Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Birth
Most births take place naturally without any assistance. It is better not to interfere unless ab-
solutely necessary; just observe the birth calmly, and be ready to step in if there is an emer-
gency.
A goat can give birth standing and lying down. The first thing you will see is a translucent
bubble, the water sac, which can burst at any time. You will see one hoof and then another,
and then a little nose, wrapped in the amniotic sac. Eventually, this sac breaks. The birth
slows, giving the birth canal time to dilate a little more for the head to pass. Once the
shoulders are delivered, the rest of the kid plops out. Most kids are born with the front feet
forward and the head lying on them; less often, the hind feet come out first.
The kid lies motionless for a short while, then lifts its head and tears the amniotic sac. Except
in a case where the kid is frail, it does not need help removing the amniotic sac. The umbilical
cord will break by itself. Disinfect the end of the umbilical cord by dipping it in a small con-
tainer, such as a shot glass, containing 7 percent iodine for several seconds. Use a fresh con-
tainer of iodine for each kid. Do not omit this step. An umbilical cord longer than 2 inches
needs to be trimmed. If the umbilical cord continues to bleed, use a navel clamp about 1 inch
below the kid's belly, or tie it off with clean dental floss.
The mother immediately begins licking the kid to remove mucus and stimulate its breathing.
If a kid is frail and weak, you can draw off the mucus and rub gently with a towel to stimulate
breathing, then place it in front of its mother to be licked. If there is more than one kid, the
mother will stop licking to turn her attention to the next delivery. Move the first kid to the side
so it will not be stepped on. Do not leave the doe and kids unattended until you are sure all of
them have been born. A doe can have from one to as many as five kids; multiple births are
more common in some breeds.
Soon, the kid will try to stand up. It will begin to suckle about half an hour after birth. Milk
one stream from each teat to remove the mucus plug. If the udder is swollen, the kid may need
some assistance with the teat. The first milk, known as beastmilk or colostrum, is important
for the kid. It contains antibodies that disappear from the doe's milk after the first 24 hours. A
newborn kid should ingest its first meal of colostrum within half an hour to two hours after
birth. If the kid does not nurse, milk the doe and bottle-feed it colostrum.
