When to separate kids from a goat: what to feed and growing rules

Many farmers are interested in the actual question: when is it better to separate the kids from the goat? Specific dates depend on the purpose of breeding animals. If the breeder raises pets for meat, it is better to feed the kids with mother's milk. It is high in fat and promotes rapid weight gain. If it is planned to sell milk, the babies are separated from the mother. This must be done in compliance with certain rules.

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

Growing kids from birth to 1 month under a goat is considered the best method. Thanks to this, the newborn can independently control his diet and get the maximum of useful substances.However, this method has some disadvantages. When weaning animals at an older age, they face severe stress. In addition, cubs older than 2 weeks are very annoying to the goat and can injure her.

This method is mainly used for raising animals in order to obtain fluff and wool. In this case, weaning is carried out in 3-4 months. The second method involves partial planting 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 aviary 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 face stress.

There is another way, which involves the complete weaning of the cub from the 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 the volume of milk.In this case, the cubs receive equal portions and do not enter into competition. From the age of 2.5 months, it is recommended to give goats wet compound feed. It is also acceptable to use vegetables for feeding.

How to wean kids from udders

When weaning goats, wean them from the udder. There are several ways to carry out this procedure.

Don't let the udders taste

If the cubs are immediately taken away from the mother, they should not be allowed to the udder. At the same time, immediately after birth, they need to drink milk on their own. Thanks to this, the kids will not perceive the udder as a source of nutrition. If the kid at least once sucks the udder, the goat will not let the owner near him or will be pinched. It will not be possible to milk such a female. It is recommended to use a pacifier or a bowl for self-feeding of the cubs.

How to wean from 3-4 months of age

This method takes time.At the same time, the cubs are beaten off from the mother in 2 weeks. In this case, they can suck the udder for up to 3-4 months and be next to the goat. Such kids are recommended to be additionally fed with vegetables. They also need to give hay and grass. When the pets reach the desired age, they are placed in a separate corral. To avoid stress, kids should be allowed to see their mother periodically.

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

reduce the volume of milk - by the end of the 14th day it must be completely abandoned;
give the babies more succulent food.

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

Regardless of the composition of the diet of kids, it is always recommended that they have access to clean water.

Using a goat muzzle

To put kids away, you can use a special prickly muzzle. If the cubs are constantly on suction, they are put on a device and released to their mother. Attempts to stick to the udder will cause discomfort in the female. She herself will begin to run away from the cubs. The muzzle is recommended to be used 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 pretty quickly. To do this, you should use improvised devices.

To separate the kids, you can take a regular bag.It must be made of a 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, tightly tying it in the base area. This must be done very carefully so as not to injure the animal.

With bad smell

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

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

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

When you can not wean kids from the udder

It is forbidden to wean weak and sickly kids from the udder. Usually the causes of such problems are related to the influence of the following factors:

born from a weak goat that lacked nutrients;
birth of a premature kid;
difficult birth.

It is strictly forbidden to wean weakened pets from the udder. Such cubs can only survive near their mother. All goats are born dehydrated and deficient in blood glucose. Strong animals easily cope with these problems while waiting for the milk to arrive. Weakened pets have only 30 minutes. If such animals do not get drunk on colostrum, they will die.

After giving birth, the goat will begin to lick the fragile cub. This activates important processes in his body and will help to find the nipple. At first, the goat will begin to drink milk lying down. After a while, he will be able to rise 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 give out only 3 months after birth. Milking a goat after lambing is necessary in order to supply the baby with milk. If the animals are raised for profit, the cubs should not be allowed near a dairy goat. Young growth is recommended to be kept in a separate paddock. However, the kids must see their mother at all times.

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

By 3 months, animals are usually transferred to adult food. At this stage, it is enough to milk the goats 3 times. Compliance with such a scheme makes it possible to milk a goat without problems. Getting off the mother can be done in many 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.