to allow brushing is also a good idea, even if you aren't planning to show. A good regular brushing keeps the coat clean, gives you time to put your hands on the animal for evaluating condition/health/etc., and makes the goat more tolerable of handling. It also removes dandruff and increases blood flow. At a minimum, brushing out goats in the spring helps them during their annual shedding. We also have woven wire fencing in our paddock which our goats love to rub against to rid themselves of excess fur. We use a metal curry comb for spring brushing and just a stiff brush when we do regular groomings.
Breeding Goats
We only breed the best representatives we have of the traditional Fainting Goat. We have been breeding for spring kids; however, we decided to try switching to fall kiddings for 2014. Our reasoning is that our weather patterns seem to be changing and also it seems that dewormers and sulfa drugs are becoming less effective; by switching to fall kiddings, we are hoping to avoid the extreme temperatures that have been fluctuating (increasing the threat of pneumonia in kids) and the warm, wet rainy seasons that coccidia thrives in. The does will also be able to receive green browse during the bulk of their pregnancies rather than hay. Fainting Goats are aseasonal breeders, which means they can be bred at any time in the year, rather than seasonal breeders which are bred during the fall rut.
We place our bucks and does in breeding pens, a pair or trio at a time. Many people pasture breed their goats. We like to pen ours because we have a better idea if the breedings were successful and we feel the buck may not service all the does we want him to when placed in a pasture situation. Also, we like to stagger our kiddings so that all does are not delivering at the same time. Pen breeding allows us to control which does are breed first, second, etc.
After 5 months, the does are ready to kid. We allow our does to raise their kids naturally. Good mothering ability is a trait we do not compromise on our farm in any of our species. On occasion, a kid will need to be pulled and bottle raised due to an unusual circumstance, but this is a rare exception rather than a typical practice here. Fainters are well known for producing multiples and raising them without their handler's interference. We do not camp out in the kidding stalls. We make sure we have the doe healthy, at a prime weight, and up to date on vaccines and BoSe, and provide a clean, optimal kidding environment that is safe; the does do an outstanding job on their own. We do check them periodically (a couple of times if during the night, or every few hours if during the day) just to make sure things are going well. We've never encountered any problems during the kidding process.
We place our bucks and does in breeding pens, a pair or trio at a time. Many people pasture breed their goats. We like to pen ours because we have a better idea if the breedings were successful and we feel the buck may not service all the does we want him to when placed in a pasture situation. Also, we like to stagger our kiddings so that all does are not delivering at the same time. Pen breeding allows us to control which does are breed first, second, etc.
After 5 months, the does are ready to kid. We allow our does to raise their kids naturally. Good mothering ability is a trait we do not compromise on our farm in any of our species. On occasion, a kid will need to be pulled and bottle raised due to an unusual circumstance, but this is a rare exception rather than a typical practice here. Fainters are well known for producing multiples and raising them without their handler's interference. We do not camp out in the kidding stalls. We make sure we have the doe healthy, at a prime weight, and up to date on vaccines and BoSe, and provide a clean, optimal kidding environment that is safe; the does do an outstanding job on their own. We do check them periodically (a couple of times if during the night, or every few hours if during the day) just to make sure things are going well. We've never encountered any problems during the kidding process.
Buck Care
The bucks are half your herd. They need quality care the same as the does.
We do not give grain to our breeding bucks with the exception of a handful for an occasional treat. They do get various vegetables as treats, as well. We maintain them on forage/browse in season and hay during the winter. They are given opportunity for exercise as they browse. They receive fresh water and free choice minerals, along with a limited amount of baking soda (you must be mindful of the calcium in the baking soda).
We make sure the bucks are up to date on vaccines and BoSe before placing them with does.
We do not give grain to our breeding bucks with the exception of a handful for an occasional treat. They do get various vegetables as treats, as well. We maintain them on forage/browse in season and hay during the winter. They are given opportunity for exercise as they browse. They receive fresh water and free choice minerals, along with a limited amount of baking soda (you must be mindful of the calcium in the baking soda).
We make sure the bucks are up to date on vaccines and BoSe before placing them with does.
