Goat Raising: A Safe Start for Kids from the Very First Hour

Goat Raising: Seeing the Kids Through the First Days

Whether a kid gets away well is decided in the first hours after birth. It needs colostrum, warmth and then a reliable milk supply. Here you will find the equipment for exactly that, from the lamb bottle and the teat bucket to the heat lamp, along with aids that let you work calmly and safely on the animal.

Colostrum and milk feeding

The gut can only take up the protective factors in colostrum during the first hours of life, after which it closes to large molecules. If the dam does not supply enough, a supplement such as Globigen Colostrum in 1 kg and 2.5 kg helps. For feeding there is the 1 litre lamb bottle with a hanging eye and a filling scale as well as the 450 ml ANTI-VAC bottle with flow control, and matching spare teats and rubber teats come singly and in packs of ten. As the group grows, the 8 litre lamb feeder bucket with 6 teats saves a lot of time, because several kids suckle at once. A holder for five bottles keeps everything to hand. Warm the milk to body temperature and keep the same feeding times, because a steady rhythm settles the kids faster than any change of feed.

Warmth and safe restraint

Wet kids chill quickly. An infrared heat lamp with a 2.5 m lead or the heat unit with a red toughened glass bulb at 250 W puts warmth exactly where the kidding pen needs it. For foot trimming, checks or treatment the Gambrel restrainer for sheep and goats is practical, because it holds the animal calmly and gently so you have both hands free. Yellow leg straps in packs of ten go with it. For giving liquids there is the HSW Drench-Matic Eco drenching gun in 23 ml and 30 ml, with or without a container.

Frequently asked questions

When does a kid need colostrum?
As early as possible. The protective factors only work in the first hours of life, after that the gut can no longer take them up.

Bottle or teat bucket?
Single kids are fed from the bottle. From several animals on, the bucket with six teats saves time because they can all suckle at once.

What is the Gambrel restrainer for?
It holds the animal calmly and gently in position, for foot trimming or a check. You work more easily and with both hands.