The Joy of Keeping Farm Animals by Childs Laura

Author:Childs, Laura
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Many dairy goat breeders choose to bottle-feed the kids on a rigorous schedule to protect the teats of their does. This ten-pound Nubian goat has no trouble feeding from a rubber nipple and will bond more quickly to humans throughout his life as a result.

Newborn kids require feeding every few hours. By the time they are two to four weeks of age they only require feeding every four to six hours. Kids consume 15 to 25 percent of their own body weight daily.

After a week or so, kids will start eating a bit of hay or pasture and you can gradually introduce kid ration to their diets.

By eight weeks they should be completely weaned. The best way to decide if weaning is appropriate is to triple the kid’s birth weight. When he has grown to this size, he is ready to be weaned. Although you won’t need to wean fiber or meat goats (they do it naturally), you will need to wean the dairy kid. Separation from the doe for 4–7 days is the norm, but once reunited watch each kid closely. If he is allowed to nurse again, separate them for another week.

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