Goat kid care: colostrum, creep feed and weaning

Most goat kids that die are lost before weaning, and many of them in the first two weeks. Colostrum in the first 30 minutes, a warm and dry pen, clean feeding and timely vaccines prevent most of these losses. This page goes step by step from birth to weaning.

The first hours

• Wipe mucus from the kid's nose and mouth, and let the doe lick it dry.
• A healthy kid tries to stand within about half an hour. Help a weak kid to the teat by pressing the teat gently into its mouth.
• Make sure every kid drinks colostrum within 30 minutes of birth (TNAU). Kids absorb the protective antibodies in colostrum best in the first 6 hours, and by 24 hours they can hardly absorb them at all (ICAR, 2022).
• Check that both teats give milk. With twins or triplets, watch that each kid gets its share.
• Ask your vet how to clean and protect the navel cord, and keep the kidding pen clean so the navel does not get infected.

Colostrum and milk

• Kids live on colostrum for the first 3–5 days, then on the doe's milk (ICAR, 2022).
• If the doe has no milk, dies or rejects her kid, give colostrum from another doe that has just kidded, and call your vet the same day.
• Strong kids start with good feeding of the doe: an unborn kid gains about two-thirds of its birth weight in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy (ICAR, 2022). A well-fed doe gives a heavier kid and more colostrum. See Goat feeding: fodder, concentrate mix and water.

Keep kids warm, dry and clean

Kid losses are highest in the cold and rainy months, and up to 30% of kids can be lost in cold, wet weather when there is no proper shelter (ICAR, 2022). In Tamil Nadu, prepare before the northeast monsoon rains of October–December; in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, before the southwest monsoon of June–September.

• Keep a separate kidding pen with dry bedding such as straw, rice husk or sawdust, and change it when it gets wet.
• Fix roof leaks before the rains. Wet floors bring diarrhoea and pneumonia.
• Protect kids from cold wind and rain, especially in their first two months. On cold nights, a coat made from a gunny bag helps small kids. Use a heat lamp only with great care, because of fire.
• In summer, give shade, good airflow and clean, cool water.
• Do not crowd the shed. Keep kids in groups by age, and keep feeders and water troughs clean.

Creep feeding: the first solid food

Creep feed is extra feed in a corner or feeder that only the kids can reach.

• From about 2 weeks, offer tender green leaves and fodder so kids learn to eat.
• From about 1 month, add a little good-quality concentrate, and slowly give more until weaning (ICAR, 2022).
• Keep clean drinking water where kids can reach it.
• Never give mouldy feed.

Weaning

Most farmers wean kids at about 2–3 months. TNAU advises weaning at 8 weeks (TNAU); ICAR's feeding plan keeps some milk until about 90 days (ICAR, 2022).

• Wean only when the kid eats green fodder and creep feed well.
• Separate kids from the doe for longer each day over several days, instead of all at once.
• Do not wean in the same week as other stress, such as a long journey.

How fast should kids grow?

Weigh kids every month and write it down. These are averages from two Tamil Nadu studies; males usually weigh more than females, and your own kids will vary.

Age	Tellicherry (2017 study)	Kodi Adu (2020 study)
Birth	about 2.0–2.3 kg	about 2.8 kg
3 months	about 7.7–9.5 kg	about 11.4 kg
6 months	about 14 kg	about 14.7 kg
9 months	about 18.5–19 kg	about 16.8 kg
12 months	about 20 kg	about 23 kg

If a kid stops gaining weight for a month, ask your vet to check it.

First vaccines and other care

• Ask your vet about vaccinating does 4–6 weeks before kidding, so that kids get some protection through colostrum (ICAR, 2022).
• Kids get their first vaccines from about 3 months of age. In ICAR's schedule, the PPR vaccine is given at 3 months, and the enterotoxaemia, goat pox and FMD vaccines at 3–4 months, each with a booster 3–4 weeks later. Follow the schedule of your veterinary hospital. See Goat health: vaccination schedule and deworming.
• Start deworming from about 3 months, as your vet advises.
• If you want male kids castrated or horn buds removed, ask your vet about the right age and method.

Common kid losses and how to prevent them

In a study at ICAR-CIRG, the first two weeks after birth accounted for 69% of all kid deaths before weaning, and kids born at 2.5 kg or less made up about half of the losses (CIRG study, 2008).

Cause of loss	How to prevent it
Cold and wet	Dry bedding, a leak-free roof, shelter from wind and rain
Hunger	Colostrum within 30 minutes; check every kid suckles
Diarrhoea	Clean pen, udder, feeders and water; no wet floors or mouldy feed
Pneumonia	A dry, airy shed without cold draughts; no crowding
Navel infection	A clean kidding pen; navel care as your vet advises
Worms and coccidiosis	Clean, dry pens; deworming as your vet advises
Small, weak kids	Feed does well in late pregnancy; breed young does only when they reach about 70% of adult weight

Keep newly bought goats apart from your herd for 30 days, and keep sick animals away from kids (ICAR, 2022).

Common mistakes

• Waiting hours for the first colostrum.
• Letting bedding stay wet in the rainy season.
• Weaning too early or all at once.
• Cutting the doe's feed in the last weeks of pregnancy.
• Mixing new goats with the herd without keeping them apart first.

Frequently asked questions

How soon should a newborn kid drink colostrum?

Within 30 minutes of birth. The first 6 hours matter most, because that is when the kid absorbs colostrum's antibodies best.

At what age should goat kids be weaned?

At about 2–3 months, once the kid eats green fodder and creep feed well. Wean slowly, over several days.

What if the mother goat has no milk?

Give colostrum from another doe that has just kidded, and call your vet the same day. Do not wait.

Why do so many kids die in the rainy season?

Cold, wet floors lead to chilling, diarrhoea and pneumonia. A dry pen, a leak-free roof and dry bedding prevent most of these losses.

When should goat kids be vaccinated?

From about 3 months of age, on your veterinary hospital's schedule. Ask your vet about vaccinating the doe before kidding too.

Next

Read Goat health: vaccination schedule and deworming for the full vaccination and deworming plan, and Goat feeding: fodder, concentrate mix and water for feeding does and growing kids. When your kids are grown, see How to sell goats: timing, fair price and safe payment and post a free ad, or look at goats for sale.