The Joyful Chaos of Baby Goats

With the stress and anticipation of birthing now a weight off your shoulders, you may think that it will be smooth sailing ahead. I am afraid, however, that the hard work is only beginning, as you pit your wits against the madness of baby goats.

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FINDING THEIR LEGS

As mentioned previously, the first half hour is crucial. The primary focus should be ensuring that all kids latch on to their mother's and begin to suckle. If they don't, you must intervene. Ideally, this will involve encouraging the kids onto the teat until they get the idea. If this does not work, you will have to bottle feed. For their first feed, they must be given 'colostrum', which they would naturally receive from mum. After this, you can switch to regular formula milk. Providing additional nourishment may be something you need to consider for others as well, particularly amongst triplets. As only two teats are available, one or two will often get more than their fair share, leaving their sibling underfed. It is important to monitor this, and ensure they are given the additional milk they require. This may mean providing milk up to every two hours, ideally through the night as well. If this is unachievable, then a late-night feed followed by an early morning one will suffice.