When is it better to separate kids from a goat, what to feed the young animals and how to raise

Many farmers are interested in the current question: when is the best time to separate kids from goats? The specific timing depends on the purpose of breeding the animals. If a breeder raises pets for meat, it is better to feed the kids with mother's milk. It has a high fat content and promotes rapid weight gain. If milk is planned to be sold, the babies are separated from their mother. This must be done in compliance with certain rules.

At what age is it better to start and what to feed them?

Raising kids from birth to 1 month under a goat is considered the optimal method. Thanks to this, the newborn can independently control his diet and receive the maximum of nutrients. However, this method also has some disadvantages. When animals are weaned at an older age, they face extreme stress. In addition, babies older than 2 weeks are very annoying to the goat and can injure it.

This method is mainly used for raising animals for the purpose of obtaining fluff and wool. In this case, weaning is carried out at 3-4 months. The second method involves partial removal of pets. After lambing and up to a week of age, the cubs are near their mother and feed on her milk, taking into account their needs.

However, on the 8th day, the babies begin to be released into the enclosure for half an hour. After 2 weeks they stay overnight separately. In this case, at the final weaning, the kids do not show negative reactions and do not experience stress.

There is another method that involves completely weaning the baby from its mother literally from the first day of life. This method is used by many breeders. It allows the farmer to regulate the feeding regimen and milk volume. In this case, the cubs receive equal portions and do not enter into competition. From 2.5 months, it is recommended to give goat kids wet feed. It is also permissible to use vegetables for feeding.

How to wean kids off the udder

When weaning kids, you need to wean them off the udder. There are several ways to carry out this procedure.

Don't let the udder taste

If the cubs are immediately taken from their mother, they should not be allowed near the udder. At the same time, immediately after birth, they need to be fed milk on their own.Thanks to this, babies will not perceive the udder as a source of nutrition. If the kid sucks the udder even once, the goat will not let the owner near it or will cling to it. It will not be possible to milk such a female. To feed the babies yourself, it is recommended to use a pacifier or bowl.

How to wean from 3-4 months of age

This method takes some time. In this case, the cubs are separated from their mother within 2 weeks. In this case, they can suck the udder and be close to the goat for up to 3-4 months. It is recommended to additionally feed such kids with vegetables. They also need to be given hay and grass. When the pets reach the required age, they are placed in a separate pen. To avoid stress, goat kids should be allowed to visit their mother periodically.

For 2 weeks of weaning your pets, it is recommended to do the following:

• reduce the volume of milk - by the end of the 14th day you need to completely abandon it;
• give the cubs more succulent food.

It is important to consider that the amount of solid food should be limited. Excess hay and branches in the diet can provoke inflammation of the rumen.

Using a muzzle for kids

To remove the kids, you can use a special prickly muzzle. If the cubs are constantly being suckled, a device is put on them and released to their mother. Attempts to attach to the udder will cause discomfort in the female. She herself will begin to run away from the cubs. It is recommended to use the muzzle for several weeks. During this period, it is worth supplementing the babies with milk. This can be done from a pacifier or bowl.

Using a goat bra

This is a rather unusual method of weaning cubs. You can make a special bra for a goat quite quickly. To do this, you should use available tools.

To separate the kids, you can take a regular bag. It must be made of clean material that allows air to pass through. It is recommended to sew a strong rope around the circumference and put the device on the udder, tying it tightly at the base. This must be done very carefully so as not to injure the animal.

With the help of an unpleasant odor

This is a rather controversial method. Experienced farmers use it if other methods do not help. The principle of this method is based on the fact that goats are considered very clean animals. They do not tolerate bad odors and dirt well.

To separate the kid, you can lightly treat the udder with manure before it comes to its mother.

As a result, the cub will not touch it. If you constantly carry out this manipulation, the baby will develop unpleasant associations with the udder. To speed up the weaning process, it is recommended that the baby be given milk to drink from a bottle or bowl.

When should kids not be weaned from the udder?

It is forbidden to wean weak and sickly kids from the udder. Typically, the causes of such problems are associated with the influence of the following factors:

• birth from a weak goat that lacked nutrients;
• birth of a premature goat;
• difficult childbirth.

It is strictly prohibited to separate weakened pets from the udder. Such cubs can only survive near their mother. All kids are born with dehydration and a deficiency of glucose in the blood. Strong animals easily cope with these problems while waiting for milk to arrive. Weakened pets have only 30 minutes.If such animals do not drink colostrum, they will die.

After giving birth, the goat will begin to lick the fragile baby. This will activate important processes in his body and help him find the nipple. Initially, the baby goat will begin to drink milk while lying down. After some time he will be able to get to his feet.

Is it necessary to milk a goat with kids?

Dairy goats are allowed to be milked immediately after lambing. In other cases, females begin to be milked only 3 months after birth. Milking a goat after lambing is necessary in order to provide the baby with milk. If animals are raised for profit, young goats should not be allowed near the milking goat. It is recommended to keep young animals in a separate pen. However, the kids must see their mother all the time.

If the cubs suck the udder themselves, they can injure it with their horns. In addition, young animals may eat too much milk. Therefore, experienced farmers advise milking the goat yourself and feeding the babies from a bowl. In the first week after birth, goats experience increased lactation. Therefore, they should be milked up to 5 times a day. In this case, it is enough to feed young animals 4 times a day. After 1 month, you can add warm water to the milk.

By 3 months, animals are usually switched to adult food. At this stage, it is enough to milk the goats 3 times. Following this scheme makes it possible to milk a goat without any problems. Separating goat kids from their mother can be done in different ways. The choice of a specific method depends on the goals of breeding animals and the individual characteristics of the cubs. It is important to consider that weakened babies cannot be taken away from their mother.