So, you’ve bred your goats and now you have a bunch of does with huge pregnant bellies ready to pop. The final countdown is on as you await the arrival of newborn kids. Before those goat kids come though, you will need to have a safe place for your goats to kid as well as supplies on hand.
Goat Kidding Supplies: What You Will Need
To give your goats the best chance of success in the kidding process you will want to have some supplies on hand to help them out.
One of the first things on your supply list should be your vet’s number. Most of the time you will not need to get in touch with your vet while your goats are kidding, but every once in a long while you may need to and that number will be invaluable.
Here are some tangible kidding supplies you will also want to have on hand:
Bear Mountain Acres has a good video that demonstrates Umbilical Cord Care and tying off the umbilical cord. Having dental floss won’t break the bank either. You can pick a Pack of 6 Dental Floss up for $6 on Amazon.
Since newborn kids have a hard time regulating their own body temperature and are prone to hypothermia, a heat lamp can be the means of saving the lives of your newborn kids.
A good heat lamp is the Producer’s Pride Brooder Lamp that retails for $10. It is good to pair your heat lamp with a red bulb, since that bulb does not disturb their sleep. A Red Bulb retails for $6 and you may want a couple on hand in case one goes out.
Goat Kidding Pen – DIY or Where to Buy One
Now that many goat kidding supplies have been covered, it is only fitting that the location of kidding is covered as well. There are many options when it comes to the location of where you let your goats kid, and the final decision is up to you. However, a kidding pen can be very nice to have once kidding season comes.
Even though goats have had kids outside in the wild for thousands of years without any human help, domesticated goats benefit from a more controlled environment made by humans. When you have your goats kid in a kidding pen you have control over what the doe and her kids are exposed to. This means you can eliminate many dangers to your doe and her newborn kids.
Goat Kidding Barn
Some people will build a barn that is specifically for does that are kidding. The size of the barn all depends on what the goals are for your goat numbers. You can place does in their own 5x5 pen, or use the whole barn as a place for them to kid.
The nice thing about putting them in their own pen though, is that you have more control of the doe when she does kid and the other does won’t get in her way.
So, depending on how many does you plan on kidding, and if you are going to put them in individualized pens, will determine the size of barn you will need.
The Kidding Pen
Build Your Own Kidding Pen
Just like with many other things, you can build your own goat kidding pen or buy one. If you make your own kidding pens you can open yourself up to a lot of savings, but it will take your time and a few tools.
Hilltop Acres Homestead has a great video tutorial on how to make a Goat Kidding Pen using cattle panels. You can use this video as a guide if you decide to build your own kidding pens. The panels are found at many local farm stores near you along with the other materials that you will need.
You can even order Cattle Panels online for $24 each, making this a very cost effective option for a goat kidding pen.
Buy a Kidding Pen
If you decide that you would rather not deal with the hassle of building pens, there are premade pens on the market that you can buy.
One of the options is buying a 5x5 dog kennel. You can find these at many pet and farm supply stores locally. You can even order something like the Lucky Dog 5x5 Kennel for $210 off of Amazon. Or, if you want a pen that is specifically made for goats, you can order four Goat Kidding Panels off of Tractor Supply for $90 each.
Whatever pen you choose to build, you will want to make sure that you sanitize it a few weeks before your goat is due and fill it with clean wood shavings or straw. You can let your goat play with her friends during the day and bring her in at night so that you can keep a better eye on her.
If she starts acting like she is going to start kidding though you will want to keep her in her pen so that you can have her kid where you want her to.
Wrapping Up
Kidding is an exciting time on every goat farm and usually goes off without a hitch. To give you and your does every advantage, you will want to make sure you have all of these necessary supplies ready and know how to use them.
Having all of these supplies can help you avoid some tough situations and potentially saves the lives of newborn kids and your does!
