If you are considering purchasing a goat, please read through this page. Make sure you understand the care that will be required, and please BE PREPARED to provide it.
My Feeding Guide for Nigerian Kids (standard-sized breeds will need double-triple this amount)
The kid MUST be fed COLOSTRUM the first day, then whole goat’s milk or whole cow’s milk. I warm it before feeding. All feed changes MUST be made gradually!! Any sudden feed changes can make your goats susceptible to bloat and/or Enterotoxemia (caused by Clostridia bacteria, the CDT vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing Enterotoxemia!)
The recommended guideline is to feed 15% of body weight (IN OUNCES) DIVIDED throughout the day, but who wants to weigh kids daily? So these amounts work for NIGERIAN kids.
*Alternatively, if you are experienced with bottle-kids, and can tell when your kids are full, just feed til they are full at each feeding.*
Day 1-2
7 AM, 11 PM, 3 PM, 7 PM, 11 PM
.5 OZ (1 lb kid) - 2.0 OZ (4 lb kid) PER FEEDING
Day 3 – 4 weeks
9 AM, 3 PM, 9 PM
I usually start them around 3 OZ PER FEEDING and work up to 8 OZ PER FEEDING (increasing only in small increments at a time)
4 weeks – 8 weeks
9 AM, 9 PM
Starting around 8 OZ PER FEEDING and working up to 12 OZ PER FEEDING (again, increasing only in small increments)
In addition to their daily bottles, I start feeding hay and grain at 4 weeks.
8 weeks – 12 weeks
9 AM
12 OZ PER FEEDING
If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
The kid MUST be fed COLOSTRUM the first day, then whole goat’s milk or whole cow’s milk. I warm it before feeding. All feed changes MUST be made gradually!! Any sudden feed changes can make your goats susceptible to bloat and/or Enterotoxemia (caused by Clostridia bacteria, the CDT vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing Enterotoxemia!)
The recommended guideline is to feed 15% of body weight (IN OUNCES) DIVIDED throughout the day, but who wants to weigh kids daily? So these amounts work for NIGERIAN kids.
*Alternatively, if you are experienced with bottle-kids, and can tell when your kids are full, just feed til they are full at each feeding.*
Day 1-2
7 AM, 11 PM, 3 PM, 7 PM, 11 PM
.5 OZ (1 lb kid) - 2.0 OZ (4 lb kid) PER FEEDING
Day 3 – 4 weeks
9 AM, 3 PM, 9 PM
I usually start them around 3 OZ PER FEEDING and work up to 8 OZ PER FEEDING (increasing only in small increments at a time)
4 weeks – 8 weeks
9 AM, 9 PM
Starting around 8 OZ PER FEEDING and working up to 12 OZ PER FEEDING (again, increasing only in small increments)
In addition to their daily bottles, I start feeding hay and grain at 4 weeks.
8 weeks – 12 weeks
9 AM
12 OZ PER FEEDING
If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
The picture below, is the type of nipple I buy to start the Nigerian kids on, they can use this nipple from birth to weaning. I used to use the red Pritchard nipples, but switching the kids to the Lambar bucket was hard! So I now start them on these, and get them trained to the bucket with much less fuss.
General Kid Care-
Goats are very social animals, you NEED at least two!
Goats NEED shelter, water, and clean fresh hay available to them 24/7.
(I do not put out water for the babies until they are older and stronger, they can drown themselves in the buckets)
They need good fencing, cattle panels (for adults), chain-link, and goat specific fencing all work well. it does need to be at least 48" tall.
I feed free-choice hay, Ragland Goat-Builder loose mineral, and ADM Meat Power to babies and adult Bucks/Wethers, and a 16% Dairy Ration to Does in milk. I strongly suggest all Bucks and Wethers receive a feed that contains Ammonium Chloride, to help prevent Urinary Calculi. All feed changes MUST BE MADE GRADUALLY! Any sudden feed changes can make your goats susceptible to bloat and/or Enterotoxemia (caused by Clostridia bacteria, the CDT vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing Enterotoxemia!)
