| 
Be ready for
kidding season, before it begins. Here is a listing of items you should
have gathered together and have on hand at least two weeks before the
doe's expected due date. |
| Phone Number of an experienced "goat birther" |
Have this by the phone and let the "birther" know you may need to call them and when you are expecting
the kids. |
| Empty
feed bags |
Birthing
is a messy business and feed bags are nice to deliver on and to use as absorbent garbage bags. They can
be removed once they're soiled and replaced with dry. Have at least
4 per doe ready. |
| Paper
towels |
Two rolls per doe. Use these to get the initial glop and goo off the babies and dry them. |
Puppy
Training Pads
Wee-Wee Pads |
These are very absorbent pads used to
house train puppies. They are great for putting wet goatbabies on. They absorb some to the moisture from the babies and
they are not as slippery as feed bags, so it is easier for the baby to
make his first attempts at standing on them. We would never be without
these for kidding. We buy these in boxes of 100. |
| Big garbage
bag |
For the soiled
towels, bags and afterbirth. You can also use a feedbag. |
| Flashlight |
Use the flashlight to check that the kid is in the correct position when
the bubble first appears. We hold the flashlight behind the bubble
and shine it through the bubble. This lights up the whole thing
and you can see much better how the kid is positioned. Hopefully
you see two feet. |
| Scissors |
To
pop the bubble and cut the umbilical cord, if necessary. It is not
always necessary to "pop the bubble", but it is good to be prepared. |
| Surgical
Scrub |
So you can wash up just in case you have to "go in". We
use Betadine Veterinary Surgical Scrub.
(see
suppliers) |
| Warm
water |
Just
in case you need to wash up. |
| Antiseptic
lubricant |
Just in case you have to "go in". We use Nolvalube. (see
suppliers)
Note: We can't find antiseptic lube anymore so
we use "regular" OB lube but squirt on a little Betadine to add antiseptic qualities. |
| Iodine
7% Tincture |
To sterilize the knife or scissors, if
necessary.
To
dip the kids navels. Do this as soon after birth as possible. Dipping
the umbilical cord and naval in 7% iodine keeps out naval ill and any
other bacteria that may travel up the cord. It also helps the cord to
dry faster.
(see
suppliers) |
| Empty
film canisters |
These
are perfect to put the iodine in to dip the navels. |
| Dental
floss |
To tie the umbilical cord, if necessary. |
Bottle & nipple |
To
give the kid his first meal if he is having trouble feeding on his own
but can still nurse. We used to use Pritchard teat & clean pop bottle (see
suppliers)
But now, we rarely have to bottle feed and when we do, I just use regular ol' human baby bottles and nipples (you
need to make the hole in the teat bigger by cutting an X in it with
scissors) |
| Weak
lamb syringe |
To
feed the kid if he is too weak to nurse on his own
(see
suppliers).
You will hardly ever need this, but when you need
it, you need it so you should have it on hand "just in case". |
| "Quiet"
Hair Blow Drier |
You can now get
models that are relatively quite (or at least no as loud). Use the drier
to finish getting the kids dry, especially if you are going to put sweaters
on them. If it is cold, the newborn kids usually really like the warmth of the
drier. We also find the extra warmth can help "jump start" slightly
weak kids and helps get the blood flowing to weak legs. |
| Coffee---
strong & black |
For very weak kids - once they are breathing -3-6cc jumps starts them
until you can get colostrum into them. |
| Goatbaby sweater |
In
case it is really cold. Have at least 2 per doe, preferably three.
You can knit your own with this pattern
. |
| Goatbaby "hut" |
Kids
like to crawl into a "cave" to sleep and keep warm. We use half
a large "pet porter" or a medium plastic dog house or "dogloo". It is also fun
to play on. |
| Grain
& warm water |
For
the mom and a job well done. You can add Molasses or Honey to the water
for a quick pick me up. |
| Mo'Milk Mix |
This is an herbal formula I formulated
to aid in milk production in lactating animals. It's good to have this on hand In case the doe kids without any milk or withough enough milk to feed her kids. |
| Martini |
You'll
need it. |
| |
Normal
things that happen after the birth:
- The bottoms of
the baby's hooves will "shed" their protective white coating
right after birth.
- The kid may poop
and pee right after birth, even before he has his first meal.
- The kid's first
few poops will be soft sticky "black tar".
- The kid will
poop "yellow mustard poops" for at least a week after birth until he begins to eat solid food.
- Some mothers are better than other at cleaning their babies butts off and keeping them clean. You may need to clean the kids butts off on occasion. Make sure no hardened poop plugs up their butt holes, because this can happen and the kid will not be able to poop.
- Sometimes it
takes a couple days for the babies legs to straighten out completely
and/or work properly (you may want to give them a Selenium Supplement).
- There is usually
one afterbirth per kid, but sometimes there is only one per kidding
even if there are two kids. If you don't find the afterbirth, the
mother probably ate it (gross, but not a problem)
- Starting about a week AFTER the kidding, the mother will begin to
"leak" blood and goo for about a week or more.
|
