Australian Miniature Goat Kid Care

Raising friendly kid's

- goat kid's that is!

As in most things relating to goats, there are many different ways to raise your (goat) kids. Following are some examples of how you may raise your kid’s, they are not the only way. We have found it helpful to understand how others raise their kids so with a wide range of knowledge and experiences you can come up with your own way of raising them that works for you.

Raising friendly kids to be friendly mature goats.
Many think that to ensure friendly goats you have to bottle raise the kids. This is not always true. While the majority of bottle raised kids are very people oriented, it is not an assurance of their affection. Some merely want to be near you because you are the source of their food. Some goats are just more affectionate than others, in fact most males we have raised are more affectionate than the females throughout their lives (although we re-emphasis you do not want a buck as a pet, only a wether (desexed male)). Many breeders have found that kids raised by their dam have grown into more affectionate mature goats than bottle raised ones.

What makes a friendly goat, whether bottle or dam raised?
Because the breeder/owner spends time around them each and every day. A kid that is handled regularly, petted and is used to you walking around and amongst them will quickly get used to you and consider you part of its herd. We find that sitting in the pen with them each day whilst they are young, letting them come to you to frolic and play with you, chew your clothes, nibble your fingers, and generally getting to know and be comfortable with you makes a big difference. Having a dam that is friendly and affectionate to you is also a big influence, the dam running to you rather than away from you will influence the kids behaviour. Well handled kids will look to you for leadership and affection which continues as they mature if you continue to spend time with them. This can take a lot of time, but the results are worth it in the long run. Having an adult goat that runs to you, rather than away from you makes a huge difference to their handling and management.

Some tips for raising friendly kids:
It is good to understand what goats do and don't like as far as being handled/touched. Most goats have places that they enjoy being petted. Under their chest between their front legs, behind their ears, under their chin at the top of the neck, under their armpits etc. Goats generally do not like to be petted like a dog or cat on their head. Goats have fantastic peripheral vision and one area they cannot see well is over and above thier head so coming at them from that angle where their vision is restricted can make them very jumpy. Always try to approach them where they can easily see you and be slow, calm and gentle. They will quickly relax with you and come looking for that scratch in their favourite spot.

If you are not bottle feeding, if possible send the mum out to a paddock away from the kids pen and sit with them whilst she is gone. Let the kid/s approach you, let them sniff and touch you without trying to touch them initially. Kids are very curious and they will want to check you out as long as you don't appear threatening to them. If you are down at their level they will probably start to nibble on your sleeves, pants, buttons, whatever they can get hold of. They will climb on to your legs and then probably start trying to jump on and off. You can gently move your hand to pet them and let them relax with that. Once they are comfortable, you can pick them up and nurse them. We often find that after a good deal of play, they are happy to snuggle up in your warm comfortable lap for a nice sleep. Petting them at this time gets them very used to the feel of someone stroking them.

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Signs of a normal healthy kid

It is helpful to know the temperature, the respiration and pulse rates and the general appearance and behaviour of a healthy kid:
Temperature normally ranges from 38.8°C to 39.8°C. Body temperature is highest late in the afternoon. It can be raised by vigorous exercise or when kids lie in hot sun. Body temperature can be measured by inserting a thermometer into the rectum.
Respiration rate is usually between 35 and 45 breaths per minute, but this increases in hot weather or after moderate exercise. Panting is normal in young kids only after very vigorous exercise or after moderate exercise in hot weather. The respiration rate can be counted by observing the number of movements of the chest wall or, if kids are lying down, counting the rising and falling movements of the abdominal region.
Pulse rate should be about 60–80 beats per minute. This is most easily counted by feeling the heartbeats through the chest wall close to the attachment of the shoulder behind the elbow.
Normal healthy kids have the following appearance and behaviour characteristics:
* soft, shiny and pliable coats
* sleep for several hours each day
* alert and bright-eyed when awake
* walk and run freely
* have a well-filled abdomen
* droppings are normally soft and pasty.
Marked change from the normal is an early sign of sickness. Disease usually causes increases in body temperature and in respiration and pulse rates, and changes in the appearance and behaviour of kids.

