Kidding starts around Mid to late June here at
our Farm. Does are watched carefully from early hours to all hours! Usually
things go smoothly but occasionally they will need a bit of help kidding.
The does on average will have twins- some also having singles or triplets.
We keep around 100 ourselves every year as replacements- they are chosen
from our higher end producers.We sell
quite a few as well for pets on lifestyle blocks or others wanting to start
their own herd. |
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Once the Kids are born they are dried off and
their navels are dipped in iodine. They are given colostrum from their
mothers for at least 24 hours and are then taken into their little "group"
to be raised for the next 3 months on fresh cows milk. Goats milk is best
for the kids but the value of the goats milk is higher than what we pay for
cows milk so it works out more economical in the long run and we have far
better results on the cows milk than on milk powders.
The kids are penned in groups of around 15 initially, any more than that in
a pen and we find there is a much higher risk of suffocation at night when
they huddle up together. |
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When they are a little older they go into groups
of about 25, we find they do well in these numbers.
As soon as they are penned into their groups they have access to adlib milk
and either straw or hay to nibble on.
Water is available all the time and at about 2 weeks of age we put special
kid meal out for them to start to taste.
The kids are disbudded with a disbudding iron by our vet before they are a
week old, being in a dairy herd horns can be very dangerous for other goats
and handlers. Also having to put their heads in the head bales for milking
and also eating from the conveyor- their heads would get stuck!
The kids are vaccinated with a 6 in 1 vaccine at 4 weeks and again at 8
weeks. This is given once a year to the goats to prevent
caseous lymphadenitis,
enterotoxemia |
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(pulpy kidney),
tetanus, black disease, blackleg and malignant edema. The Saanen Kids are
raised for about 12-14 weeks on Milk and the Anglo-Nubians remain on milk
for about 16 weeks.
By the time they reach weaning age they are eating plenty of Hay and grain.
When the kids are around 4-5months they go into a large barn and eat off the
conveyor system, then they will also get fresh cut grass and often Maize
silage added to their diet.
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