Watch for Scours (diarrhea) this needs to be treated promptly, if you aren’t sure what you are dealing with, take a fecal sample to your Veterinarian.
I give CDT shots to Does in their last month of pregnancy, they will pass on some of this immunity, and then I vaccinate kids at 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. They also receive a yearly booster.
I DO give Coccidia prevention to young kids, and suggest that you do the same.
I worm as needed, but generally that ends up being once or twice yearly.
Disbudding (preventing the horns from growing in) is usually done between 1-3 weeks, and we castrate around 6-8 weeks. I STRONGLY suggest castrating any Buck that is going to be kept as a pet.
Feet generally need to be trimmed every 8-12 weeks.
For more information on basic goat care, a great resource is www.fiascofarm.com and another page with a wealth of information is http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html
Please don’t hesitate to contact your Veterinarian with any health issues.
I can only guarantee the health of an animal while it is in MY care, once the animal enters your care it’s health is YOUR responsibility. Unfortunately, with improper care/feeding you can bring a goat down quickly, so I cannot offer any health guarantees. I do however follow ADGA's reccomended trade practices, found in the ADGA guidebook.
If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Goats are very social animals, you NEED at least two!
Goats NEED shelter, water, and clean fresh hay available to them 24/7.
(I do not put out water for the babies until they are older and stronger, they can drown themselves in the buckets)
They need good fencing, cattle panels (for adults), chain-link, and goat specific fencing all work well. it does need to be at least 48" tall.
I feed free-choice hay, Ragland Goat-Builder loose mineral, and ADM Meat Power to babies and adult Bucks/Wethers, and a 16% Dairy Ration to Does in milk. I strongly suggest all Bucks and Wethers receive a feed that contains Ammonium Chloride, to help prevent Urinary Calculi. All feed changes MUST BE MADE GRADUALLY! Any sudden feed changes can make your goats susceptible to bloat and/or Enterotoxemia (caused by Clostridia bacteria, the CDT vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing Enterotoxemia!)
Watch for Scours (diarrhea) this needs to be treated promptly, if you aren’t sure what you are dealing with, take a fecal sample to your Veterinarian.
I give CDT shots to Does in their last month of pregnancy, they will pass on some of this immunity, and then I vaccinate kids at 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. They also receive a yearly booster.
I DO give Coccidia prevention to young kids, and suggest that you do the same.
I worm as needed, but generally that ends up being once or twice yearly.
Disbudding (preventing the horns from growing in) is usually done between 1-3 weeks, and we castrate around 6-8 weeks. I STRONGLY suggest castrating any Buck that is going to be kept as a pet.
Feet generally need to be trimmed every 8-12 weeks.
For more information on basic goat care, a great resource is www.fiascofarm.com and another page with a wealth of information is http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html
Please don’t hesitate to contact your Veterinarian with any health issues.
I can only guarantee the health of an animal while it is in MY care, once the animal enters your care it’s health is YOUR responsibility. Unfortunately, with improper care/feeding you can bring a goat down quickly, so I cannot offer any health guarantees. I do however follow ADGA's reccomended trade practices, found in the ADGA guidebook.
If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Here is a PDF file that was put together by
Cornell Cooperative Extension and the
Empire State Meat Goat Producers Association’s Education Committee
It is VERY informative and includes a section on correcting mal-presented kids, and a section on common illnesses in kids and late pregnancy. I don't do everything the way that they suggest, but it is definitely worth a read. Maybe even print it out to keep it handy for kidding season.
KIDDING WITH
CONFIDENCE
Cornell Cooperative Extension and the
Empire State Meat Goat Producers Association’s Education Committee
It is VERY informative and includes a section on correcting mal-presented kids, and a section on common illnesses in kids and late pregnancy. I don't do everything the way that they suggest, but it is definitely worth a read. Maybe even print it out to keep it handy for kidding season.
KIDDING WITH
CONFIDENCE