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When to use artifical rearing

You might use artificial methods of rearing goats:
to allow does to be re-mated more quickly if your aim is to increase herd size and maximise genetic progress;
to break disease cycles—certain diseases, such as caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) and Johne’s disease, are spread by infected goat colostrum (the doe’s first milk), by milk, and by faecal contamination of sucked teats;
to rear orphans;
to ensure the survival of multiple-birth kids;
to enhance strong human bonds with kid/s geared toward the pet market.
when you don’t know how much milk the doe is producing and therefore how much the kid is able to obtain

If a kid/s is removed or rejected by its mum, mum can be milked with the milk being used for the household and/or fed back to the babies (unless of course disease is a concern). Mum should be milked at least once daily initially, if trying to dry her off, do not milk her out fully. This can be gradually reduced to alternate days, again not milking out all of her milk. This causes the remaining milk to put back pressure on the milk glands sending a message to the brain to stop producing milk, thus encouraging her to dry off naturally. The doe will decrease her milk production and within a week or two her udders dry up and shrink naturally over time. If you do not want to milk, do not remove the babies.

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Kid's digestion

A newborn kid’s digestion is different from that of an adult goat. Although a kid has four stomachs, it does not use them all early in life because the digestive system is not fully developed at birth. Whereas in the adult goat the rumen and the reticulum (first and second stomachs) make up about 70 per cent of stomach capacity, in early life the position is reversed and the omasum and abomasum (third and fourth stomachs) account for 70 per cent.

The liquid diet of the young kid goes straight to the abomasum for digestion. Kids cannot digest solid feed, particularly starch, until the rumen develops. Poor-quality milk replacers with high starch levels will restrict kid growth. Poor kid performance may also result if a milk replacer with a plant protein source, such as soybean, is used during the first 2–4 weeks, or if fats in the replacer are not properly homogenised into the liquid feed.

During the first 2 weeks or so, the kid starts picking at dry matter, such as hay or straw, but at first rejects it. Gradually it will swallow some of the material, with the result that:
• the roughage present stimulates the physical development of the rumen;
• bacteria and other micro-organisms that are present on the dry feed become established as part of the normal rumen environment.
From about the third week, the kid starts to nibble at grass, hay or concentrates if they are available, and these pass to the rumen. Rumination, or chewing the cud, follows shortly afterwards.

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Colostrum

Colostrum, which is produced by the doe during the first 2-3 or so days after kidding, is thicker and darker than ordinary milk. It contains essential antibodies (immunoglobulins) that protect kids from disease, and is a concentrated source of nutrients. The newborn kid can absorb the essential antibodies in colostrum only during its first 24 hours or so of life. These antibodies protect the kid for the first 8–10 weeks against many diseases.

It may be difficult to rear healthy, well-growing kids if they do not receive colostrum. Kids that do not receive colostrum will be less resistant to scours (diarrhoea) and other ailments later in life. If a kid is separated from the doe at birth, make sure it is fed colostrum as soon as possible, and for at least 1 day. If colostrum is not available from the kid’s mother some suggest you can feed it goat, ewe or cow colostrum that has been stored, there are also recipes for artificial colostrum although there are varying reports as to how effective these are. The most suitable colostrum is from animals which are starting their second or later lactations, as this colostrum contains higher levels of antibodies than does that from young females.

CAE/CEV eradication programs need a source of colostrum that is not infected. An alternative source of colostrum is also needed if the doe cannot produce suitable colostrum because she has mastitis. If it is necessary to feed colostrum by hand, do so in three to four feeds of approx 40 to 70 ml each.

Excess colostrum can be stored for future use in frozen form for up to about 12-24 months. For convenience, freeze it in ice cube trays or similar which can then be transferred to plastic bags for sealing. Collect colostrum for freezing from mature females on the first or second day after kidding, lambing or calving. When thawing colostrum, do not apply direct heat or reheat in the microwave, as this can destroy the antibodies. It is best to thaw/heat over a bowl of hot water.

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How much to feed

There is a lot of information available on artificially rearing kids and we encourage all ‘adoptive’ parents to read widely on the subject. When researching however, please be conscious of the fact that the majority of information available relates to full size goat breeds. Any weights and volumes should be reduced proportionally to take into account the size of the Australian Miniature Goat breed as compared to the full size breeds. The volumes suggested in the following sections are averaged from the experiences of a variety of breeders of Australian Miniature Goats, these amounts having worked successfully for them. If your animals are at the larger, or smaller end of the miniature scale you may need to adjust slightly up or down to meet your kid’s specific needs.

