{"id":70,"date":"2015-08-01T23:56:29","date_gmt":"2015-08-02T04:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/?page_id=70"},"modified":"2018-10-28T23:23:30","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T03:23:30","slug":"raising-goat-kids-naturally","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/natural-raising\/my-holistic-methods\/raising-goat-kids-naturally\/","title":{"rendered":"Raising Goat Kids Naturally"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Our Doe\u00a0herd in their 7-acre\u00a0pasture, which includes grassland\u00a0with lots of browse\u00a0and woods\u00a0– a goat’s paradise!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(Left to right)<\/strong> SG Land of Havilah Sonador 1*M; \u00a0Land of Havilah LSG Tipharah 3*M; \u00a0SG Land of Havilah DreamOfLiberty 2*M; \u00a0SG Land of Havilah ShekinahGlory 2*M; \u00a0Land of Havilah LDG Eowyn; \u00a0Land of Havilah LDG Arwen; \u00a0*B Land of Havilah LDG Mithrander; \u00a0*B Land of Havilah LG Ellesar; \u00a0*B Land of Havilah LG Aragorn; \u00a0*B Land of Havilah SSG Faramir; \u00a0Land of Havilah LG DiamondGirl 2*M; \u00a0and SG Lynnhaven SAH Galathea 1*M.\u00a0\u00a0 Picture taken March\u00a03rd, 2011\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Dam raising AND giving a bottle.<\/span><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 YES, it can be done!\u00a0 I do this for each of the kids born here.\u00a0 On the day they are born, before they nurse their momma, I milk some colostrum into a bottle and then give it directly to the goat kid.\u00a0 They learn to take the bottle, I can\u00a0see how much colostrum they consume.\u00a0 I DO NOT strictly feed them with the bottle\u00a0that\u00a0first day.\u00a0 I also help them latch onto their Dam.\u00a0 I give them the required amount of colostrum from the bottle, plus a bonus of any additional colostrum that they nurse\u00a0from their dam.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This works out very nicely, as I have my herd on DHIR (official Milk Test), and I have to separate the kids from their dam the WHOLE DAY while on test.\u00a0 They remember how to take a bottle from the first day of their life – smart little things!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lynnhaven SAH Galathea 1*M\u00a0enjoying the pleasure of\u00a0raising her 2011 kids: Land of Havilah LG Ellesar (left) and Land of Havilah LG Aragorn (right).\u00a0 We insist on dam raising our goat kids for\u00a08 weeks before allowing them to leave for their new\u00a0home.\u00a0 This gets them off to a strong start and gives them a firm foundation to build on\u00a0for a long,\u00a0healthy life.\u00a0 Picture taken March 3rd, 2011.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dam Raising.<\/span><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 I strongly suggest that you test your goats for CAE, CL, Johne’s and Brucella before you, your family, OR your goat kids drink raw milk.\u00a0 See my <\/span>“Blood Testing”<\/span><\/a><\/span> section for\u00a0 further details.\u00a0 That being said, when you make the decision to dam raise, it DOES NOT mean that you don’t have to think about feeding those goat kids.\u00a0 Some of them have a very difficult time either FINDING the teats in the first place, AND\/OR latching on to the teat.\u00a0Some of my Does have teats that are BIG and AWESOME for\u00a0milking, however, this type of teat DOES NOT reside where the goat kids expect to find them.\u00a0 You have to teach the kids to look LOWER then they naturally would.\u00a0 A tip:\u00a0 don’t try to push the kid’s head to force\u00a0him\/her\u00a0in a certain direction to latch on – they will\u00a0resist you.\u00a0 Try to guide them in the correct direction,\u00a0cover their eyes\u00a0(which will cause them to instinctively raise their nose and look for a teat).\u00a0 With your other hand reaching behind the Doe, take\u00a0your finger and push the teat toward the kid’s mouth.\u00a0 If you try to just grab the teat and try to hold it for the kids to nurse, they seem to always get preoccupied trying to nurse from knuckle\/finger\/etc.\u00a0 You need to go out on a bottle feeding schedule\u00a0to check on your goat kids and help them to latch on and get a full belly.\u00a0\u00a0I go out about every 4 hours to do this.