One Week before kidding - Trim your nails - Have your kidding kit ready to go ( see below) - Make sure momma has a nice place to kid Let her sleep there at night - Give birthing trim - see picture below) (note if this stresses out mom too much - skip it you can trim right after the kids are born) -Start observing goat several times per day *Once she shows any signs of kidding check her every 4 hours. Set an alarm and check on her in the night. *Once she starts showing serious labor signs do not leave her side. *If she is pushing for 20 minutes and nothing is happening - either investigate the problem - or call for help. *Once kids are born - clear the airway. *If you are letting mom raise the kids let them have colostrum *Nursing helps with contractions. *Make sure teats are clear. *Make sure all kids get colostrum. *If you are not sure that the mom is CAE free give heat treated colostrum and DO NOT LET THE KIDS NURSE AT ALL *Dip kids umbilical cords in Iodine or clorahexadine *Do NOT cut cords, unless they have been tied or clamped securely *Collect colostrum (from CAE free does) for your freezer *Once she has delivered her kids she should produce the afterbirth within a couple of hours. Remember goats have been having babies without anyone’s help for thousands of years - usually they do fine all by themselves. |
| Signs of Kidding *Appears restless, moves away from herd *Paying much attention to her sides and smelling the ground * Seems extra friendly or extra nervous *Pawing at bedding or dirt (digging to china) *Looking behind her and talking to her sides *Yawning *Talks to you *Change in appetite *Gets dreamy eyed *Looks less pregnant than she did before-sides have hollowed out, babies have dropped *Lifts tail frequently and urinates frequently, usually not much urine at a time *Lays down and gets up more than usual *Udder begins to fill more-looks tight and shiny-teats get full *White discharge changing to an egg-white looking discharge, sometimes may have some blood streaking in it. *Sunken tailhead, arching tail *_____________________________ *_____________________________ |
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| Birthing trim - *Shave tail (leave a bit at the end) *Inside of thighs *Belly from a couple inches before the udder to the rear of the goat Note - some goats will totally FREAK out - if that is your goat - I suggest skipping the hair cut - or save it for once the babies are born. Trimming the goat makes clean up much nicer because all the birthing goop is not stuck in her winter coat. If I have a goat that won't let me shave her - I put mineral oil or something to that effect (slippery and non-toxic) on here rear - Like greasing a cake pan - to make clean up easier. |