Goat kids and Lambs and Nursing, Oh, My!

After a goat kid or lamb is born, unless you want to bottle raise them, they need to nurse on their mother as soon as possible to get some colostrum into their system.

First, you need to remove the waxy plug in each teat..this makes it easier for the baby to nurse and actually get some colostrum. The plug is just a small waxy piece that seals the teat, keeping the colostrum in and bacteria out until the babies are born. To remove the plug, you simply milk each side of the udder until you get a good stream going. Some people refer to this as 'stripping'. Its pretty obvious if the plug is still in there...very little to nothing will come out of the teat while the plug is still in place! Usually I can dislodge it within 3 squirts of colostrum. Mind you...this is text book perfect that I am talking about. Sometimes, there is very little in the udder, but for the sake of this article, we will assume the dam has an ample supply of colostrum. Scads, as a matter of fact, so I can make my second recommendation!

Which is...have a clean jar or bottle ready before you strip the waxy plug out! Then...milk some of each side of the udder into the container. Extra colostrum is invaluable to have on hand in the case of an emergency, such as an orphaned kid or lamb who did not get a chance to nurse on its mom. It will also make you popular in the event that a friend or a friend's friend has an orphan in need of colostrum...you could get a call at any hour...popularity has its drawbacks! Not really...its actually the beauty of belonging to a great community of people who are willing to help each other out!

Freeze the colostrum...some folks put it onto ice cube trays so they can thaw out small amounts as needed. Date and label these cubes clearly so they don't end up in somebody's homemade smoothie!

Last part is helping the baby to find its mom's teat, if necessary. Some don't need help, some sure seem to! If you just try to grab the baby's head and shove the teat in its mouth, it will fight you. You need to guide it gently to the teat...and scratch its little bottom, right above the tail. No, I am not kidding or making this up! It mimics what the mom does when the baby nurses, and it encourages the baby to nurse. Try to gently cradle its jaw and get the teat in the mouth while scratching its little bum. Sometimes getting it to latch onto your finger, guiding it to the teat, and then transferring the baby to the teat helps, too. Generally, they figure it out pretty quickly. For twins...try to get each one on a different side of the udder, one on each teat.

And...don't forget to try to enjoy the birthing and bonding process...its a stressful time, but amazing as well!!