\u00a0 Some kids take longer to learn than others, just keep going out on this schedule\u00a0until one day when you make your appearance –\u00a0low and behold!\u00a0– momma’s udder is\u00a0NOT\u00a0full\u00a0and the kid’s tummy IS!!!\u00a0 YAY!!!\u00a0\u00a0 BTW,\u00a0I don’t generally\u00a0go out during the night.\u00a0 I make sure they latch on and get full tummies\u00a0just before I go to bed, and then I make sure I go out there fairly early the next morning.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Milking Momma.<\/u><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 The first 2-4 weeks, the kids are with their Dam 24\/7, which give them full access to milk whenever they desire.\u00a0 HOWEVER, I check her udder EVERY 12 hours to make sure they are keeping her empty.\u00a0 If they are not, then I milk her out.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After the kids are\u00a02-4 weeks old, I start separating the kids at night, so that I can milk their momma in the morning.\u00a0\u00a0I give a range, as\u00a0it all depends on how many kids she had, and how much\u00a0milk she is producing.\u00a0 Many times, my girls are producing so well that I can leave the kids 24\/7 and I can\u00a0STILL milk her and get quite a bit for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coccidia.<\/span><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 I use\u00a0Land of Havilah\u00a0Parasite Formula<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to deter coccidia. \u00a0Starting within the first week after birth<\/em><\/strong>, I add it to their\u00a0bottle (or put a pinch in their mouth)\u00a03 days a week in dry weather.\u00a0 If the\u00a0conditions are wet, I add\u00a0it to their bottle on that day as well.\u00a0 Only ONE dose on each of those days.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Parasite management for\u00a0goat kids.<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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You need to start\u00a0addressing parasites\u00a0within\u00a0the first week of their\u00a0life.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you wait 4 weeks to start deworming the kids already have full lifecycle adults in them, and perhaps the 2nd generation going on.\u00a0\u00a0Puppies inherit parasites in utero. There are no studies on goats that I know of,\u00a0but it is certainly a possibility.<\/span><\/div>\n
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That’s the\u00a0difference between having some serious formal training, and not.\u00a0 That’s why there is SO MUCH misinformation out there about herbal use, including mainstream media and marketing,\u00a0and why so many times ‘herbs don’t work’.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s the user’s fault, not the plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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You need to start\u00a0addressing parasites in\u00a0kids as soon as they start “Sampling” dirt, etc on the ground.\u00a0 Around my farm, this happens when they are around one week old<\/strong>.\u00a0 THIS is when they pick up parasites.\u00a0I<\/strong> start\u00a0our parasite program with\u00a0them\u00a0three times\u00a0per week<\/strong> at this point.\u00a0 I use Land of Havilah Parasite<\/span> Formula<\/a><\/span> for my goats at ALL stages of their life – even when they are pregnant.\u00a0Kids get<\/strong><\/span> a pinch (or more, go by their weight)\u00a0of this\u00a0once a day 3x a week (specifically, Monday, Wednesday and Friday)<\/strong>.\u00a0 If it rains or the ground is wet – they get it on those days too – that is PRIME breeding ground for coccidia!\u00a0 You CAN lamb bar this, put it in their bottle, or just put a pinch into their mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dam Raising Friendly Kids.<\/u><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 People think that if you dam raise the kids they\u00a0will be wild as a\u00a0March hare.\u00a0 This is not the case with our kids.\u00a0 We spend time with them each day.\u00a0 I also give a bottle\u00a0each day, but they were just as friendly before I started\u00a0the DHIR program.\u00a0 The trick is to pick them up and pet\u00a0them and spend time\u00a0with them each day.\u00a0 Allow the new kids\u00a0to watch you play with\u00a0and pet the older kids.