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On our farm in southwestern Michigan, kidding season kicks off in less than three weeks. Due to having one of the earliest county fairs, we kid in February so our wethers are market ready. This year we have 13 confirmed pregnant does, so it is time to make sure we have plenty of supplies on hand.
If your pregnant does are in their last month of gestation, it’s time to get a kidding kit put together. Trust me, you’ll be happy you have everything you need in one place when she goes into labor or you find some wet kids. It will save you trips to the house, and the store, if you plan ahead.
I keep two different kidding kits stocked. One has the items that I bring to every delivery and the other has items that I don’t always need, or don’t use right away, but may use a few days or weeks after birth.
Essential Items for the Primary Kidding Kit
I put all of these items in a bucket, so it is easy to carry to and from the house. I don’t leave it out in the barn due to the Michigan winter, but if you don’t have to worry about things freezing, you could keep it outdoors.
1. Bottle and Nipples
On our farm, our preference is for dam raising kids, but I keep a bottle and nipples in my kidding kit for a few reasons. Some of my heavy milkers become engorged after birth and the teat is too large and tight for a new kid to suckle. In that case, I milk the doe just enough to relieve the pressure and give the kid a better chance of latching on to nurse. I milk into the bottle and save the colostrum in case I need to bottle feed the kid.
If the doe rejects a kid, if the kid is too weak to stand and nurse, or if you are planning on bottle feeding the kids, you of course need to have a bottle and nipples for feeding. I have a few different nipples and try them all if I need to in order to get a baby their first meal.
2. Towels
You will want to have bath towels on hand to help dry off new kids. In the winter getting kids dry is very important because their body temperature can drop quickly if they are wet and cold. Even if the doe is doing a good job licking them off, the extra rubbing can help stimulate the kid to stand, nurse, and pass their first bowel movement. You can imprint on them from the very beginning of life by interacting with them as well.
3. Baby Goat Coat
If you are in a warmer climate or kidding later in the season this item isn’t necessary. For us, kidding in February when it is often below freezing, we use the baby goat coats as a safeguard. Once the kid is dry, we put a fleece coat on to help them maintain their body temperature. The coats just have holes for the front legs so that they don’t get wet and messy when they go to the bathroom.
You can buy baby goat coats or make your own. If you can sew, they aren’t too hard to make. You can also make a no-sew coat from cutting holes in a pair of sweatpants or a sweatshirt sleeve. For illustrated instructions on how to make a no-sew baby goat coat, click here to read my related article.
4. Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are for cleaning dirty noses and bottoms on the kid and dirty teats on the doe. They are a decent substitute for hand washing for you too if there isn’t a sink nearby and you need to get afterbirth off of your hands.
5. Iodine and Cotton Balls
An iodine dip or iodine-soaked cotton balls are used to coat the kid’s umbilical cord and prevent environmental pathogens from entering their body, causing illness. It helps the stump dry out faster too.
I usually don’t have to trim the umbilical cord because the doe does that for me, but it can be shortened with clean scissors. If I see a doe chewing on the kid’s umbilical cord after I applied iodine to it, I recoat it just to be safe.
6. Jump-Start Gel
I give all of my does and their kids a dose of Jump-Start Plus Oral Microbial Gel after birth. This product from Manna Pro contains probiotics, sodium bicarbonate, vitamins, and minerals. The company states that it is intended to be used in times of stress to maintain digestive health. The gel is a purple paste that most of my does like and will lick off my finger instead of having to place at the back of their tongue with the syringe.
You don’t have to worry about overdosing your animals with Jump-Start because it is a very safe product. The recommended dose is 5 grams for newborn kids and 10 grams for weaned or mature goats, and the dose can be repeated daily. If a doe and kid are thriving after day one, I don’t continue to give it. For weak kids or a doe that goes off feed or has loose stool, I give Jump-Start daily.
7. Selenium Gel
Goats need selenium to prevent White Muscle Disease (WMD). Symptoms of WMD in newborn kids are stiffness of the limbs, inability to stand, muscle trembling, and weakness. Does that don’t consume enough selenium in their diet can give birth to kids with WMD. To prevent this, selenium can be provided in one of three ways: as a feed or salt additive, by injection, and as an oral gel.
