The process of delivering baby goats is similar to taking care of a real kid. It is important to know the different signs of labor, how to handle the delivery of goats, and the important aftercare steps.
If you would like to deliver a baby goat, it is essential to understand the step-by-step process of pregnancy and prepare to be successful.
Taking Care of a Pregnant Goat
Taking care of a pregnant goat requires keeping the goat away from wind, rain, sun, and heat. It is essential to make sure the goat is at a healthy weight and she is getting the right amount of nutrition needed. If the goat is too big, the pregnancy will be more difficult. A pregnant goat should get a high quality of hay or alfalfa.
Make sure the goat is healthy and up to date with vaccinations. This will help protect the baby goats from tetanus and other diseases. It is also essential to add vitamin E to the pregnant goat’s diet each day. Have an ultrasound completed 40 days before delivery, and get the goat a blood test. Have the goat stay up to date with grooming, and make sure she is no longer producing milk six weeks before breeding.
To have a clean and successful birth, trim the hooves and the goat’s stomach. This will also make it easier to nurse. It is also necessary to examine the goat’s body and determine when she will be going into labor. Pay close attention to signs of labor, and have a clean kidding stall ready to go.
Signs of labor
Typically, goats are pregnant for 150 days or five months. There are a few behaviors that typically occur before labor. One sign of a goat going into labor is stretching of the neck and back. Before labor, the goat may constantly move her bedding around and be uncomfortable. When she tries to lay down, it will be very likely for her to get back up and move around again.
Another sign of labor is ligaments becoming very soft in the tail. These ligaments will continue to soften and it is essential to check this daily. To check this, place your hands along the spine and run your hand down. They will slowly soften more each day. Another sign of labor is the goat forming an udder. The udders will slowly get darker and harder and will fill more as the due date gets closer.
It is common for a goat to grow in circumference and paw around. Pay attention to her stomach as the babies drop closer to the date. While she walks, she may waddle from side to side. Lastly, a goat will have a personality change and will not jump around while she is pregnant. It is important to check these signs each day to figure out how close the goat is to giving labor.
Preparing for Labor
When preparing for labor, it is crucial to assemble a kidding kit. You may not use all of the supplies, but it is better to be prepared. First, make sure you have the cell phone number of your local vet.
Here are a few things you will need in your kidding kit:
- antibacterial soap
- supply of towels
- puppy pads
- heat lamp
- dental floss and scissors
- gloves
- kid puller
It is essential to get some puppy pads for the birth of the doe and keep a heat lamp on sight in case the doe gets cold at night. Grab some dental floss and scissors for tying the umbilical cord and have food on sight. A pair of throw-away gloves are essential for assisting with the labor. Lastly, a kid puller is helpful to have for the delivery of the kid. Before labor, make sure the kidding stall is clean and reading to go. One way to do this is to use bleach water to disinfect the stall and put clean straw for bedding. Having all these items will make it easier to be prepared and have the delivery be successful.
Assisting With the Birth
When it comes to the delivery process, there are a few birth positions. In an ideal birth, the legs and the nose will come out first. Goats are very capable and do not need a lot of help. Make sure the head of the kid is not tilted back too far. Also, check and make sure there are not two kids coming out at the same time. This can be dangerous to the mother and the newborns. If you do not think the birth is going well, you may have to assist. If the birth is taking over 45 minutes for the kid to come out, step in and pull the kid out.
Before assisting, make sure you have put a pair of gloves on and make sure you have clean hands. Assistance may not be necessary, but you may want to help the mom by putting pressure downward on her legs. Pull the kid only when the mom is pushing at a downward angle. In addition, make sure you have paper towels and a puppy pad ready to go. Look closely for a foot and start to pull. Once you are done, make sure there are no kids left to deliver. It is most common for a mom to have one to three kids.
Delivery of the Goats
When a goat is ready to have their baby, make sure they are put in a clean stall. Be prepared and have their birthing kit on hand. Some goats will choose to stand, while others will lay down. Be gentle with the goat, and make sure their head is not too far back so it does not strain. After the baby has been delivered, the placenta falls about 30 minutes later. Make sure to lay a tarp out to catch it.
Many moms have no idea what is going on, so put their kid in front of them to bond. The mom should start to clean her kid off. It is important that she is licking them, standing near her kids when she nurses, and watching over her baby goats. If there are multiple kids, she may have a hard time taking care of all of them at once. If she doesn’t stand still, hold her and teach her.
Nursing goats
After a kid has been delivered, they will get fed from their mom. The milk from their mom is full of colostrum and they need to be fed within the first hour of being born. Colostrum is good for getting newborns to a healthy start. It has nutrients and is great for the immune system. If a newborn is lost or confused, guide them to their mom. Squeeze the mom’s teets so they know where to get their food from.
If the kid will not nurse, bottle feeding them will be necessary. Some kids do not have enough energy to nurse after they are born. To bottle-feed, strain the milk and place it into bottles. Feed the newborns small amounts of milk, five times a day. You can slowly introduce small amounts of grain after a few weeks, and decrease the amount of milk after a month. After three weeks, the kids can start eating higher amounts of hay.
Taking Care of Baby Goats
Once a baby goat is born, the next step is to dry them off. Hold the goat upside down and wipe the nose with paper towels. Treat the goat like a baby and wipe the amniotic fluids off. It is essential to clean the nose and the mouth so they can breathe. After cleaning the kid off, rock the kid to get all of the fluid out of the lungs. The most important thing is to make sure they are breathing.
Have iodine ready and tie the umbilical cord ¾ inches away from the belly. Putting iodine on the cord helps to prevent any bacterial infection. This can be done using floss. Make sure the kids are eating, peeing, and pooping. Make sure you have a warm shelter and a healthy environment for the goats. When they are clean, it is less likely that the goats will get an infection.
They mustn’t be exposed to any animals they could catch a disease from. Animals could also attack the kids and make their living environment more stressful. But animals aren’t the only issue, kids can lose body energy when they are exposed to cold environments, causing them to die. The kids need to be healthy to keep growing and survive. To keep a kid safe, the owner should keep records of their breeding.
Aftercare of Mom
After the mom has given birth, rest is essential. The mom’s body needs strength. Give the mom warm molasses water. The sugar in the water gives the mom energy and the water is good for hydration. Take the mom’s temperature the next day after birth and make sure it is around 102 degrees. Grain and electrolytes are important to get the right amount of nutrition she needs. Make sure to not overfeed the mother so she can focus on her kids.