# Prenatal care for goats???



## gotgoats (Nov 11, 2007)

I have 2 fainting does due to kid end of Feb. This is their first time and mine!! Is there anything in particular that you do to make sure your goats are ready i.e., worming, shots, feedings plus what should be done post birth for them and the kids. I have been reading up on this on Fiasco farms, but curious as how others prepare. Thanks for the help!!!


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

Since this is only my second year with kiddings, I haven't set up a routine with my pregnant does. But when kids are born I worm the moms and of course dip the navals in Iodine. Then a few days to a week after kids are born we will do the disbudding. I up the does feed 1-2 weeks before kidding, I also give the does calcium right after or right before kidding. I also give the kids probios right after they are born, oh and I give the does birthing haircuts a few days before their due date.


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

at about a month before my girls are due, we boost their vaccines and worm them....I usually feed my does the same until after they kid then I give them more so they will continue to produce milk well....I too raise Myotonics and I have had them for 2 years. After your doe kids, worm her with a safe wormer like safe guard or Cydectin.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I don't do much except boost their CDT and then up their hay intake. I worm if necessary about a month before (if I remember sometimes it is earlier or later).


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## sixshooterfarm (Oct 18, 2007)

We give them CDT about a month before they kid, give them a shot of BoSe at the same time, as well as wormer. We then worm them when they kid and worm them again 10 days later. We are doing some experimenting with our food intake here. Aot of my goats lost alot of weight from the major major change in weather, especially the boys. So we are really really upping the hay intake. What do you all recomend. For you guys with big herd how much hay do you go through in a day?? I have a herd of about 35, how much do you go through.. Ok thanks


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

I give free choice hay. So I really don't know how much I go through....


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## sixshooterfarm (Oct 18, 2007)

Well how many goats do you have, and dont you go through and incredible amount of hay giving it free choice
and what kind of barn do you have? Do you have any pictures of it


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

They don't sit there eating it all day like little pigs lol. I go through about hmm, I probably feed 4 or 5 flakes a day and I have 14 goats. The wasted hay is their bedding so I don't buy straw. I do have some photos...


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## sixshooterfarm (Oct 18, 2007)

wow thats pretty cool! Ok, so do you have any pictures of your actual barn??


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Like Sixshooter, we give CDT as well as Bose about a month before and worm them if it hadnt been done recently.
Everyone gets free choice alfalfa and goat minerals. We begin graining (slow increases you know)about 2wks before kidding until they are up to about 2cups ea at both am & pm. We have mostly Boers here. 
Yup the iodine for navals is a must, and clipping behinds is a big help!!
Warm molasses water for the new moms for a couple of days or so, I offer warm bran mash or oatmeal but no one ever eats it!!
I also BoSe the newborns as we are in selenium deficient area. We go thru a good 125-135lb bale a day with 11 girls...6 preggos and 5 open yrlngs. There is curently no browse. Sometimes I think they pull it out on purpose to sleep at the hay rack...they wont' go inside unless its raining.

Chelsey I like how you are doing it!! The spaces on ours is vertical bars about 6" apart..waste waste waste but I don't buy bedding either unless its for kidding pens.


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a question about the BoSe shot. I have heard that you can easily Over dose. So I am scared to give it to them. I feed alot of BOSS so would the dosage be the same for my does?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes overdosing is critical on BoSe but by how much I do not know.
I don't know about other breed requirements. My babies get 1/2 cc and the adults 2cc. I feed BOSS, but only about a handful each feeding.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

With my girls, pygmy/ nigi's, I boost their CD/T and worm them a month before delivery and do hoof trims before they get too uncomfortable to get up on the milk stand. I feed them separately so I know that each of them are getting their cup of grain 2x day. They get their hayracks filled in the afternoon and topped off at night to last til next feeding. I up the grain by a half cup 2 weeks before they are due and have freechoice minerals available. I don't supplement the selenium because they get a comercial feed mix as well as minerals so I feel that it has plenty of all they need. I try very hard to be present at each kidding to clear noses and if it is too cold(like now) I dry the babies to prevent them from chilling. Mom gets a bucket of warm molasses water to help with energy and hydration, they all get a squirt or 2 of Nutri Drench. If I can be present at birth, I dip navels in iodine, if not I do it as soon as I can. After the delivery, I make sure the after birth is expelled and disposed of...It usually gets burned with the feedsack used to "catch" the kids, if the dogs don't find it first.

I up the grain to 2 cups 2x day til I start to dry them off as I use the delicious milk my girls provide me after the kids are sold.
I didn't start doing the pre birth haircuts til this year...it definately is much easier to keep mom clean ! Previous kiddings I just smeared bag balm on the back of their udders to keep the birth goo from sticking.

