Newborn goats are called kids. After delivery this newborn kids rise up on wobbly legs in the search for their first taste of mom’s milk. This first milk is very essential for the kids and it is full of colostrum.
Colostrum is a must for geeting a newborn off to a healthy start. But sometimes newborn kids struggle to nurse due to premature birth, illness or other factors. In such situation, human intervention is necessary. Read more about newborn goats nursing.
Weak Kid Syndrome
Weak kid syndrome is such a condition that refers to newborn kids who are unable to stand or nurse. These kids are most likely to die, without human intervention. Try assisting the newborn kids into the standing position, if they are unable to stand.
Milk your mother doe and feed the newborn kids a small amount of the colostrum by bottle feeding system, if they are unable to remain in the standing position.
Call your vet and consult with her/him immediately, if the kids continue to appear lethargic and week after receiving some colostrum.
Bring Kids Close To Their Mom
Bring newborn kids very close to their mom. You may notice, some kids are just a little confused and are unable to find their momma’s udders and teats.
In such cases, guide the kids to the teats for feeding, if they are standing. Take a kid and squeeze a small amount of milk out from it’s momma’s teat and let the kid smell and taste.
This system is very helpful for the misguided kids to learn where tasty milk comes from.
Enlarged Udders
Sometimes a newborn goats nursing become very difficult. A newborn kid become unable to position it’s mouth to drink milk. Especially this happen if your mother doe has larger udders and teats. In such situation, you have to milk your doe and feed the kids by bottle feeding system.
Milking your mother doe also help to reduce their teat size and help the kid to nurse. Collect the rich colostrum milk and feed it to the kids by bottle feeding system, in case of first feeding. Because colostrum is a must for the newborn kids.
Bottle Feeding
Bottle feeding is necessary if your mother doe become unable to nurse her newborn kids. Some kids become very weak after birth, and they often don’t have enough energy to nurse. Squirt some milk on your finger and place it in the newborn kid’s mouth for checking it’s sucking ability.
Tube feeding is necessary, if the kid become too weak to suck. In case of bottle feeding system, milk your mother doe, strain the milk and place into bottles and feed the kids. You have to be very careful while feeding the kids, for a few days after their birth.
Feed the kids several times a day. Consult with your vet if your kids are not nursing or if the bottle feeding system is not successful. Never forget to consult with the vet before trying the tube feeding system for the first time.
Because tube feeding system is quiet difficult than bottle feeding system. In tube feeding system, you have to push a tube down the kid’s throat and into the stomach. So it’s a good idea to consult with a vet before trying this system.
