Feeding

Hay:

• Feed free choice Orchard Grass Hay 24/7, second or third cutting is ideal; must be horse quality hay never rained on, wet or dusty. 

• Can be Orchard Grass with a small amount of Alfalfa mixed in it as kids, but pet wethers should transition to plain Orchard Grass hay once 6 months of age. Bucks and dry does, plain orchard grass is ideal to help keep from becoming overweight. Bucks in rut, pregnant and lactating does I recommend orchard grass/alfalfa mix, or add some alfalfa to their diet daily to assist with maintaining weight (and with lactating does to supplement calcium and added protein to their diet). For bucks in rut, I feed some alfalfa as a supplement to their regular orchard grass in small amounts, but I do not recommend alfalfa as a sole hay source for breeding bucks.

• Hay should be offered up and off the ground in goat-safe hay racks, feeders, or goat-safe hay bags. I do not recommend hay nets at all, due to risk of injury and death to goats.

 

Grain:

• For kids from time of pick up till 6 months old, I recommend feeding a coccidia prevention pelleted feed, unless you plan to use an alternate form of coccidia prevention. Purina Goat Grower is a brand I recommend and can be found at Tractor Supply.

• Once kids are 6+ months old, I recommend feeding a pelleted grain only that contains Ammonium Chloride to intact bucks and pet wethers. Does can transition to the same type of pellet or your choice of dairy goat feed (pellet or sweet feed) that fits the needs of your herd. You can also buy ammonium chloride and add extra as a top dress to bucks and wethers feed 2-3x a week to aid in the prevention of urinary calculi in males. This is what I do with my personal breeding bucks as an extra prevention, especially during breeding season when I feed more grain (to keep up their weight during rut) then I do the remainder of the year.

• Grain is only recommended as supplement to quality hay and pasture. The goat's diet should predominantly consist of hay and pasture forage, then feed supplemented in as needed to maintain the caloric needs of lactating does or breeding bucks. For pet wethers, once they are 6+ months old, feed should be given a once daily as a small treat.

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Minerals:

• Should be offered free choice 24/7 and in an area that is kept away from moisture (best to hand in a bucket or mineral feeder within the goats outdoor run-in shelter or stalls.

• I recommend Kalmbach 2:1 Goat Minerals or Sweetlix Meat Maker Goat minerals which can be found at local farmers Co-Op’s or Purina Goat Minerals which can be found at Tractor Supply.

• Goats may also need annual BOSE injections (can be done by your vet) or you can give an oral gel form of Vitamin E & Selenium monthly to your goats instead. The Gel can be ordered online or found usually at Tractor supply (give dosage based on weight per label).

• Goats may also need Copper bolus’s, typically given twice a year depending on your goat. These can be ordered online and is given orally. Kid dosages are 2 grams, and they do not need their first dose till 6-8 months old. From there you can dose them every 6 months (usually) and can be given the adult dose of 4 grams once they are over one year old.​

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Deworming:

• Goat Kids need to be regularly dewormed to prevent parasite related anemia and illnesses. I recommend deworming kids monthly with two classes of dewormers given at the same time to prevent parasite issues. Once kids reach 6+ months of age, I recommend having fecal floats done on your goats 3-4 times a year to assess needs for deworming, then deworm as needed with a dewormer that is effective for that parasite. When needing to deworm, I still recommend deworming with two classes of dewormers and make sure to give the proper dosages of dewormers to ensure they are effective (repeat treatment as needed in proper timeline as well to ensure effectiveness).

• Goat Kids under 6 months old need to be on a regular coccidia prevention. If feeding a medicated goat feed, you should be covered. If you choose not to feed a medicated goat feed, I recommend two types of coccidia prevention. One is Calf Pro, a liquid that is given daily to kids via syringe (dosage based on weight) and is available online without RX. The second is Toltazuril, this is given every 28 days orally via syringe (dosage based on weight), though this is available by RX through your vet only. (These two medications are recommended as prevention only!!! On occasion some farms have more resistant types of coccidia in the soil, so if you ever notice kids with loose stools/diarrhea, I recommend you having a vet out to assess your goat kid(s) and treat as needed, since one of the first signs of an issue with coccidia is loose stools/diarrhea in kids.).

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Vaccinations:

• Goat kids require two initial CDT vaccines to be protected for a year. First CDT will be given prior to pick up, the second (booster) will need to be given 3-4 weeks after the first. You can booster your goat kid(s) yourself, or you can have your vet out to booster them. After the first two CDT vaccines are given within 3-4 weeks of each other, your goat kid(s) are fully vaccinated for one year. You will need to ensure your goats are boostered annually for CDT thereafter to ensure they are protected.

• Rabies vaccines are an optional vaccine that you may choose to protect your goats from. The first rabies vaccine is not recommended till goat kids are 12+ weeks old. This is a vaccine you would need your veterinarian to administer. Goats need to be boostered annually for Rabies to ensure they are protected.