Congratulations on your up coming "grandgoatbabies"


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Gotgoats sorry how rude of me. Welcome here to Goatspot and to your first upcoming kiddings!!
I just love how everyone has come up with additional info on the same subject! 
You will probably need to ask your vet about what you need for your area. For instance some worm infestations are different in other parts of the country.
In case you don't know, if you have a good relationship with a vet he/she can dispense prescription drugs and even show you how to administer. And give advice over the phone. Ay no cost.
When I first got back into goats one of the first things I did was to establish a relationship with the vet before kidding time. 
Because of this, the info I have read AND from my cyber freinds, many here on Goat Spot, my vet bill was hundreds less last yr than previously...things like knowing what to ask for, having to pull kids and knowing what to do after.


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## gotgoats (Nov 11, 2007)

Thanks for all the helpful info. The Bose shot...is it just selenium, and do you just give it to goats in areas deficient in selenium. Fiasco farms says something about giving them Vit E and a yeast culture, are these needed (I am not sure what the yeast culture is or what it is for)??? I have a total of 4 does and 2 bucks. They are kept in different fields. The goats get free range hay, so I really don't know how much they actually eat of it. I also keep out Purina trace minerals, baking soda, and Purina feed with BOSS mixed in. 
Also, could someone tell me more about giving Calcium, before and after, and the reason.
I plan on trimming hooves, worming and giving CDT here soon when the weather warms up a little.
Great forum, enjoy reading the different posts on all subjects!!!!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The calcium can help new moms with the deficiancy that can come about with pregnancy or milk production, milk fever is one of those problems that can be prevented with a calcium supplement. I just recently started to give my girls TUMS or the dollar store brand of calcium carbonate. Easy to give, as they like the fruit flavors, I give 2 tablets a day starting the day they freshen. It's one of those "can't hurt, may help" type things. Also , since you are using a commercial feed mix as well as the loose minerals, check the selenium content in BOTH before you give the BoSe shot as it is entirely possible to overdose on selenium. I 've never felt the need to give it and I've never had a case of white-muscle disease in my babies.

Nancy had a good point, check around for a vet that deals with goats or even sheep, they are totally different animals but they do have "common ailments". Vet can tell you what you may have to give and doseages as well.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

gotgoats - how shameful of me not to give you a proper welcoming! 

So welcome - glad to have you 

here is a link to the subject of calcium:

http://z11.invisionfree.com/GoatChat/in ... opic=12440

I found it helpful so maybe you will as well.

I just bought from Jeffers (http://www.jefferslivestock.com) a tube of selenium & Vit. E gel. Very inexpensive (also if you order more then 50.00 from them they wave the 5.00 handling fee - there is never shipping on livestock items) I will be using this gel for the first time this year. Supposibly it is an equivelant to the BoSe.


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Hi there goatgoats, nice to see another Okie! What area are you in?


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

sixshooterfarm said:


> For you guys with big herd how much hay do you go through in a day?? I have a herd of about 35, how much do you go through.. Ok thanks


I have 22 goats and go through 3/4-1 square bale of grass hay a day. And that pretty much gives them as much as they want.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Great questions! The Bo I believe must stand for the vitamin e and the Se for selenium. Someone please correct me if Im wrong in this.
I would sure like to know myself...how much selenium is too much...is it just concerning the injection or is it an overall too much in the feed?
So far we have not had any problems with 2 injections a yr plus what is in th feed & minerals. 
Last yr one doe was gimping around for a few weeks before kidding....we hadn't given anyone their 2nd BoSe that yr...plumb forgot.


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## gotgoats (Nov 11, 2007)

Thanks for the info on calcium and milk fever. As far as the selenium and vit E, I will call my vet and ask what he recommends. Since this is the first time with kidding and all, there seems to be a lot to know and I guess "jitters." I want to make sure both mom and baby(ies) are healthy and well. I will get some pics posted sometime of my goats!
By the way, I live in Eastern Oklahoma near Tahlequah.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Gotgoats, Welcome. You will love it her, and they are all great to help at anytime.

I give my girls their CD-T 2-4 weeks before mom is ready to kid. That does help if you do not have a exact due date. If you give it outside that 4 weeks, then you will just have to give the babies three boosters instead of the two. I have tow does that I thought for sure would of kidded by now, so I gave them the CDT a while ago, and they still have not kidded. Looks like one today (hopefully). So I will give the baby(ies), a 2cc shot at two weeks old, then 4 weeks later, (6 weeks old), then another 4 weeks (10 weeks).
As you will see lots of people deworm before they kid, others after. I do not do it at all until spring. (It all depends on where you live and the conditions there). I do a fecal if I have any questions about it.
If you have had time to read some of the posts, you will get to join the waiting game that we are all playing. So when you think it is close, grab a cup of  sit back and just wait.


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