So your doe has had babies and as of right now they are spending all of there time together. But it can’t be like that forever, so how do you know when to start weaning the baby.
Goats should be at least six weeks old before you start weaning them. After six weeks are up, you can check to see if they are eating hay. If they aren’t they need more time before weaning.
If it seems the kid is ready then you can start the weaning process. However, its important that it’s done correctly.
How To Know If Its Time To Wean
There are a couple of different ways to tell if the kid is ready to be weaned.
The first is by what they’re eating. Up until six weeks they should really only be nursing. At the six week mark you can put some fresh hay and water in the pen and just watch how they react to it. If they seem to be showing some interest in the hay then you can start the weaning process.
The second is by weight. This method will require that you weighed them after birth. After six weeks have passed, then you can weigh them again and if they have doubled in their weight then they are ready to be weaned.
During the weaning process, there will be some stress experienced on both sides of the doe to kid relationship. The objective is to avoid causing as much stress as possible. If weaning seems to be causing either the doe or the kid too much stress then they may not be ready for weaning.
The Weaning Process
What To Do With The Kid
Before weaning, the kid and doe should be living together in a pen together. To start the weaning, you will remove the kid from the does pen every night and put it into a separate pen. If you have more than one kid you can put them all into their own pen every night. This can be helpful because goats are very social and this allows the kids to socialize even though their mothers are not around.
Make sure that the pen that contains the kids has sturdy walls and no cracks. Kids are especially good at escaping and if they try they can potentially get loose or break a leg.
The Kid Pen
You may have a barn stall that can be used or may need to make a small pen for the kid/s. Either way, the walls of the pen need to be sturdy, tall enough that they can’t jump it, and have no cracks that they can escape out of (they are very good at escaping). When making a pen you will also need to keep the doe in mind. She should not be able to enter whenever she wants to.
Then you will need to line the floor with bedding. How much insulation there should be depends on the weather outside. If it is very cold then you may want to lay some blankets down and then put wood shavings on top of that. Also if it is cold outside, it may be smart to get a kennel for the kid/s. Just fill the kennel with hay and sawdust and it creates a perfect bed for them, that will also keep them warm. If it’s cold you may also want to consider getting a heat lamp for the pen.
There should always be fresh water and hay in the pen. You may also provide other food if you’d like. Some other food kids could try at this time are pellets or grain.
What To Do With The Doe
Since the doe will not be nursing during the night, you will have to milk her first thing in the morning. After she has been milked you can let the kid back into her pen. Make sure there is fresh hay and water in the pen for her and the kid.
Tips for Making Weaning Stressless
- Give them proper nutrition from birth
- Keep the kid in a safe and clean environment
- Give them plenty of water
- Vaccinate them to prevent disease
- Check on them often
- Give them some safe objects that they can climb on
When Can They Join The Herd
The Kid
Deciding when to introduce the kid to the herd is really up to you. All goats have different personalities and the personalities of the herd, the doe, and the kid should all be considered when deciding when the kid should be introduced. You should also consider the kids’ strength and their ability to get around.
Around the time that you start weaning the kid from the doe is a good time to start the introduction to the herd. You can start this by putting the kid with the herd for a little bit each day. If everything seems to be going ok, then you can slowly add the amount of time that they are with the herd, until they are permanently part of the group.
When you first start introducing the kids try to include places in the pasture for them to get away and hide, in case a goat does become aggressive.
The Doe
Before you start to let the doe back out with the herd with her baby, it is important that their bond is strong, so that the mother will recognize her baby. Making sure the kid and doe have a strong bond starts at the birth. How their relationship as a mother and baby is another part of knowing when to introduce them to the herd.
For the safety of the kid, but also for that of the doe, bucks should be separated from the herd. Bucks can be extremely aggressive and could also try to mount the kid or doe. The kids will not be strong enough to handle the weight of the buck and could seriously get injured. Also, female kids are sexually mature after just a few months, but should not be bred until at least one year of age. On the other hand, the doe who has just recently kidded should be given time to rest before breeding again. Not giving her enough time to rest is inhumane.