There are very few hard and fast rules about anything to do with raising kids. You obviously don’t won’t to starve your kid/s, but don’t kill them with kindness either. This happens most frequently by overfeeding milk and causing scours (diarrhoea). If you overfeed with milk, your kid will not consume the hay and water he needs to develop his rumen. You don’t want kids to be fat and happy because fat isn’t healthy. Strive for condition, not over-condition. The kid should be producing bone not fat to develop her full potential in later life.

Milk replacers.
Kids will generally readily accept a variety of milk replacers. Performance of kids will vary with different replacers due to the poor digestibility of feed components in some formulations. Most agree that you should avoid replacers containing tallow. Tallow has an unfortunate habit of coating the kid’s interior so that it cannot absorb the necessary nutrients and may result in problems with bloat.

Milk substitutes prepared for calves and lambs normally contain 24–26 per cent protein and 14–24 per cent fat. Milk substitutes for lambs contain more fat to bring them up to the higher fat level of ewe milk. Overseas research into kid rearing suggests that it is advisable not to exceed 30 per cent fat in the milk replacer, and, in the first few weeks of feeding, for the fat not to exceed 22 per cent. Problems may also be experienced if replacers contain too much starch, or, for the first 2–4 weeks, too much plant protein from sources such as soybean.

Some feeds may also contain growth promotants, which usually increase weight gain and improve feed conversion efficiency. Also, some replacers are formulated to be offered warm; others cold. Always read the nutritional information on the label to ensure the suitability of a milk replacer formula.

Many Australian Miniature Goat breeders use Infant Goat Formula (e.g. Karicare) for very young kids available from most supermarkets in the baby section. Whilst this is not a cheap option, it is good to get the babies started well. This can be gradually mixed with and then converted over to full cream cow’s milk powder as appropriate. Others have used Denkavit with good results and others have tried Palastart which has received more adverse comments than anything else we have heard about.

Over the past few years, we have actually found that kids do great using standard full cream powdered milk (e.g. Home Brand, Black & Gold, Coles Home Brand Full Cream Milk Powder) from their initial bottle. The main points to be careful of are:
> general cleanliness of all feeding containers
> not overfeeding of milk
> temperature of mix
> volume per feed

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Feeding methods and feeding equipment

There are three main ways of offering milk feed to kids artificially:
• a bottle;
• an open vessel such as a bucket or trough;
• a manually filled or automatic self-feed teat.
Concentrate feeders, hay racks and a clean water supply are also required for successful rearing.

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Open vessel feeding

Many breeders prefer bottle-feeding because it seems more natural. With open vessel feeding the kid is forced to lower its head to drink and milk can get into the rumen, where it doesn’t belong. Digestive upset can result. Also, open vessels can get stepped in, tipped over and with long eared breeds like Nuwby’s, kids end up with milk soaked ears which can result in skin irritation. On the other hand, open vessels are easier to fill, wash and sterilise than bottles, nipples and self feed teat systems. If you decide to use the open vessel feeding system you are best to start with the kid standing between your legs. Bring a bowl of milk up to the kid’s face, do not force the head down into it. He/she should get the hang of it fairly quickly from here.

Open vessel feeding can be quite satisfactory for kids, but only if you are offering fresh milk feeds frequently. It is important to supervise feeding to make sure that smaller kids drink enough and that others do not overfeed. Overfeeding can cause swelling of the abomasum (fourth stomach).

If you leave milk in open troughs or buckets it can quickly become fouled, so make sure you wash any troughs or buckets properly and sanitise them after use. If milk is allowed to remain on kids’ mouths after drinking, milk sores can develop. You can prevent this by wiping their mouths with clean absorbent paper towels.

Some breeders maintain they have better results using this method as they feel the kids have less problems with 'bloated' stomachs. We have not used this method ourselves so cannot comment one way or the other.

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Bottle feeding and self feed teat feeders

Commencing bottle feeding is a feat in itself. Firstly, miss a feed or two so the kid is hungry. It is important for a kid to get an immediate response to its efforts when it is being trained. This can generally be achieved more easily by bottle feeding, or by using self-sealing teats on the base of a milk container. For young kids we have found Pritchard Flutter Valve Teats are ideal, alternatively you can simply use a standard baby bottle and teat but we usually open the teat a bit so the milk flows more readily.