Doe Care
Good doe care begins long before your place her with the buck for breeding. A doe that is not at prime weight and condition will have trouble ovulating and conceiving. A diet high in roughage is best. You must also provide proper nutrition for your pregnant does to avoid complications such as toxemia and ketosis, and you must ensure she maintains proper weight for the health of the kid to avoid kidding issues associated with overweight does. We find a 15% protein level in grain is sufficient during the critical last two months of pregnancy. Other breeds may require a higher level for optimal health. We do slightly increase their grain amounts from normal rations during this time. The amount varies with the individuals. We also offer a high quality hay. A loose trace-mineral and constant supply of fresh, clean water is also vital.
We give BoSe in the fall and spring, coinciding with breeding and kidding schedules. An injection of BoSe is helpful during the time of exposure to the buck. We give BoSe at 5 weeks and again at 3 weeks prior to kidding, and we vaccinate with CD&T at 4 weeks prior to kidding. We also worm our does within 24 hours after kidding (this is crucial) and we give her Probios.
A pregnant doe should be given opportunities for adequate exercise through foraging/grazing. She should maintain as normal an activity level as possible.
A doe has a gestation period of approximately 149 days (or about 5 months). Some does will go as long as 155 or as early as 145, but most are 149-150 days. You can find a downloadable gestation calendar here: Goat Gestation Calculator.
We can usually tell when a doe is close to kidding. Signs to observe are isolating themselves from others, strutting udder (full and shiny) that may stream milk, and sunken pelvic area on either side of the tail. The doe will also start to drip as she begins to lose the seal from the uterus. Kidding is imminent when the drip thickens to a stream and becomes steady; if a streaming doe doesn't kid within 4-5 hours, it's cause for alarm---something might be wrong. Shortly before kidding, the doe also begins to 'talk' softly to her unborn kids. You may also observe contractions in the doe and her breathing may become a little labored; she will also paw at the ground.
When the kids first begin to present, you should see two hooves followed by either a nose or tail. Either position is normal, but you need to see two hooves together. If you see the tail end only, or just one leg, there's a problem and you'll need to intervene. Fias Co Farm has a very good illustration of normal kidding positions and irregular positions, as well as advice on how to intervene. Does who consistently experience problems during pregnancy or with kidding would be removed from our breeding program. Fainters are expected to have ease of kidding without human intervention, and since we feel mothering ability is very much genetic, we would discontinue breeding a doe that is a difficult producer, and would decline to breed or offer for sale as breeding animals any sons or daughters she had produced.
After kidding, the doe should shed the afterbirth, which may be alarming to those new to raising goats. It is essentially a mucus-like mass or blob that resembles bloody tissue. Some people remove the afterbirth; we give the doe a chance to ingest it, as it is natural and supposedly helps to stimulate milk production. If the doe hasn't consumed it within a few hours, we do remove it from the kidding area. Does who do not shed the afterbirth within 5 hours will need a dose of oxytocin, which is a prescription from the vet. Sometimes a doe will shed one afterbirth per kid, so if there are twins or triplets, there could be 2-3 afterbirths.
The doe should be interested in her new kid/s, talking softly to them, cleaning them, and encouraging them to stand and find milk. Sometimes the doe encourages the kid by pawing at it; don't be alarmed and try not to interfere. This is normal behavior. If a doe is rejecting the kid, she will simply ignore it or butt it away when it approaches her; this is an indication the breeder needs to intervene and remove the kid. Otherwise, it's best to leave them alone once you're confident all is well.
About a week after kidding, the doe may start to bleed or pass mucus; this is normal, and can last a couple of weeks.
We give BoSe in the fall and spring, coinciding with breeding and kidding schedules. An injection of BoSe is helpful during the time of exposure to the buck. We give BoSe at 5 weeks and again at 3 weeks prior to kidding, and we vaccinate with CD&T at 4 weeks prior to kidding. We also worm our does within 24 hours after kidding (this is crucial) and we give her Probios.
A pregnant doe should be given opportunities for adequate exercise through foraging/grazing. She should maintain as normal an activity level as possible.
A doe has a gestation period of approximately 149 days (or about 5 months). Some does will go as long as 155 or as early as 145, but most are 149-150 days. You can find a downloadable gestation calendar here: Goat Gestation Calculator.
We can usually tell when a doe is close to kidding. Signs to observe are isolating themselves from others, strutting udder (full and shiny) that may stream milk, and sunken pelvic area on either side of the tail. The doe will also start to drip as she begins to lose the seal from the uterus. Kidding is imminent when the drip thickens to a stream and becomes steady; if a streaming doe doesn't kid within 4-5 hours, it's cause for alarm---something might be wrong. Shortly before kidding, the doe also begins to 'talk' softly to her unborn kids. You may also observe contractions in the doe and her breathing may become a little labored; she will also paw at the ground.
