There’s nothing quite as fun as seeing the fruits of your labor in the form of newborn babies—baby goats, that is! When kidding season arrives, you can see how your genetic selection and mating decisions worked, and hopefully, you have great results.
Wait, what is kidding season? Kidding is the term used for mother goats giving birth to baby goats – kids. So, kidding season is when new babies are born and start hitting the ground!
At BioZyme®, the makers of DuraFerm®, we specialize in vitamin and mineral supplements to strengthen your stock by supporting reproductive success and enhancing overall health. DuraFerm is a line of nutritional supplements for sheep and goats that promotes optimal digestion and nutrition for maximized performance at every stage of production, including kidding and lactation.
The DuraFerm team knows that a healthy goat kid starts with keeping the does healthy throughout gestation, leading into kidding. We also know that an increasing number of people are getting interested in raising goats. We created this resource about kidding season – one of the most exciting times on a goat operation!
Troy Goretska, BioZyme Area Sales Manager in Iowa and Illinois, and experienced livestock breeder, shared how he and his family prepare for kidding season at their operation in Iowa.
When is Kidding Season?
Depending on your geographic location and target market, kidding season varies. According to Goretska, the further north you live, the earlier kidding begins.
Kidding season runs from November and December to February in the Northern Plains and Midwest. As you move into the Southern U.S., kidding starts later and continues into March and April.
Goats are naturally short-day breeders, typically in the fall when the days are shorter. However, due to advanced reproductive technologies like embryo transfer in goats, breeding can happen year-round. Other technologies like artificial insemination (AI) also exist, allowing breeding goats during non-traditional times of the year.
Regardless of how you breed your goats, kidding season will take place approximately 150 days after you breed your does. To calculate gestation and due dates, use our DuraFerm Goat Gestation Calculator.
Kidding Season Checklist
“Be ready before they start,” Goretska advised. He encourages producers to have a kidding season supply list ready before the first doe enters labor. Goretska gives us a glimpse of what is on his supply list:
- Sure Champ® Liquid Boost® is a liquid for all livestock designed to provide immediate support to the animal’s digestive and immune system. It contains AO-Biotics® Amaferm®. It also contains MOS to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system and flavoring to help drive intake of feed or water. Give Liquid Boost to kids at birth to help get them up and going and put it in the does’ water as a way to drive appetite during this crucial time of lactation.
- Vitamin B-12 Complex: Give the kids a dose of this at birth for an added boost.
- Iodine: All kids need their navels sprayed with iodine to prevent infection and the spread of disease.
- CD&T Vaccine
- Nasal aspirator or bulb “sucker,” like you might use on human babies, helps suck afterbirth and mucous out of the kids’ airways.
Once you have a basic supply list ready, a clean barn and expectant does, you are ready for kidding season.
Don’t Forget the Does
Kidding season is a big deal. But you can’t have healthy kids without a healthy doe herd. Good doe nutrition should be a priority year-round, but even more so during goat gestation through lactation. That’s where a nutrition program from DuraFerm becomes important.
DuraFerm is a line of nutritional supplements for sheep and goats that supports optimal digestion and nutrition for maximized performance at every stage of production. For goats, we offer two products designed to support reproductive success.
DuraFerm® Concept•Aid Goat ®
DuraFerm Concept•Aid Goat is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for goats to support reproductive success. Goat Concept•Aid contains AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research proven to enhance digestibility. It also includes high levels of vitamin E for reproductive tract repair and supports embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals, including copper, zinc, manganese and selenium. It comes in a 50-pound bag.
DuraFerm® Concept•Aid® Goat Protein Tub
DuraFerm Concept•Aid Goat Protein Tub is a 50-pound protein tub with vitamins and minerals for goats designed to support reproductive success. It also contains Amaferm, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility. The 20% natural protein tub contains the Concept•Aid goat mineral package and supports embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals, including copper, zinc, manganese and selenium.
Both products are for feeding the entire herd 30 days before kidding through at least 30 days post-breeding. They can be fed year-round to both does and bucks. For increased protein at kidding, you can switch between the loose mineral and the tub.
The Final Word
Kidding season is exciting and nerve-wracking all at once. Every year of goat kidding is exciting. Be prepared, and you should have success.
Furthermore, this is just one resource. We might know a thing or two about nutrition, but we are not trained animal caretakers. We encourage you to establish a relationship with your veterinarian.
Whether this is your first kidding season or your 10th, you’ll face challenges. They may even require medical attention. If your veterinarian already has insights into your herd, it will make their job of caring for your animals easier. In short, having a trusted relationship with your vet is the best way to support your herd.
Get your DuraFerm Today
Do you want to get your herd to have the best year-round nutrition with DuraFerm Goat Concept•Aid products powered by AO-Biotics Amaferm? You can! DuraFerm is available through the extensive BioZyme dealer network. Locate a dealer near you today.
Don’t forget to use our Goat Gestation Calculator. This handy guide will help you with all your goat breeding calculations.
You can also learn more about DuraFerm from our educational blog series or by signing up for our newsletter.