Support the chin in your hand and balance the bottle at the same time. Hold the back of the head with the other hand so the little one cannot get away. You can assist training by placing your finger in the kid’s mouth before replacing it with the teat, stroking the kid’s muzzle and head, and positioning the kid alongside a trained kid to allow contact of muzzles of both kids. Be persistent, some take a few feeds, others get the idea very quickly. Make sure the milk is warm for the first several days. Newborns can be very finicky about milk temperature and may refuse a bottle that is one degree different. (Note: the teat should be placed in the front of the mouth, not in the side of the mouth).

Ideally once the kid has got the hang of bottle feeding, allow the kid to stand when feeding. A kid's system is designed to drink from a nipple that is higher than his head so that milk goes down the right way, bypassing the rumen which is not functioning yet. When you hold the bottle, you need to hold it up, at an angle so his head is pointing slightly up and his neck is slightly extended as he drinks.

Self-feed teat feeders are used for rearing groups of kids. A Lam-Bar type unit is ideal if you have more than 3 or 4 on the bottle at the same time. We have used a 5 teat Lam-Bar for many years, doing the kids in shifts, we find that any more than that at one time makes it too hard to stop hungrier kids bumping off their neighbour and stealing their share.

You need to take extra care in cleaning large-scale teat feeding systems to make sure any bacterial residues are removed.

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Bottle Feeding

Bottles with teats are useful for small numbers of kids, but are too labour-intensive for large-scale rearing. Make sure your bottles, open vessels and feed-mixing equipment are thoroughly washed and sterilised after feeding. Scrub your equipment thoroughly with detergent, sanitise it with a household or dairy bleach or iodine, then store it in a way that prevents recontamination.

There are many different ideas and practices on bottle-feeding goats. If you need or choose to bottle feed your kids, we have provided this information as a guide. This assumes your kid is healthy, if you have any particular health concerns please consult your vet. The success of rearing kids using milk replacers requires strict adherence to correct management practices, particularly in ensuring good hygiene in rearing facilities, and cleanliness of feed and feeding equipment.

We have included here sample bottle feeding regimes used by some of the AMGA breeder members for your information. These have worked successfully for those breeders however you should always do your own investigation, discuss requirements with your vet and determine what works best for you and your dams / kids. The Department of Primary Industries can also provide useful information.

From birth: All newborns should receive colostrum. It is full of antibodies that give the newborn passive immunity to the various diseases that affect goats. It is also a laxative that stimulates the intestine, encouraging it to pass the meconium (first blackish poo). It is very important that older kids do not nurse on 'fresh kidded' does as they can develop a bad case of scours from drinking the colostrum.

Ideally, leave the newborn with its mother for at least three to five days. Kids less than a week old should be fed about 4-5 times a day and should consume a total of around 200-450mls over the day spread as far apart as possible to allow the kid to fully digest one feed before getting another.

Many Australian Miniature Goat breeders have used a variety of milk replacers however we have found that using full cream powdered milk from the initial bottle feed works as successfully as any other milk formula and is a much more economical alternative.

At about two weeks of age, offer 150ml per feed four times a day. Average out your times so that you're not feeding too close together. Don’t panic if the baby is not taking big amounts, give it time for it's little stomach to stretch. You are aiming to gradually get to feed about 600-750mls total each day.
- Day 4 to One Week - Aim for 75 to 100mls, 4 times daily
- One to Two Weeks - Aim for 100-125mls, 4 times daily
- Two to Four Weeks - 150-180mls, 4 times daily
- Four to Eight Weeks - 200-250mls, 3 times daily
- Eight to Twelve Weeks - 300-350mls, twice daily
- Twelve to Sixteen Weeks - 300mls, once daily (evening)
Each bottle baby is different and whilst some drink and never seem to get enough, some will be slow drinkers and may have milk preferences. This regime is a guide only and you may find some kids need to be offered smaller, more regular feeds. All kids are individuals and need to be treated this way. If the kid is a little off-colour you might consider adding 1 ml of Pentavite (children’s multivitamin liquid) or MultiVite (animal multivitamin powder) or similar to the kids bottle.