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0\u00a0“Monkey see, Monkey do.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Free Choice Kelp.<\/u><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 It is very important to provide kelp to the kids each day.\u00a0 Make sure they can reach the mineral feeders you\u00a0keep the kelp in.\u00a0\u00a0I see mine eat it frequently.\u00a0 See the <\/span>“Goat Minerals”<\/span><\/a><\/span> section for more info.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Vaccinations?\u00a0 NO!<\/span><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 I absolutely and positively WILL NOT give vaccinations to my goat kids, or any other animals on my farm for that matter.\u00a0 I strongly believe that they are DETRIMENTAL to their health and actually cause them to be MORE susceptible to disease.\u00a0 I\u00a0cover this in greater detail under\u00a0the <\/span>“LOH Herd\u00a0Health Practices<\/em>“<\/span><\/a><\/span> Section.\u00a0 Keep in mind that I DO support their health in\u00a0herbal & natural\u00a0ways.\u00a0 DO NOT\u00a0suggest or imply\u00a0doing nothing to support them<\/u><\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 If you choose not to vaccinate, do your homework and support their immune system properly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Disbudding.<\/u><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 I DO disbud the goat kids at 1-5 days old.\u00a0 I have a Rhinehart\u00a0X50, which does a fantastic job!\u00a0 I\u00a0keep a small container\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>Dr. Christopher’s Infection<\/span> Formula<\/span><\/a><\/span> (2013) near me and apply it to each side after I have\u00a0disbudded that side – this protects against Tetanus.\u00a0 After I’m done with the entire\u00a0procedure, I give the kid a\u00a0drop or\u00a0two\u00a0of Cayenne<\/span><\/a>\/Lobelia<\/span><\/a> Tincture, which helps them deal with shock.\u00a0 Poor babies!\u00a0 I hate disbudding, but it needs to be done.\u00a0 They get over it very quickly, and the Cayenne\/Lobelia Tincture perks them up very quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tattooing.<\/u><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 This is another job I don’t like.\u00a0 I tattoo each kid born on our farm, whether or not they are to be registered.\u00a0 This can be used\u00a0identify them later, if need be.\u00a0 Their tattoo also\u00a0appears on their registration papers.\u00a0 Please don’t use the white tattoo ink, in my experience, it fades or doesn’t turn out at all.\u00a0 I’ve gotten excellent results using green ink though.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tracking their Weight.<\/span><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 This is something I started doing this year (2011).\u00a0 I weigh them each week (or thereabouts) to make sure they are gaining\/growing properly.\u00a0\u00a0I find this is extremely helpful when dealing with multiples (3 or more kids) that are being dam raised.\u00a0 You need to make sure that all the kids are getting enough to eat in that situation, so if you weigh them each week you will catch a potential problem very early on.\u00a0 I want them to gain at least 10# per month OVER the amount they weighed at\u00a0birth.\u00a0 For instance, if a kid was born at 9#, I would expect him\/her to weigh 19# at one month old.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Did I forget to mention something that “curious minds want to know”?\u00a0 Please feel free to email me to ask.\u00a0 Many times I add that info to my pages.\u00a0\u00a0\ud83d\ude09\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Doe\u00a0herd in their 7-acre\u00a0pasture, which includes grassland\u00a0with lots of browse\u00a0and woods\u00a0– a goat’s paradise!\u00a0 (Left to right) SG Land of Havilah Sonador 1*M; \u00a0Land of Havilah LSG Tipharah 3*M; \u00a0SG Land of Havilah DreamOfLiberty 2*M; \u00a0SG Land of Havilah ShekinahGlory 2*M; \u00a0Land of Havilah LDG Eowyn; \u00a0Land of Havilah LDG Arwen; \u00a0*B Land of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":37,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-70","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/landofhavilahfarm.com\/loh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}