When the kids first begin to present, you should see two hooves followed by either a nose or tail. Either position is normal, but you need to see two hooves together. If you see the tail end only, or just one leg, there's a problem and you'll need to intervene. Fias Co Farm has a very good illustration of normal kidding positions and irregular positions, as well as advice on how to intervene. Does who consistently experience problems during pregnancy or with kidding would be removed from our breeding program. Fainters are expected to have ease of kidding without human intervention, and since we feel mothering ability is very much genetic, we would discontinue breeding a doe that is a difficult producer, and would decline to breed or offer for sale as breeding animals any sons or daughters she had produced.
After kidding, the doe should shed the afterbirth, which may be alarming to those new to raising goats. It is essentially a mucus-like mass or blob that resembles bloody tissue. Some people remove the afterbirth; we give the doe a chance to ingest it, as it is natural and supposedly helps to stimulate milk production. If the doe hasn't consumed it within a few hours, we do remove it from the kidding area. Does who do not shed the afterbirth within 5 hours will need a dose of oxytocin, which is a prescription from the vet. Sometimes a doe will shed one afterbirth per kid, so if there are twins or triplets, there could be 2-3 afterbirths.
The doe should be interested in her new kid/s, talking softly to them, cleaning them, and encouraging them to stand and find milk. Sometimes the doe encourages the kid by pawing at it; don't be alarmed and try not to interfere. This is normal behavior. If a doe is rejecting the kid, she will simply ignore it or butt it away when it approaches her; this is an indication the breeder needs to intervene and remove the kid. Otherwise, it's best to leave them alone once you're confident all is well.
About a week after kidding, the doe may start to bleed or pass mucus; this is normal, and can last a couple of weeks.
Kid Care
The kidding stall MUST be clean, safe and comfortable. Safe would mean there's no place for a kid's head to be caught, no jagged edges/nails protruding, and no water buckets for a kid to drown in---we use disposable shallow dishpans to water the does until the kids are old enough to be trusted around deeper waterers. Safe would also mean a sturdy pen that cannot be breached by predators. We use 12 x 12 kidding stalls with solid (wooden) walls. We feel the privacy this affords a doe and her kids helps reduce stress and increases the bonding experience. Something else we do is place additional empty shallow pans per number of kids, as they will instinctively curl up in them to sleep; this reduces the chance of a doe accidentally lying on a kid, since she would find the pan uncomfortable and would avoid lying on it. Just be careful the pan isn't deep enough that it would cover and trap a kid if it were turned over.
A kid should begin trying to stand within the first hour, and should try to nurse within 2 hours of the birth. If a kid cannot stand or nurse, you will likely have to bottle feed. See the section outlining bottle feeding below.
It's a good practice to put 7% iodine in a cup and hold it under the umbilical cord for a brief soak. If the cord is very long, you can tie it with dental floss about 2 inches from the body and snip off the excess cord below the floss. It's OK for the doe to lick the iodine while cleaning the kid.
Newborn kids may have a bowel movement or urinate before attempting to eat; the first manure will look like black tar.
If you must pull a kid from its dam to bottle feed, it's best to milk the doe if possible; if not, you need colostrum replacer. After the kid receives the colostrum, you can begin bottle feeding. We've used both the standard homemade milk replacement formula and the commercially prepared goat milk replacer and found the kids do equally well with either. For homemade replacer:
If you are bottle feeding, one option is to keep the kid/s in your house. Some breeders use totes or dog carriers to keep the kids in, but our friends at Roselane Farm have learned how to diaper their goat kids to enable them to roam (supervised, of course) throughout the house without the mess they would normally leave behind. Pictured are their proven successful instructions for diapering a bottle baby.
A kid should begin trying to stand within the first hour, and should try to nurse within 2 hours of the birth. If a kid cannot stand or nurse, you will likely have to bottle feed. See the section outlining bottle feeding below.
It's a good practice to put 7% iodine in a cup and hold it under the umbilical cord for a brief soak. If the cord is very long, you can tie it with dental floss about 2 inches from the body and snip off the excess cord below the floss. It's OK for the doe to lick the iodine while cleaning the kid.