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Introducing Kids to Solids

Kids learn from their dam and from other mature goats or older kids in the herd. Bottle fed kids who are raised in isolation from the rest of the herd will not learn to eat browse, hay and grain or drink water as quickly as dam fed, herd raised kids.

Once your kid or bottle baby has reached around two weeks of age he/she will probably be experimenting with chewing on grass and other plant matter. This is a good time to introduce a mixture of hay, lucerne/oaten chaff and calf/goat crumble/starter at a ratio of approximately 3/4 chaff to 1/4 crumble/starter (this should already have vitamins and minerals included) and a handful of hay. You may wish to sprinkle acidophilous or a probiotic on this mixture initially to help stimulate the development of the rumen. It is very important that the rumen is encouraged to develop at an early age. Initially the kid/s will only pick at this (often preferring to just walk or sleep in it), but after about 3-4 weeks you usually find they clean it up over the course of the day. You can increase the amount of solids as each week passes. It is important that the kid’s diet is now a healthy mixture of milk and solids. It is good to allow your kids access to grass, weeds or hay during the day so they can browse and get their stomach working as well as lessening the need for milk as time goes.

Concentrate feeds offered in open bin/troughs can quickly become fouled, causing health problems and waste of expensive feed. It is better to use a design that locates the feeder outside the pen or incorporates a hood to prevent kids clambering into the food. To minimise waste and prevent health problems caused by soiled feed, you can provide hay in racks with a tray to catch spillage. ‘Keyhole’ type racks are particularly good for reducing waste. Hay nets are not suitable because kids tend to jump onto them when playing, and can become caught, sometimes with serious consequences.

At Just Kiddin Mini Goats we have found that ensuring your kids cannot soil their feed makes a big difference in their overall health. We have made our own kid feeders by recycling 20L Council type recycle bins and cutting 3 holes of about 15cm diameter in each side and one in one end. We then put fence hooks on the other end and a solid lid on the top. The kids can place their heads through the holes but cant climb in (although a few tried and just managed

to get inside on the first day we introduced this, none have tried this since!). The lid is very strong with a raised edge preventing dirt spilling off and into the feed. Not only does this make a great feeder, it also makes a great sunlounge and a great toy to jump on and crawl under!

Clean fresh water should be given in moderation, some breeders believe it should never be left to free access for kids. Baby goats may gorge themselves with water and end up with diarrhoea for days on end. Other breeders have had no issue with leaving water on free access, so again you will need to determine what works best for you. The NSW Department of Agriculture recommends that you make sure there is always plenty of clean water available. To avoid contamination you can place water troughs outside the pens in a position where kids can reach through to drink, just make sure the kids can’t get their heads stuck!

If you have determined your vaccination regime you will probably be looking to start your vaccination program during this time. Most vets recommend the initial vaccination between 6-10 weeks of age with a booster 4 weeks later.

Keep an eye out for any signs of Coccidiosis.

Weaning

There are a variety of opinions of weaning age, some say 12 weeks others say 14-16 weeks and this may vary with individual animals – remember there are no hard and fast rules where goats are concerned. You will need to decide what is best for you and your kid/s. At whatever age you decide, start by cutting down to one bottle per day. Usually it is best to continue the night feed so that the kids go to bed with a full stomach and sleep well. Because the kid/s have been encouraged to eat chaff, hay, grass etc there should be no problems when you stop the bottles. You won’t do the kid/s any favours by bottle-feeding for too long as you will slow down the development of the rumen that may cause all sorts of health problems down the track.

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Kid's housing

Successful hand rearing requires that you stick to a few fundamental rules. A dry, clean, well-drained area with shelter is essential. Good ventilation is important and draughts should be minimised. Clean bedding, feeders and waterers help to ensure that the kids remain healthy.