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Water:

• Goats need to provided access to fresh clean water 24/7 in buckets or water sources that are an appropriate height, so they can reach the water. For goat kids I also recommend that the water source isn’t too deep that if they fall in they can easily get out. (I do not recommend water buckets or tubs that are too deep and pose a risk to small kids drowning!)

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Bottle Feeding:

• When bottle feeding goat kids, I recommend and use the Pritchard bottle nipples (small red nipples). You can use a recycled plastic bottle or buy a bottle that comes with the Pritchard nipples. These nipples are what the kids are used to and they will likely refuse to drink from any other type of nipple since this is what they are accustomed too. Pritchard nipples are easily found at TSC, your local farmers Co-Op, or can be ordered online.

• Milk- I ONLY recommend whole cow's milk from the grocery story (same type you would buy for children or drink yourself), and only whole fat cows milk (do not feed a reduced fat milk!!). Goat kids digest and grow the best on this milk which is why it is the only type of milk I recommend for goat kids. (DO NOT USE powdered kids milk supplement!!! It is full of artificial ingredients and is generally harder on their stomachs, causes GI upset, and does not support the kids nutritional needs for optimal growth!)

• When it comes to bottle feeding goat kids you will want to warm the milk in a way that ensures that it does not have hot spots and should warm only (never hot! If it is too hot for a human baby to drink, it is too hot for your goat kid!).

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Milk Feeding schedule:

• -With each feeding I allow kids to have all the milk they want, up to one bottle (16oz). I do not feed more then a 16oz bottle per feeding. Younger kids will drink less than an older kid, kids should consume more milk as they grow and mature. You should make sure to weigh and make note of your kids growth (weight) to ensure they are eating enough and growing (gaining weight) as they mature in age.

• Kids newborn to 4 weeks old- minimum of 4 bottles per day (Their sole source of nutrition as young kids is milk, so feed at appropriately spaced times to keep them from getting too hungry. I highly recommend keeping some hay around them because they may not need hay yet, they start to explore nibbling on hay and it gives them some to play and chew on. As they get closer to 4weeks they may start to nibble on hay and possibly grain as they start the beginning of understanding other items of their diet. Remember though, that milk is their sole source of nutrition at this age, so please do not think that hay and grain is an appropriate substitution for milk (only once kids reach 8wks can hay and grain only be okay.).

• Kids 4 weeks to 6 weeks- minimum of 3 bottles per day (at this age they are nibbling and eating bits of hay and exploring grain as well, but milk is still main source of nutrition. Make sure you are offering them both hay and some grain along with their bottles.)

• Kids 6weeks to 8 weeks- minimum of 2 bottles per day (at this age they are more seriously nibbling and eating hay and grain)

• Kids 8 weeks to 12 weeks (for small kids can go to 16wks)- 1 bottle a day

• *Many kids no longer need to be on the bottle/have milk once they reach 8wks old, but you can continue to give them one bottle per day if you wish if you feel it will benefit the kid, or if you want to boost their growth. Many times, I do recommend this for kids who are born smaller than normal to help insure they reach optimal size by 6 months of age.)

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Goat Health Basics:

• Temperature-Normal is 101.5-103.5 degrees F. Kids may have a slightly higher temperature, and activity and hot weather can increase temperature.

• Respirations-Normal is 12-24 breaths per minute. Kids will be on the higher end.

• Heart Rate- Normal is 70-95 beats per minute. Kids will be on the higher end.

• Famancha-Goat eyelid color should always be bright pink/red. Pail famancha is indicative of anemia and you should have a vet out to evaluate them for possible causes.

• Poop - Goat poops should be small little soft pea sized droppings. Changes in stools from new forage, grain, hay, or stress can cause the stools to become clumped or softer like dog poop. If poops get back to normal after a day or two that can be normal. Loose stools and diarrhea are never normal in goats and should be taken very seriously! If a goat or goat kid has loose stools that do not return to normal 12-24 hours after starting, you should have your vet our immediately for treatment!!! Diarrhea in goat kids especially can kill them in 1-2 days!

• **Always take into consideration of your goat’s current condition when evaluating. If they are not acting themselves, eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, playing, or acting like their normal selves, I recommend you have a veterinarian out immediately to evaluate them!!!.

• Biosecurity Testing - I recommend annual biosecurity testing for at least CAE and Johnes. CL is something that can also be tested for, but many veterinarians do not recommend it due to the test having a high incidence for false positives and false negatives. I would follow the recommendation of your veterinarian when it comes to testing for CL.

• Veterinarian - I recommend you get a relationship with a goat veterinarian local to you in case of emergency. I also recommend that you find a back up in the event you need one if you have an emergency and your regular vet is not available.

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I use and highly recommend Rose Hill Large Animal Vet Practice-540-987-1200 - Rose Hill is in Washington, VA 22747