All the basic information you will need to prepare for goat breeding, pregnant goat care, & successful kidding.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed veterinarian

New to goat breeding? Dreaming of having baby goats jumping in your pastures? This was my dream when we bought our raw land. I would drive through the rolling hills and pastures and admire all the baby goats everywhere on the drive to our property! One time I was driving to town with my husband and no joke there were two baby goats only a few hours old on the side of the road. I tried to take them home with me, but my husband reminded me that stealing livestock is literally one of the original felonies in the United States. This is when my goat-breeding obsession became real. I knew I needed some baby goats on our Thermaland Oaks Homestead.

It’s that time of year when we focus on goat breeding and pregnant goat care as we roll into the spring season and start preparing female goats to breed. Spring goat breeding is one of my favorite times of the year on the farm and there is much to do to prepare yourself and your does for the new babies on your homestead.

Goat pregnancy preparation should have started well before your doe is ever bred. Goat gestation may only be short five months, but pregnant goat care really begins months before your doe ever meets her lucky man, the handsome buck! Below I’ve put together a timeline with the most important things to remember as you prepare for goat breeding. Care needs to be taken at every step of the process.

Feeding a Pregnant Doe

Nutrition is vital for goats to have a successful pregnancy. It is very important to not overfeed a goat while pregnant. I know I want to give my girls lots of grain treats, but I have to remember that if a baby grows so large, your doe will have difficulties during kidding.– overfeeding can lead to ketosis and hypocalcemia. If you are planning on doing any goat breeding, you may want to familiarize yourself with things to avoid! Here are some google definitions:

Ketosis is a metabolic condition also called pregnancy toxemia at the end of gestation and lactational ketosis during early lactation

Hypocalcemia is a calcium deficiency. During pregnancy and lactation, the goat is not having her calcium needs met because of incorrect feeding.

When you purchase good quality hay and have adequate pasture, the pregnant moms will have sufficient nutritional requirements in the first few months of pregnancy. If your doe is thin, you can feed her some grain as a treat to give her some more calories. Gradually replace their hay with alfalfa. If you suspect that your doe is carrying multiple babies she will need even more nutrients and calories. Another important topic during goat breeding is fresh water. Plenty of water is very important. Throughout their pregnancy, does can drink up to four gallons a day. In the last few months of gestation, your unborn kids will grow very fast! As long as you are conscious of the overall health of your doe and her growing kid, you should have a successful goat breeding season.

Goat Breeding Tips

While your doe is approaching labor, it is your responsibility as goat owner to make sure she is in the best possible health and that her kidding will be as smooth as you had hoped for. Fingers crossed here! There are many different things you should do and be educated about before kidding and afterward to properly care for your pregnant goat. I am not a licensed veterinarian, these are basic pregnant goat care techniques I use.

Worming your doe about two weeks before kidding should occur should protect the doe and unborn kids from unwelcome parasites.

Approximately two months before kidding, you should trim their hooves before their belly becomes too bulky and with winter season the mud can add to hoof rot which could be protected if hooves are kept clean.

Goat Breeding Essentials

Also, the exciting tip is that you should have a birthing stall set up and a birthing kit ready to go as the due date gets closer! I have compiled a list of birthing kit essentials I have gained knowledge of after a few years to keep on hand. Better to have more items available with each situation since goats seem to kid at 3 am around here on our homestead.

•  Headlamp or Flashlight
• Long Gloves
• Vaseline – in case you have to turn or pull a kid, use it with long gloves on
•  Scissors + iodine to cut the cords
• Heat Lamp and Bulb – if your kids are born on a freezing cold night/ storm
• Heating pad – we used this for Tiny Tim this year
•  Bottles and nipples – just in case the doe refuses to nurse or dies during labor in a variety of sizes. They have really come in handy this season
• Goat Treats to give the moms while you try and get the babies to nurse on the moms
• Camera for the birthing pen to watch labor -some take longer than others to watch instead of going inside and outside all night long
• Kid Milk or Kid Colostrum – Really helpful to have on hand for kids who have an issue at the beginning with latching on to their mother.
• First Aid Bleeding powder
• Goat Dewormer – About 2 weeks before pregnancy to protect the moms + babies
• Hoove Trimmers – trim hooves before the belly become too bulky
• Teat Dip Cup – For disinfecting the does teats

I hope that this post has been helpful for you in getting ready for goat breeding season on your homestead. Do you have any adorable baby goats? Share in the comments, friends!

Hugs,

Christina & Trevor