Birth to Kidding
Here is a general rundown of what we are currently doing at our farm. Things can change as we re-evaluate our management practices and even as the season's/weather change!
Please remember, what works for us may NOT work for you! My management practices have changed drastically from when I had a small herd of 10 pet goats verses a herd of 70+ working dairy goats. I have learned to run things differently from when I had 5 kids born in a year verses having 60+ kids are born in a season.
Here is a general rundown of what we are currently doing at our farm. Things can change as we re-evaluate our management practices and even as the season's/weather change!
Please remember, what works for us may NOT work for you! My management practices have changed drastically from when I had a small herd of 10 pet goats verses a herd of 70+ working dairy goats. I have learned to run things differently from when I had 5 kids born in a year verses having 60+ kids are born in a season.
Birth: As soon as kids are born they get 1 cc of Bovine Ecolizer & 1 cc of Bovi-Sera given orally. In order for these antibodies to be given a chance to stimulate immunity they must be given within the first 12-24 hours of birth. Preferably as soon as possible. After 24 hours it is unlike they will offer any simulation to the immune system when given orally. This is in ADDITION to the colostrum they get. Kids need colostrum, this is just an added "boost". In a small scale herd, is the cost of these nessisary and benificial? I don't know. I didn't use them when I had a few kids a year. I've seen 2-3 kids over the last 5 years come down with Ecoli and recover. This is just another safe guard I've implemnted since raising a large number of kids at 1 time.
Kids here are disbudded between 5 and 14 days old. Each kid is an individual so I disbud them each as they need it. Typically, bucks sooner & does later.
3 weeks old: 5 days of Coccidia Prevention.
5 weeks old: Kids get 2cc of Essentials CD&T Vaccine. I prefer this brand because it doesn't usually leave lumps like some of the other brands tend to. This is a personal preference! I talked to someone else who loved the Bar Vac CD&T because it didn't leave lumps for them. Funny thing is, it leaves terrible lumps for me.
6 weeks old: 5 days of Coccidia Prevention
8 weeks old: 2cc of Essentials CD&T Vaccine & Valbazen oral dewormer given at 1cc per 10lbs.
Bucklings should be separated from doelings by 8 weeks old. Baby bucks are FERTILE and doe kids start coming in heat soon! Yes, they are babies and they CAN get bred! I personally separate most bucks from does by 6 weeks old if they are bottle babies!
12 weeks old: Any kids still here at 12 weeks old get another 2cc of Essentials CD&T vaccine.
16 weeks old: My keeper kids get Pasturella vaccine. I have switched to Super Poly Bac B Somnus which is a cattle vaccine. If you have a smaller herd and pasturella pnemonia's are not a big risk for you I would recommend sticking with the vaccine made for Goats. I have been very happy with the Super Poly Bac vaccine, however, it can be hard on the young kids. Please remember, I have a large herd! With kids born I could have 150 goats cross my path in a year. I have to be prefer to be cautious, especially with the last 2 super rainy years! I'm giving all my kids 1 cc of the Super Poly Bac B and then a booster 0.5 cc 21 days later.
6 months old: Keeper kids get another 2cc of the CD&T Vaccine. I know this is sounding a bit over done but after attending a lecture by a Veterinarian who also raised dairy goats I feel it's necessary! She personally vaccinates ALL of her ADULT goats 4 times per YEAR with the CD&T Vaccine. I don't vaccinate my adults that much but I have found if I don't give a 6 month old vaccine I'll see at least 1 kid 7-10 months old come down with
A Note on Deworming : Kids are more suceptable to parsites then adults. My deworming routing varies greatly with the seasons. For that reason I have left most deworming routines out my notes. We run regular fecals and deworm any kid prior to it leaving our farm.
Kids here are disbudded between 5 and 14 days old. Each kid is an individual so I disbud them each as they need it. Typically, bucks sooner & does later.
3 weeks old: 5 days of Coccidia Prevention.
5 weeks old: Kids get 2cc of Essentials CD&T Vaccine. I prefer this brand because it doesn't usually leave lumps like some of the other brands tend to. This is a personal preference! I talked to someone else who loved the Bar Vac CD&T because it didn't leave lumps for them. Funny thing is, it leaves terrible lumps for me.
6 weeks old: 5 days of Coccidia Prevention
8 weeks old: 2cc of Essentials CD&T Vaccine & Valbazen oral dewormer given at 1cc per 10lbs.
Bucklings should be separated from doelings by 8 weeks old. Baby bucks are FERTILE and doe kids start coming in heat soon! Yes, they are babies and they CAN get bred! I personally separate most bucks from does by 6 weeks old if they are bottle babies!
12 weeks old: Any kids still here at 12 weeks old get another 2cc of Essentials CD&T vaccine.
16 weeks old: My keeper kids get Pasturella vaccine. I have switched to Super Poly Bac B Somnus which is a cattle vaccine. If you have a smaller herd and pasturella pnemonia's are not a big risk for you I would recommend sticking with the vaccine made for Goats. I have been very happy with the Super Poly Bac vaccine, however, it can be hard on the young kids. Please remember, I have a large herd! With kids born I could have 150 goats cross my path in a year. I have to be prefer to be cautious, especially with the last 2 super rainy years! I'm giving all my kids 1 cc of the Super Poly Bac B and then a booster 0.5 cc 21 days later.
6 months old: Keeper kids get another 2cc of the CD&T Vaccine. I know this is sounding a bit over done but after attending a lecture by a Veterinarian who also raised dairy goats I feel it's necessary! She personally vaccinates ALL of her ADULT goats 4 times per YEAR with the CD&T Vaccine. I don't vaccinate my adults that much but I have found if I don't give a 6 month old vaccine I'll see at least 1 kid 7-10 months old come down with
A Note on Deworming : Kids are more suceptable to parsites then adults. My deworming routing varies greatly with the seasons. For that reason I have left most deworming routines out my notes. We run regular fecals and deworm any kid prior to it leaving our farm.
