Hello all, new to goats this year!

[WindyWillowsFarm]

Hello all! We are a new small farm in PA with meat and egg chickens, 4 LaMancha dairy goats and will be adding rabbits this year. I have a LaMancha doe that is about to kid for us any day and we are very nervous as it's our first time! Is there a check list of what to do with the baby kids from birth to sale with timing? I did buy a CDT vaccine and a jump start gel that has selenium and other vitamins and cultures. I'm not sure if we will be disbudding ourselves or having a vet do this (if I can find one that does it). Am I missing anything?

 

[Mike CHS]

I'm no help on your question as we don't have goats but I did want to say Welcome to the forum.

 

[Alaskan]

Hello all! We are a new small farm in PA with meat and egg chickens, 4 LaMancha dairy goats and will be adding rabbits this year. I have a LaMancha doe that is about to kid for us any day and we are very nervous as it's our first time! Is there a check list of what to do with the baby kids from birth to sale with timing? I did buy a CDT vaccine and a jump start gel that has selenium and other vitamins and cultures. I'm not sure if we will be disbudding ourselves or having a vet do this (if I can find one that does it). Am I missing anything?

Welcome to BYH!

Sounds like you have a great setup! I love milk goats!

Usually kidding goes smoothly.

In case it doesn't, I like to have on hand:

Empty feed sacks or something clean to put kids on

easy to wash old towels to dry off kids

Super big heating pad withOUT an automatic shutoff, if kids need heat. Also plastic bag or whatever and duct tape to make a cover for the heating pad. Large cardboard box to put heating pad in, extension cord if needed, and more duct tape to tape over all connections. Small washable fleece blanket to put over heating pad (So, set up to make a warming box).


Something with calcium for mom. I have had calcium/magnesium paste as well as a powdered version that goes into water. I like giving the does a dose a little before kidding. The calcium/magnesium is to reduce the chance of them getting milk fever. (Which, in super basic terms, is where all of their calcium goes into the sudden milk supply, and that causes issues) I usually also give them some nutritional yeast and kelp meal, just for a boost.

Multiple vitamin b gel, just incase anyone needs it. It helps with appetite.

Probiotic gel, again, just incase anyone needs it. It helps if the rumen slows for any reason.

Red cell, which is an iron paste. Usually only used if your animals are super anemic due to a high worm load.

Something to dip umbilical cords into. Usually a pill bottle with 7% iodine in it.

You shouldn't have to cut the umbilical cords... birthing and mom usually take care of that... but on the off chance, clean string and a clean knife or scissors.

Goat thermometer, mostly another in case. But if mom looks off, it is good to check and make sure she isn't running a fever.

I liked having a kid puller.. cost me, I think, $15. It is just a bit of plastic with a cord. But it makes it way easier to pull a kid if it gets stuck, and my hands aren't all that great. I never had to use it... but having it gave me peace of mind.

You mention that you have a gel with selenium in it. Is your area low on selenium? If your area is low, then you should be giving Selenium paste every month. If you haven't been... then you want to get the injectable selenium and give your doe a shot of that.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh... for disbudding i found a local who has a large herd, and does a bunch a year (so, highly experienced). He was kind enough to do the one doe i wanted done, for free. He did a perfect job.

Horns make goats a tiny bit more predator resistant. BUT, most people prefer milk goats without horns, so the head fits more easily into the stanchion.

If you are where it is super hot, horns in the goats are good, as they help to dissipate heat.

With bucklings i never disbudded... but then I ate all males... or sold them to be eaten.

Oh... and castration should be done at about 4 weeks. I HIGHLY prefer cutting out the testicles. I think it causes less pain, and is over way faster than banding. Also... less equipment needed, and zero cost.

 

[WindyWillowsFarm]

Welcome to BYH!

Sounds like you have a great setup! I love milk goats!

Usually kidding goes smoothly.