Kids of about the same size/age can be housed together to socialise. This is very important for them to learn to socialise together and understand the herd hierarchy and dominance etc. If kids are housed together in a suitable shed/stall, additional heat may not be necessary however, in very cold conditions, some form of heating may be required. The temperature in the kid’s housing should not fall below about 2°C. Kids should always be provided a good shelter in their pen. Kids love to hide in tiny spaces like a little cave (usually if one finds a good spot they will all try to cram in together) and catch up on some sleep. If there is any nook or cranny that can fit a kid in, it will find it - so if you can't find the kid/s one day, look in every tiny gap or hole for a curled up sleeping bundle. These small spaces also help kids keep warm at night or in cold weather, they can pile up together and sleep snugly. After their first week of life, kids are a lot more robust and capable of maintaining their body temperature better as long as they are healthy. Unhealthy kids, or kids in the first week of life, may require additional artificial warmth, particularly if you have severe weather conditions. Make sure there is shade during summer, and shelter for when it is cold and wet. Kids should always be able to stay dry and out of the wet/rain.

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Disbudding

We believe goat kids should be disbudded to avoid the growth of horns. This is done within the first few days to weeks (varies for each kid) see Disbudding. This is not a task you look forward to but it is much better done at this stage than having to worry about a horned goat later in its life. This is a job that should be done at the right time for the kid, so be prepared. If you plan to disbud them yourself then you should either be prepared for that, or already have identified who will be doing this task for you. Do not wait until the kid is ready to be disbudded before working out who or how you are going to get this done.

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Castration

Method and age varies with the breeder's personal preference. Many like to castrate as early as 1-3 weeks other at 10 to 12 weeks or even older. Leaving castration until at least 5-6 weeks give the young buckling more time for his urinary system to develop which may help to avoid urinary calculi later on.

There is some anecdotal evidence that the earlier you neuter a buck, the larger it may grow. There are a lot of standard goat breeders who have found that wethers are amongst their largest animals. Whilst there is no documented evidence to support this theory, if size is a critical element for your pet you might consider getting an older wether (3 years or older whose size is already evident) or if getting a younger animal, determine when it was neutered and if possible perhaps consider one that was banded between 2-4 months.

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Are my kid/s eating enough?

A goats stomach size or width is due to it's rumen, it is not a good indication of whether they are overweight or full. Therefore the stomach width is not a good guage as to whether a kid is eating well or not. A kid's rumen does not work initially, it is not yet processing/fermenting solid feed so it will not be full. If the kid is dam raised, observation is a better guage, the kid will regularly go back to mum for small regular drinks. If the kid is active and happy, then it is probably getting enough. If you are bottle raising, keep records so you know exactly what the kid has eaten, and do not be tempted to overfeed which is one of the biggest mistakes most 'foster mothers' make.

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Kid's being raised by their dam

My doe's kid/s is suckling from only one teat leaving the other one enlarged - do I need to do anything?

Sometimes kid/s will initially nurse from one side of the dams udder only. This is generally more of an issue in the first week or two of the kid/s life, but it can start a vicious circle as the unsuckled udder becomes more full and the teat becomes harder for the kid/s to suckle from. The kid/s naturally go back to the smaller/softer teat. Sometimes this may become a habit and the kid/s only think to use this one side. Even if it is empty they may not think to try the larger side.

In this situation, we generally milk the unused side so that it is comparable to the favourite side. Often this is enough for the kid/s to start suckling that side too, particularly when they are 1-2 weeks old and much stronger and hungrier. We keep an eye on it and try to encourage the kid/s to suckle this side if they don't naturally start. Generally, as the kid/s gets bigger and stronger and wants to drink more, it will naturally start to suckle the other side, and then more consistently suckle from both.

My doe keeps walking away from her kid when it is suckling - is this normal?

Dam raised kids tend to have small regular feeds and most dams know when the kid/s have had enough. It is typical for the dam to call to the kids to let them know that the milk-bar is open, allow them to suckle for a short time, them walk away from them when she feels they have had enough. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned with. If the dam is not allowing them to suckle, or if you are concerned that they are not getting enough, observe them for a while to determine how often and how much she is allowing them to suckle.

Other doe's kids

Kids will often try to 'steal' a feed from another doe, particularly if she is distracted and not paying attention when they may get away with this for a short time. Most does know immediately if another doe's kid is trying to suckle and will walk away from it, or nudge it away with her head before it manages to latch on.

Doe's are not normally aggressive with another does kid/s, she may give it a nudge or a shove, or a quick pull on its ear. Kids learn very quickly who to stay away from and this is an important part of its learning the herd protocol and dominance orders as well as just general herd interactions.

