Preparing For Kidding
Prior to kidding, provide does with a clean, dry, well-ventilated shelter and try to be around in case animals should require assistance. Hay, straw or pine shavings can be used for bedding if desired. Some of the signs that parturition, or kidding, is approaching include hollowness on either side of the doe's tail, the doe isolating herself from the rest of the herd and an enlarged udder that begins to fill with milk. These events will begin to appear one to six weeks prior to kidding.
At two weeks prior to kidding, the muscles of the ligaments on both sides of the doe will begin to soften and relax. During the last three to four days before labor, the udder will appear quite large. Does that kid for the first time may not show this development until two weeks or more after kidding. One to two days before labor, the does will begin to show signs of nervousness, pawing at the ground, acting restless and lying down. The doe will also expel a thin mucous discharge from the vulva, which will gradually become thicker as parturition approaches. The last 12 hours of labor consist of continuous bleating sounds by the doe. The tail may be straight out or slightly elevated. The first several vertebrae of the spine in front of the tail head may appear to stand higher and taller than usual.
A normal delivery usually takes five hours. Cervix dilation usually requires four hours, and then one hour is required for the delivery of the offspring. For normal delivery the kid should be right side up with the front feet first and the head lying between the knees and pasterns. After the water sac breaks, the doe should start to give birth within 30 minutes to one hour. If the doe or has not progress within the hour, it may be necessary to contact a veterinarian for further assistance.
If the doe has kidded, make sure she has shed her placenta and contact the veterinarian if the placenta has not detached after 12 to 18 hours. Try letting the cord break naturally, and if the sac is not broken, try breaking it for the doe. If the kid appears lifeless, swing it back and forth by its hind legs. Place a straw up the nose which will trigger a sneezing reaction and help clear the airways. Give the kid short hits with the fingers in the middle of the heart until it cries.
Difficult Births (Dystocia)
Normal presentation of the kid is 2 front legs and nose forward. If there is any variation in the presentation of the kid, then the delivery will not be normal.
Abnormal presentations include a kid position that is fully breached, with the buttocks or back feet appearing first.
Another abnormal position may include the head presenting itself, with one foot visible, and the doe straining unproductively. See below for additional breached positions.
A person assisting the doe should trim his nails, remove jewelry, don latex gloves or thoroughly wash his hands.
 Elbow lock
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 One leg back
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 Both legs back
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 Head back
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 Twins front and back
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 Twins four legs
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 Tail only
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Neonatal Care
After birth, clean the mucous away from the nose, mouth and throat, weigh the kid, tag the ear and dip the navel cord in 7-percent iodine to prevent navel joint disease. Make sure the kids receives its mother’s first milk within the first 24 hour after birth. The first milk is rich in colostrum, which contains lots of antibodies which helps the kid fight diseases. The sooner the kid nurses, the more antibodies the animal can absorb. After three days the kid’s ability to absorb antibodies is minimal. In the case of orphans, try bottle feeding them will milk replacement that has colostrum in it or provide the orphan with milk from another doe who has also just given birth. Efforts can also be made to force a doe that has given birth to a single kid to adopt the orphan.
Te adoption process between animals may not be as easy as it seems. First, try isolating the adopting parent in a small pen with the orphan. Hold or securely tie the animal to a post and allow the kid to nurse the doe for several times during the day. Hopefully, after seven to 10 days, the doe will think the kid is hers and decide to keep it as her own. If this process does not work, stick with bottle feeding. If there are several orphans, a lamb feeder can service up to 10 orphan kids at one time.
In small ruminants, neonatal deaths usually occurs when the doe is in poor condition during the last third of pregnancy (50 days) and the kids receive inadequate consumption of colostrums during the first six hours of life. Neonatal deaths are also higher during extreme weather conditions.
Post-natal care
Next, introduce the kids or lambs to solids within the first three weeks of life to stimulate the rumen development and for early weaning and forage consumption. Provide feed with 14 percent to 16 percent crude protein, free choice. Some producers do not creep feed because of the inconvenience, the added expense or the ability of females to produce acceptable offspring for their market.
At 30 and 60 days of age, vaccinate the kids or lambs with C&D tetanus toxoid. If wethers are to be sold, castrate them at least by 45 days old. Don’t wait too long to castrate males because it may be more painful to the animal, especially if open castration procedures are done. If the males are not castrated, wean them and remove them from the females before they reach 4 months of age to prevent accidental pregnancies.
Criteria for Culling Does (Removing the Animal from Your Farm)
- Has a single birth more than once.
- Has kids with the lowest weaning weights in the herd or flock.
- Produces unthrifty kids.
- Poor mothering ability.
- Produces kids with birth defects.
- Doesn’t produce enough milk to wean her kids.
- Recurring health problems.
- Gets pregnant late in the breeding season.
- Has structural anomalies that prevents her from properly nursing her kids.
- Can’t maintain her condition.
- Reproduction performance is declining overtime.
- Always sick.
Criteria for Selecting Replacements
To make genetic improvements in breeding stock, replace 10-percent of the lowest performers with better quality animals annually. Does selected for replacements should have the following characteristics:
- High average daily gains (ADG) and weaning weights.
- The dam is an easy keeper.
- The dam replacements are easy to handle.
- Previous litters are worth a high value.
- Litter weight is 100-percent of the dam’s body weight
- Structurally sound.
- No serious or persistent health problems.
- Born from multiple births that are born early in the kidding season.
- Have a high lifetime productivity in their new environment.
- Females from males that have large, well-developed, problem-free testicles.
- Not polled.
The buck should be replaced in the herd or flock every three years to prevent inbreeding and to make genetic improvements in the breeding stock. Other reasons for culling will include low kidding, low libido or consistent health issues. Select replacement bucks or rams that are born from twins, healthy, reproductively sound (BSE), structurally sound,have a large scrotal circumference (high fertility rates), high ADG,weaning weights and easy to manage.