In case it doesn't, I like to have on hand:

Empty feed sacks or something clean to put kids on

easy to wash old towels to dry off kids

Super big heating pad withOUT an automatic shutoff, if kids need heat. Also plastic bag or whatever and duct tape to make a cover for the heating pad. Large cardboard box to put heating pad in, extension cord if needed, and more duct tape to tape over all connections. Small washable fleece blanket to put over heating pad (So, set up to make a warming box).


Something with calcium for mom. I have had calcium/magnesium paste as well as a powdered version that goes into water. I like giving the does a dose a little before kidding. The calcium/magnesium is to reduce the chance of them getting milk fever. (Which, in super basic terms, is where all of their calcium goes into the sudden milk supply, and that causes issues) I usually also give them some nutritional yeast and kelp meal, just for a boost.

Multiple vitamin b gel, just incase anyone needs it. It helps with appetite.

Probiotic gel, again, just incase anyone needs it. It helps if the rumen slows for any reason.

Red cell, which is an iron paste. Usually only used if your animals are super anemic due to a high worm load.

Something to dip umbilical cords into. Usually a pill bottle with 7% iodine in it.

You shouldn't have to cut the umbilical cords... birthing and mom usually take care of that... but on the off chance, clean string and a clean knife or scissors.

Goat thermometer, mostly another in case. But if mom looks off, it is good to check and make sure she isn't running a fever.

I liked having a kid puller.. cost me, I think, $15. It is just a bit of plastic with a cord. But it makes it way easier to pull a kid if it gets stuck, and my hands aren't all that great. I never had to use it... but having it gave me peace of mind.

You mention that you have a gel with selenium in it. Is your area low on selenium? If your area is low, then you should be giving Selenium paste every month. If you haven't been... then you want to get the injectable selenium and give your doe a shot of that.

Thank yo for all the info, it's very helpful. I'm not sure what is considered selenium deficient, here are our county's numbers...

We buy our feed from the local mill and it's specifically for dairy goats and It has minerals already in it with selenium. So would I still need to give them a shot or paste regularly?

With the males, at what age/weight did you eat them? I've heard dairy goat breeds are pretty useless to eat because they are so lanky, did you get much meat?

 

[Alaskan]

Thank yo for all the info, it's very helpful. I'm not sure what is considered selenium deficient, here are our county's numbers...

View attachment 90796

We buy our feed from the local mill and it's specifically for dairy goats and It has minerals already in it with selenium. So would I still need to give them a shot or paste regularly?

With the males, at what age/weight did you eat them? I've heard dairy goat breeds are pretty useless to eat because they are so lanky, did you get much meat?

I actually have never looked up numbers for selenium. I was simply told that all of Alaska is super low..... and ran with that.

When I googled I found: "Soils containing less than 0.5 mg/kg total are classified as Se deficient." And 1 ppm = 1 mg/kg

So... yes, you are in a selenium deficient area.

I have never fed goats on 100% store feed, and never had a goat feed with complete minerals.

Soooooo.... no idea.

My goats had loose minerals free fed, and in addition, every month they got Selenium paste, and a vitamin D paste (since we get so little sunlight for half the year). They also got a copper bolus about every 6 months... or as needed.



You will need to ask a local goat owner, that feeds like you feed, what works. Or... talk to the people that make the feed and ask them.

Selenium is clearly super bad if too low, but also bad if too high. So, don't guess, find someone to ask.

As to eating milk goats... it is the same as eating laying chickens. Sure a Leghorn has way less meat than a Cornish cross. But, meat is meat. And, you raised it yourself, so you know it has zero crap in it.

As to when... for me it is always what works best for me. So... if i want to reduce the feed bill, and I have time, then I butcher. Or, if I want to eat the critter for a specific feast... that is when I butcher.

But... if it is older and bigger, process it like you would a deer... so you might want to hang it for 3 days. If it is young, say 2 months, process it like you would a huge rabbit.

Anyway you go... the males still need to be cut at about 4 weeks.... unless you decide to eat them at 4 weeks... sure, they are small then, but baby meat is tasty meat, super tender. Also, way less money went into the animal.