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Disease prevention

Special care and attention to kids pays off in prevention and control of disease. Kids require warm, dry conditions in cold or wet weather, and adequate shade in hot weather. If kids are housed in sheds, these must be warm, dry and well ventilated. Raised slatted floors—either made of wood or of woven wire mesh—are recommended. Avoid overcrowding, as it increases the risk of infection and the spread of disease.

Small permanent kid pens accumulate a high concentration of infectious organisms, particularly when they are occupied for long periods, so rotation of kid pens is recommended. Good drainage and proper disinfection of pens between batches of kids are essential.

Poor nutrition, inadequate shelter, poor hygiene, and internal or external parasites all greatly increase susceptibility to disease. Dirty feeding utensils and permanent feeding sites can spread infection. Make sure that feeding equipment and areas are thoroughly washed and disinfected after each use.

Remember, it is most important for kids to get colostrum for at least the first 24 hours and preferably the first 2 days of life, so that they can acquire the immunities it confers.

Many diseases can be controlled and treated if they are diagnosed early and proper treatment starts at once. A correct diagnosis is most important, so get veterinary advice as soon as you suspect any disease. Isolate any sick kids from the main group. Nursing care, good shelter and dry bedding are essential.

Vaccinate according to your vaccination regime as determined with your vet.

Disease can be introduced with stock brought in from outside. If other kids are brought onto your property they should be segregated until you are sure they are healthy and unlikely to spread infection to other animals. (See Agfact A7.9.13 Goat health — keeping the herd disease-free, currently available only in print form from the NSW Agriculture Bookshop.)

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Scours

Scours is probably the most common ailment affecting goat kids. The recommendations given for prevention of disease will help to control scours. However, if outbreaks do occur, get advice from a veterinarian, as correct diagnosis and treatment are essential.

The importance of correct diagnosis is emphasised by the fact that, although Escherichia coli is the most common cause, scouring can result from any one of the following, or a combination:
• Dietary mismanagement
• Escherichia coli
• Clostridium perfringens (enterotoxaemia)
• Campylobacter
• Viruses
• Salmonella spp.
• Toxins and poisons
• Coccidia and other parasites.
If scouring occurs and proper treatment is not given within 24 hours, losses are likely to occur. Kids that scour should be isolated in order to minimise the risk of spreading disease to other kids. Glucose and electrolytes should be used to prevent dehydration. Such mixtures are available commercially.

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Hypothermia

Newborns can become hypothermic (subnormal body temperature) very soon after birth, even in the summer when you don't expect it. Cold kids get depressed and are unwilling to nurse or even get up and move around. Test the inside of the kid's mouth with a finger. If it feels cool, the kid must be warmed artificially until its rectal temperature reaches 38.8C.

Time is of the essence!

A difficult birth, cold weather, a wet coat, inability to nurse due to plugged teats, and congenital defects are all possible causes. Placing the kid inside your coat will not warm it enough - your body temperature is too low. If you have a heat pad, lay the kid on that and cover with blanket/towels, do not cover head. Monitor temperature carefully and regularly place your hand between the kid and the heat pad to see that it isn't too hot. If you don’t have a heat pad, hot water bottles can be used, never place the hot water bottle directly against the kid, always wrap in a towel first. These require ongoing monitoring and periodic refreshing when they cool off.

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Hypoglycemia and Starvation

Kids are born with very limited energy reserves in the form of brown fat. They must eat soon after birth - the sooner the better. Without food in the tummy, body temperature goes down and the kid may become hypoglycemic. Without your help, the kid's condition will advance to depression, lethargy, coma and death. The best way to prevent this is to make sure the kid eats as soon after birth as possible.

A keratin plug in the streak canal of each teat is nature's way of protecting the udder against bacterial invasion. Remove the keratin plugs by milking one or two streams of colostrum out of each teat to be sure milk is readily available.

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Ethical Considerations

Many early life deficits can be overcome, and most kids can grow into useful adults. Approach each case optimistically, and don't give up too soon. But, when you have done everything possible for a kid and it fails to thrive, you face some important decisions. The animal may be prone to ongoing poor health and is probably a poor breeding risk. What are you going to do? Keep it? Sell it with disclaimers recommending against breeding even though your advice may be ignored? Euthanase it? These are tough choices, but it is imperative to come to terms with what constitutes each animal's best interest. A short good life is far better than a prolonged miserable one.