Goat lambing in winter in a cold room: optimal temperature and whether animals are milked

Goats are hardy animals and keeping them in cold climates is usually not a problem. If the lambing of a goat takes place in a cold room in winter, it is recommended to prepare a separate paddock for it. It is also important to create conditions in the sheepfold for keeping newborn kids. As a rule, kids born in winter have a stronger immune system. Livestock breeders note that it is winter newborns who grow and gain weight faster.

Features of keeping goats in winter

Usually, shepherds are not equipped with special heating, since thick wool reliably protects animals from hypothermia. To keep sick individuals or females with newborns, several pens are separated in the sheepfold.

It will be easier to maintain the microclimate in rooms with wooden floors. Or it is desirable to install wooden flooring 20-30 cm high on a concrete floor. Goats are quite clean, so the floor is covered with a layer of straw, which is changed regularly.

It is recommended to keep the room temperature at 6-7 °C in winter. After lambing, it is desirable to warm the air up to 10-12 °C. A separate nuance is the watering of goats. In winter, the water must be heated. During the lambing period, females drink especially a lot. Therefore, it is better to install special heated drinkers in the sheepfold.

Can I milk?

Goats should be milked after lambing gradually, and you should not count on large milk yields in the first week. The first time to express milk is recommended about an hour after birth. In order to increase the amount of milk, the animals make up a “multiple ration” consisting of hay, vegetables, compound feed and silage. Goats will be easier to milk if the udder is massaged in the early days.

Usually, the peak of milk yield is observed 2.5-3 months after lambing. During this period, goats are kept on a high-carbohydrate diet, they give a lot of water. But you also need to understand that the milkiness of animals depends on the breed. Saanen goats are considered the most dairy goats.

Subtleties of lambing in winter

Cases of winter lambing are not uncommon. In order for the birth to take place without complications, the premises should be prepared in advance:

in the sheepfold the temperature should be 10-12 °C;
if it is very cold outside, it is recommended to equip the room with heating;
it is advisable to install a wooden flooring 15-20 cm high in the paddock. Or one and a half to two times more straw is placed on the floor;
water must be heated.

Since newborns do not yet have thermoregulation, it is necessary to prevent hypothermia in their bodies. It is recommended to put the kids in a box or a box covered with a thick layer of straw. In any case, cover the wet kid with a blanket.

What can get sick?

Goats have good immunity. Providing animals with the right care, you can not worry about their he alth. However, it is necessary to constantly monitor the state of he alth. A sick animal most often exhibits the following symptoms:

breathing;
breathing becomes rapid;
lactation stops, udder edema is observed;
loss of appetite;
body temperature rises to 41-42°C.

After lambing, inflammation of the udder occurs. Causes of the disease: drafts, dirty damp bedding, cold wet floor. For treatment, the affected part of the udder is lubricated with ointments (zinc, lead), warming compresses from camphor oil, ichthyol ointment are applied.

The appearance of cracks in the nipples is provoked by inept milking or poor animal care, rough prickly bedding. The treatment of teats and udders with a solution of boric acid helps to eliminate cracks. Damaged areas are also smeared with ghee, petroleum jelly.

Winter walks

During the cold season, goats are released into the fresh air under good weather conditions and shallow snow cover. It is recommended to pre-feed the animals with silage or hay. After returning to the stall, the goats are fed a slightly larger portion of food so that they can rest peacefully at night. Winter walks have several advantages:

strengthens the body of the animal;
appetite increases;
intensifies the growth of wool and down.

The round-the-clock winter keeping of goats in the sheepfold increases the animals' sensitivity to cold and drafts.As a result, susceptibility to disease increases, appetite decreases and the quality of wool deteriorates. It should be borne in mind that animals should not be allowed out for a walk in icy conditions, with snow cover above 20-25 cm, heavy fog or strong winds.

Goats tolerate cold winters well thanks to their thick wool. However, you need to be careful about animals during the lambing period. To maintain the productivity of goats and newborns, it is important to provide them with protection from drafts and dampness. But you should not completely isolate the sheepfold, as a safe supply of fresh air will only benefit the animals.