# Separating Kids Overnight...how to?



## skylavaulter (May 29, 2014)

Our nubian kids are a month old and all of our milking supplies just came in. So now we need to start separating the kids from our milking doe overnight. How do people do this with the least amount of stress involved? Our doe calls to the kids if they are even 15 feet from her, and starts to get frantic if they don't come to her immediately, so I can't imagine how she'll react if they're taken completely. We have neighbors who will be very put out if the goats scream all night for each other, so I need some advice on how to go about this.
I was thinking of using that green welded wire fencing that you use to fence a yard in for dogs...do you think that would be too flimsy and that mom would bash it down to get to the kids?


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We only have 1 stall. So my husband built a wood frame - sold wood halfway up and then fencing on the top half. He made 1 panel like that and another that had a slide out door. We put the babies in at night and mom was out in the stall. They could still see one another and "talk", but babies could not nurse. We did not let them loose in the morning until mom had been milked.

You could also make a corner hutch out of pallets. I built this one as an outside creep feeder (and safe hideaway from cranky does), But if you put it where your doe sleeps and made a little door for the creep hole, this would work as well.


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## skylavaulter (May 29, 2014)

Thanks. I think this would be easy enough. We have a few unused pallets and tons of baling twine.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Just make sure the slats are close enough together to prevent escapes! :-D


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## skylavaulter (May 29, 2014)

Yes, will do! Thank you so much


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we built a kids pen with shelter..it does not share a fence with moms so no one sneaks a drink....we find keeping them far away from mom actually works better and reduces stress...babies finally just settle down and go to sleep...after a few days..babies run to their pen for grain and play time...we set up things for them to jump and play on...moms begin to look forward to the kids going to bed too...so expect 2-4 days of crying...maybe just send a cookie and a note to your neighbors letting them know whats going on and it wont take many nights for them to settle down : ) 

we also have a kidding pen int he barn that is the size of two stalls...this works out good for a few nights if we only have a few babies to put up..once the pen is full we move to the kid pen..which is set up closer to the house so well protected ...

dog kennels work well as long as they are large enough ..but babies will be messy come morning...

what ever you decide be sure to provide shelter..a dog house, or wood box...anything they can get out of the weather and dampness...


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

I use a dog kennel in the doe stall. I only have three kids though two of which are going to freezer camp in a couple months.

They run right in! They learned really fast. 

My barn is far from my house and my house is pretty secluded. I didn't HEAR any screaming


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