Newborn goat kids

Care of Newborn Kids

Survival and increased performance of newborn kids significantly improves goat producers’ likelihood of success in the goat industry. The objective of good care and management of newborn kids is to minimize death and enhance health and performance. In most situations, does take care of their kids and minimal attention may be required by owners. Does with good mothering ability — the capability to care and raise kids successfully — and experience clean their kids by licking …

Goat Management Establishing A Dairy Goat Operation


Establishing a Dairy Operation

There are several items you will need to consider for developing a dairy goat operation. Remember, if you cannot get your operation to work on paper, you will not get it to work in actuality. Take the necessary time to plan to set up your dairy. It is much more economical to set up properly the first time than to remodel and spend money twice. Below are websites that will help you with the best management …

Weaning Health Issues

Health Issues at Weaning:

Weaning health issues include both kid and doe problems. The major problem with the does at this time is mastitis. This problem generally is caused by improper dry-off practices at weaning. Most good does will produce milk as long as the kid is nursing. This can create problems at weaning. The doe’s udder after weaning will fill when the kids have not nursed, and producers may not notice the initial signs of mastitis building until the …

Goat Weaning Management

Weaning is a very stressful time for the kids and does. There are several major problems that can result if kids are not properly weaned. These include coccidiosis outbreaks in the kids and mastitis in the does. Both of these can result in death and reduced performance. Prevention of these problems through proper weaning technique is simple if you follow some basic steps.

Taken from: Goat Management: Weaning By: Dr. Ken Andries, Kentucky State University

Facility Preparation for Weaning 

Weaning

Post Weaning Management in Goats

Post Weaning Management:

After weaning, utilize your records to select the animals you want to keep in the herd for replacements and start managing them for that purpose. Also evaluate the performance of the breeding does and bucks. Use your records to determine which does are doing a good job and cull those that are not producing for you. Look at the bucks and decide if one of them needs to be replaced because his kids are not growing as …

Nutrition Issues at Weaning

Nutrition Issues: Nutrition of the doe and kids changes at weaning. The kids become totally dependent on the nutrition available from forage and supplement. They are growing rapidly, so the energy and protein requirements are very high. Because of this, the kids need to be placed on high quality pastures. Good hay and concentrate supplements are often continued for a time when they are rapidly growing to insure the kids are getting their nutritional needs met. Buck and doe kids …

Facility Preparation for Weaning Kids

Facility Preparation for Weaning:

Weaning can be very stressful on the kids, resulting in outbreaks of coccidiosis and other diseases. This is also a time when your fences and pens are tested. It is important to start thinking about weaning well in advance of the actual date. The first step is to make sure you have a pasture or holding pens ready for the kids when they are weaned. This will include examination of the fences, water system, and feeding …

Goat Management Wheel

The Meat Goat Management Wheel makes meat goat management and production decisions simple and easy.

The wheel is basically a management calendar. To use it, set the date you kid, and the wheel indicates the dates for all the doe, buck and kid management tasks for the entire year.

The wheel contains lots of general management information that can be adjusted for individual operations and different management styles. If you have questions about any of these management or production recommendations, …