Kidding starts one month from now. To do list?

[Doug Hodges]

I know it's been discussed many many times. I have written lots of things down. I'm pretty much ready for birth as we just had a home delivery with our little girl. You use a lot of the same stuff. I know I've heard it mentioned about a month before kidding do this? What is this? I plan to start adding a little grain to the mix. I have minerals free choice and just replenished it all. I'm starting feeding the alfalfa hay 50/50 with the regular hay.

Copper Bolus and CDT shot, Is it time for those?

What else? I have pretty much a full cabinet and fridge of meds. What about worming? Is that after?

[jcatblum]

If you can birth a human baby a goat kid should be easy! Is this a dairy or meat kids? I always worm mom after & cover kids umbilical cord in iodine. Those are my 2 MUST DO things for all goats. You will get MANY different answers on what people do for their herd, but IMO those are the 2 basics. Also make sure babies are warm & can't get into the water bowl. Good luck with your new kids!

[Doug Hodges]

Originally Posted by jcatblum

If you can birth a human baby a goat kid should be easy! Is this a dairy or meat kids? I always worm mom after & cover kids umbilical cord in iodine. Those are my 2 MUST DO things for all goats. You will get MANY different answers on what people do for their herd, but IMO those are the 2 basics. Also make sure babies are warm & can't get into the water bowl. Good luck with your new kids!

Nubians and lamanchas

[nehimama]

Some of us do the copper bolus, CD & T and BO-SE roughly a month out from kidding. (I do) Now is the time, of course, to check your supply of old towels (thrift stores!) and double-check the kidding kit. Good Luck!

[trnubian]

Yep, CD&T needs to be given. I spread the CD&T and Bo-Se apart and give them CD&T 4 weeks prior to kidding and Bo-Se 3 weeks prior to kidding. Had a friend who did both at the same time one year and a couple does aborted. Maybe a coincidence but I'll play it safe. Besides Bo-Se really only stays in their system for a little over 3 weeks and I want it available to the does when they kid.

If you are giving the pasterella vaccine I would do that a couple days after the cd&t and a few days before Bo-se.

Stating them on a little grain now is a good thing. I slowly work my does up to where they are getting 2 pounds when they freshen. I then go by condition after they kid on how much grain they get.

I give kids 1/4 cc Bo-Se when they are born and I squirt a vitamin E gel cap in their mouth. Make sure they are warm and dry. Dip navels in Iodine and make sure they get plenty of colostrum. Mom gets wormed the day after kidding. I also give mom a bucket of sweetened warm water after the birth. All mine very much appreciate it and chug it down.

[GraceAlice]

I don't do anything a month before. Like, anything at all. I guess that isn't very normal but that's my preference!

And our kids have always been healthy *knock on wood*

For the birth, I keep molasses and coffee in the barn fridge, lots of towels, paper towels, scissors, CMPK, bottles, nipples, and that's about it.

[Bubbas Boys]

Coffee and Molasses? I am new also and will be kidding in couple months. Thanks

[GraceAlice]

Squirting some coffee in a kids mouth is similar to squirting lemon juice in a human's mouth, makes em jump right up!

[Doug Hodges]

Originally Posted by Bubbas Boys

Coffee and Molasses? I am new also and will be kidding in couple months. Thanks

I'm assuming the coffee is for staying awake and the molasses is for a pick me up for the kids. You can also sweeten the coffee with it. Is the coffee for anything else.

[GraceAlice]

Molasses AND coffee is great when you have a super weak kid I've heard

[Doug Hodges]

Originally Posted by GraceAlice

Squirting some coffee in a kids mouth is similar to squirting lemon juice in a human's mouth, makes em jump right up!

Interesting

[CraterCove]

Originally Posted by GraceAlice

Molasses AND coffee is great when you have a super weak kid I've heard

I'd definitely like to hear more about this.

[Bubbas Boys]

Do u give Bo-Se subq or oral?

[mygoat]

I'd never give any thing to a kid but quality colostrum or milk. A weak kid needs to be warmed up - either in the house, or in a 'hot box', then tubed quality colostrum. IT has all they need to thrive. I give CDT, Bose, and copper bolus 1 month pre-kidding. I also evaluate eye membranes/body condition and trim hooves at this time.

[GraceAlice]

Several articles say to use coffee if you have no other choice, like Fiasco Farm. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/birthingkit.html

@mygoat: Sometimes that is all you need, but sometimes you can't get it. If a doe dies in kidding or you have to end her suffering, you aren't going to get that much needed colostrum for a weak kid. Or if, in the very rare case, the doe doesn't have any milk. Sometimes you just can't get exactly what you need, and the coffee and molasses is in order. lol

And if a kid of yours is about to give up, a brand new kid, you have no colostrum, then I'm sure most people would do that as a last chance sort of thing at least.

But yeah, that "liquid gold" fits its name.

[mygoat]

Yet another reason Fiasco Farm is not an accurate resource in every case.

Coffee may impart short term energy from caffeine, but is taking the place of true nutrition and antibodies. If you don't have frozen colostrum from your own goats or a trusted local herd, get replacer colostrum - goat or cow, the calf ones are quite good, to keep on hand. Its FAR better than coffee in a pinch, and has a long shelf life. Always milk out and freeze extra colostrum. Use colostrum from older does for the doelings, and use colostrum from younger does on wethers, to help the more valueable animals have an even better chance. . If I had no colostrum and no options, I'd probably feed milk with an energy drench/vitamin drench if needed... And manage intensely as though it had no immunity because it won't for several weeks until it's own system develops, and hopefully it is exposed to environmental pathogens slowly over time and isn't overwhelmed. If it gets sick, depends on how severe and the value - if it's a wether, I'll cull it instead of treat. If it's a valueable doeling or buckling, I'd consider treating or culling depending on the illness and potential of spread. Animals that recieve no colostrum are very high risk for getting some illness.

[Frosted Mini's]

ALWAYS have a source of colostrum whether frozen from previous year or other does, or the replacer, just in case. I absolutely agree, would not give a newborn kid anything but colostrum. I have read of some people giving probiotics to newborns as well, but I just saw a study with calves that it is also a bad idea to do that, because the probiotics interfere some with the ability to absorb the antibodies from colostrum. So, I do usually give probios, but not until at least day 2 after birth. The ONLY time I would give anything at all besides colostrum is to give an IP dextrose solution to a chilled kid.

[Frosted Mini's]

I have usually given vaccines 1 month before kidding, then bo-se 2 weeks pre-kidding...then the kids usually don't need bo-se, but I give it to them if they show any symptoms at all of being deficient. Copper, I try to give pre-kidding, but it also depends when their last copper bolus was. This year, I am doing, bo-se 6 and 2 weeks pre-kidding, as an experiment, and still the other things. Deworm the does the day of kidding.

[punchiepal]

I have used this for 3-4 kidding seasons when we didn't have enough from the moms or I made pudding when heat treating. LOL
http://www.jefferspet.com/bovine-igg...2-A1/cn/31080/

A breeder that we purchased a doeling from, shows and wins BIG nationally, uses this one. They raise all kids on prevention.
http://www.jefferspet.com/product.as...C-DB5D0534C1D0

When we haven't had colostrum from the moms and only used this replacer, we have not noticed any difference in rate of growth or illness between kids on this or moms treated colostrum. We feed this as the sole food source for the first 24 hrs or until the package is gone. For our ND's, trips usually finish the pouch in the 24 hrs, mini saanens twins in 24 hrs.

[Bubbas Boys]

Worming the does the day of kidding, is that done with ivermectin?