Newborn kids may have a bowel movement or urinate before attempting to eat; the first manure will look like black tar.
If you must pull a kid from its dam to bottle feed, it's best to milk the doe if possible; if not, you need colostrum replacer. After the kid receives the colostrum, you can begin bottle feeding. We've used both the standard homemade milk replacement formula and the commercially prepared goat milk replacer and found the kids do equally well with either. For homemade replacer:
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1 cup whole buttermilk (not lowfat)
- 12 oz. can evaporated milk.
If you are bottle feeding, one option is to keep the kid/s in your house. Some breeders use totes or dog carriers to keep the kids in, but our friends at Roselane Farm have learned how to diaper their goat kids to enable them to roam (supervised, of course) throughout the house without the mess they would normally leave behind. Pictured are their proven successful instructions for diapering a bottle baby.
We give Probios to all kids at 4 days old. This helps stimulate the rumen after the kid has received and processed the colostrum and first milk. The colostrum and first milk will cause the kid to have rather gooey, amber colored manure. The does are usually excellent at keeping their kids clean; however, some are fussier than others, and sometimes we apply cooking spray to the kids' rumps to keep the manure from sticking to them if the does aren't meticulous.
We vaccinate with CD&T at 3 weeks old, and give a booster at 6 weeks old (crucial). We deworm kids orally with Cydectin at 4 weeks of age, and again at 8 weeks and 12 weeks. We give Dimethox 12% orally beginning at 5 weeks for three consecutive days, then redose at 2 and 3 months of age. We discontinue after 3 months unless we see signs of coccidiosis or if we have unusually wet, warm weather.
At 8 weeks, we begin checking for the need to trim hooves. 8 weeks is also prime time for tattooing.
We give Probios again during weaning times. The key to successful weaning is to reduce the amount of stressors as much as possible. We usually allow the dams to wean their doelings naturally if we are retaining them. Retained bucklings are weaned around 12-15 weeks. Sold kids are not weaned until at least 10 weeks old, but we prefer to wait a bit longer if possible. When we wean bucklings, we pen the kids separately but allow their dams to have contact with them through a fence. This helps relieve stress in both kids and dams. Having a buddy to snuggle and bond with in the pen will help when the young bucklings are introduced to the older buck herd. If a doe has multiples, we like to wean the largest kid first, followed by the next in size, and so on, to help the doe's milk gradually dry up. Meat does on pasture/forage/browse, without any dairy influence, usually have little to no problems and dry up quickly, but it's always a good idea to do any changes with goats gradually if possible.
We do not wether bucklings at an early age, so we do not band our goats. Wethering early makes a goat more prone to developing urinary calculi. We wait until the buck has matured some, then we have our vet castrate them. We currently are researching the burdizzo tool, and perhaps will employ this method of castration in the near future.
We do not disbud/dehorn our goats. We understand the arguments for disbudding, but we prefer horned goats remain so. Horns are used to regulate body temperature as they act as 'radiators' and are also a natural defense for the goat. We do have some polled does in our herd, and can offer polled animals for 4-H or youth.
Common Goat Ailments
Contrary to folk lore, goats are not free of ailments, and can be, in fact, rather delicate depending on breed and management. We do a quick daily assessment of our herd, looking for signs of health and signs of illness as outlined below. Fainting Goats are typically very hardy and healthy; as a consequence, we have thankfully not had to deal with many issues in our herd. But we are still diligent in knowing the state of our goats, since most ailments require immediate intervention for treatments to be successful.
Signs of a Healthy Goat
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Signs of a Sick Goat
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Here is an excellent resource from Penn Veterinary Medicine for a physical exam of a goat to assess basic health: Small Ruminant Physical Exam
Our vet is not well versed in goat illnesses, as he will openly admit. It's hard to find a savvy goat vet because the veterinary schools neglect to teach goat medicine. Most goat breeders, therefore, must research and educate themselves on the common ailments that can afflict caprines. We've assembled a modest list that we keep on hand in case of emergencies or sick goats. Because we're proactive, we believe prevention is the best cure for almost all afflictions, so we've also included our preventative measures. We have not included treatments, because we are not veterinarians; however, we would be happy to discuss the treatments we use or have knowledge of, for your consideration, and you are welcome to contact us about it.
Goat First Aid Kit
Below is a handy list of items that belong in a well-stocked first aid kit for goats.
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