by Heidi Ritter
So you just had babies, now what?????
Feed them heat-treated colostrum within the first 4 hours of birth. Each kid should get:
2 oz (or more as their appetite increases) colostrum 4 times a day for 2 days, using a pop bottle and pritchard nipple. Add one squirt of Nutridrench to each bottle they get.
On day 3, they lose the pritchard nipple and go to a regular lambar nipple, and go to being fed 3 times a day.
They should be able to stand on their own and eat at the same time… the sooner the better for you! They should
be getting somewhere around 10-12 oz at this point. Keep adding the one squirt of Nutridrench to their bottles.
At one week, start them on a regular lambar. You can start with a smaller bucket, and displace the milk with a
warm jar of water so they don't have to suck too hard to get milk "through the straw". You should only
have to displace the milk for a day at the most. After they are on the lambar good, you can discontinue the Nutridrench.
Castrate males at 7-10 days.
DO NOT GIVE TYLENOL FOR DISCOMFORT!!! ASPIRIN IS O.K.
Disbudd all kids at 10 days.
Gradually increase their milk intake to a minimum of 16 oz, and a maximum of 1 quart per kid. Make sure their belly
is full at each feeding.
Starting at birth, have hay in front of them. Their curiosity will get the best of them and they will start to
play with it and nibble at it. Make sure it is fresh. Start putting grain in front of them at 1 week. A nice sweet
grain will appeal to them. They should be eating it readily by 3 weeks. If not, force some into their mouths and
make them taste it. Usually only a couple times of this and they'll figure out that it tastes good and eat it on
their own.
I use the following vaccination schedule:
|
Day 5 |
Covexin 8 shot ½ cc SQ |
|
1 mo. |
Covexin 8 shot 1 cc SQ |
|
2 mo. |
Covexin 8 shot 2 cc SQ |
|
3 mo. |
Covexin 8 shot 2 cc SQ |
|
Annual Booster |
Covexin 8 shot 2 cc SQ |
I use this for my Coccidiosis prevention:
|
3 weeks |
5 days of Corid in Milk ½ tsp. per gallon |
|
7 weeks |
5 days of Corid in Milk ½ tsp. per gallon |
|
11 weeks |
5 days of Corid in Milk ½ tsp. per gallon |
|
Last 5 days of milk feeding |
Corid in Milk ½ tsp. per gallon |
After completing the 1st cocci prevention treatment, I go to feeding only 2 times a day. After the 11 week treatment, they go to only an evening feeding.
REMEMBER… anytime that you treat them, or stress them… add a couple of squirts of Nutridrench to their next
feeding. Disbudd right before feeding time, add Nutridrench, then feed as usual. Same with the vaccinations. When
I add Corid to the milk, I add Nutridrench, too. Great source of vitamins, etc., to stimulate their appetites.
And more importantly…
DON'T USE TYLENOL OR IMMODIUM ON YOUR GOATS!
BOTH HAVE DEVASTING EFFECTS ON THE FUNCTION OF THE STOMACH AND CAN KILL YOUR GOATS!!!!