# Mixing kids of different ages?



## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

It seems that goat people with kids have kids of varying ages (not all does kid the same day). There seems to be a kidding season - spring. 

How do you manage the different ages? At what point can the kids all go together? Do the kids need to stay separate or can you put a one month old kid in with a 5 day old kid?

Tonia


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

I have always allowed the kids to mix as they like. The younger will tend to stay nearer to mum and the older are already more independent.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Mom will look out for them but we do bottle babies so we don't mix them til the youngest are a month old. The older kids will clobber a younger one so we keep them in batches by the week they were born till a month or when they start looking like they can stand up to the bigger ones.


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

We keep each does' kids (and her) separate from the herd for two-three days after kidding. For the next two-four days she and the little kids stay all the time in the night yard for the rest of the goats. That way the little kids aren't shoved as it were in with all of the others, as the rest of the goats go out for the day and the kids stay with their mum. All of our kids are bottle fed, so when the big ones come up to the littlies we can keep a close eye on them and lead the little kids around to make sure the older kids meet them but don't bash them. All of our goats are disbudded so there is not too much danger, but any unacceptable behavior from the older kids or adult does is quickly punished. I won't have mean or bossy goats in our herd and it pays off to train them not to go dominating the little bubs. By the time the little kids are going out with the rest of the goats, they are fully acquainted and already know who can't be pushed off their favourite log.  
Cheers,
Cazz


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