It is important to note that there are legal limits imposed by the FDA on selenium used as an additive and that injectable selenium (Bo-Se) is available by prescription only. The best course of action is to have your soil tested and to consult with a licensed veterinarian to develop a plan for selenium supplementation, if deemed necessary. I am not a veterinarian and cannot provide medical advice for your animals. I am sharing my personal experiences for informational purposes only.
I choose to use oral selenium and vitamin E gel, which is available over-the-counter to supplement my herd. While this method of administration is not as effective at treating WMD and deficiency, it is what I have been doing for decades with good results. The recommended dose of the brand of gel that I have is 2 grams for newborns and 4 grams for adult animals. You cannot safely re-administer the dose until 30 days have passed.
Please note that, unlike the Jump-Start probiotic gel, overdosing selenium gel (or any form of selenium supplementation) is a potential issue. Overdosing can cause toxicity symptoms and may result in death. Careful measurement of selenium additives, injections, and oral gel is absolutely necessary, along with keeping good records of the date and amount administered.
8. Resuscitator Mask
This is an item that I don’t currently have, but really want. The resuscitator mask is used to inflate the lungs of baby goats that can’t breathe, but have a heartbeat. This device can also be used to get mucous and debris out of the airway if the kid can breathe, but not normally. According to reviews online, it saves lives!
Optional Items for the Secondary Kidding Kit
This kit has items that I only use on occasion or not until later on. I keep this equipment together so that when I need it, I know where to find it.
9. Thermometer
If all goes well, you won’t need to take anyone’s temperature. If you have a sick doe or kid, taking their temperature will help you figure out what’s wrong. Any rectal thermometer will work, and remember a goat’s normal temperature is 102-103 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Scale
We donated our old bathroom scale to the kidding kit for weighing baby goats. Weighing your animals is necessary for dosing medications correctly. In addition, keeping records of your kid’s weight from birth can help you determine daily rate of gain. Tracking this data from year to year can help you set goals for your operation.
Since this scale is designed for humans and it’s hard to make a baby goat stand still to get an accurate weight, someone should weigh themselves, then hold the baby goat and weigh themselves again, and subtract the difference.
If you have money to invest in something better, you can purchase a scale made for animals and a sling to hold the baby goat still while you take his weight.
11. Colostrum and Milk Replacer
In situations where you lose a doe or she isn’t producing enough milk, it is good to keep both colostrum and milk replacer on hand. I keep at least a gallon of each, from donor goats, in my freezer for emergencies.
Colostrum is the first milk made by the doe and contains the essential nutrients and antibodies necessary for the new kid to grow and be healthy. Natural colostrum is the best option, but if you don’t have access to it, a colostrum replacer will suffice. Make sure you follow the mixing instructions and start new kids on this before switching to milk replacer or whole milk.
If you plan to bottle feed or need to supplement, milk replacer is one option. It is best to buy one that is made specifically for goats and follow the instruction on the packaging. Another option is feeding whole cow’s milk mixed with heavy cream and yogurt instead of milk replacer.
12. Electrolyte Mix
If your bottle baby goat gets scours, it is a good idea to have an electrolyte mix on hand. Feeding electrolytes can help keep a sick kid hydrated.
13. Mastitis Treatment
If your lactating doe develops mastitis after kidding, it may be a good idea to keep test strips and medication on hand. Remember that management practices play a big role in mastitis prevention and that keeping pens clean, with dry bedding can greatly reduce the incidence of mastitis in your herd. Consult with your veterinarian to obtain antibiotics or for other recommendations for treating mastitis.
14. Tagger and Tags
Before any baby goats leave your farm, whether they are being shown or sold as pets, they need to have some form of permanent identification. Options for permanent identification include tattooing and ear tagging. For more information on how to tattoo goats, click here to read my how-to article. To learn how and why to ear tag goats, read my other article on the subject here.
15. Dehorning Iron
If I am going to disbud a kid, I do so when they are between 4 and 8 days old when their developing horns are about the size of a pea. I use a dehorning iron designed for large breed goats that can be used on calves as well. I put vitamin E on the site after dehorning.
16. Bander and Castration Bands
I prefer banding my buck kids after they are weaned, so for me it is usually at 12-16 weeks of age. A latex castration band applied with a bander causes the cut off of blood flow to the scrotum and it will shrivel and fall off in a matter of weeks. I find this method to be effective and easy to do.
Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!