Why a Newborn Check?
Shortly after each kid is born you should do an initial newborn check to make sure that each kid has all its pieces in the right places. In addition to checking for obvious things, such as an anus, you also want to know if a kid has any disqualifying defects so that you don’t offer it for sale or get your hopes up about its future in your herd.
What to Check?
Peeing or pooping is generally a good sign that the newborn’s plumbing is in working order. Although it is rare, kids are occasionally born without an anus, and obviously, they will not survive. If a kid latches on and nurses well, the mouth is probably in good shape. However, if milk comes out the kid’s nose or if it has difficulty latching on, run your finger along the roof of the kid’s mouth to be sure it doesn’t have a cleft palate.
Check that each kid—buck or doe—has only two teats. Extra teats are a disqualification in show goats, and they are not something you want in milkers. In addition to possibly getting in the way when milking, extra teats can also get infected if they are functional. If they are not functional, kids can get confused and try to suck on them and then not grow properly because they are not getting enough to eat. A buck with extra teats should not be used for breeding, so you should plan to castrate it.
You also want to be sure that bucklings have two testicles, regardless of whether you plan to keep them intact. If testicles are not descended at birth, the odds are good that they will not descend. A buck with only one testicle should not be bred, and it is impossible to easily castrate a buck with an undescended testicle, making it a challenge to sell as a pet. With an undescended testicle, he will still get stinky and act bucky. Most people will use a cryptorchid as a meat animal.
This is Part 3 in our series on issues related to kidding season. It is an excerpt from Raising Goats Naturally: The Complete Guide to Milk, Meat, and More by Deborah Niemann. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.
Thank you so much. Very helpful advice. Great Site!❤️
I had 2 kids born last night. They both looked very healthy and were up and eating easily. Today, I just noticed that the buckling has a yellowish, and messy bottom. Is this a concern? What could it be and how should I care for him. The doeling looks great.
Congratulations! Yellow poop is great news 12 hours after birth! 🙂 It means the baby has nursed enough to get enough colostrum to poop out all of the meconium. Yellow poop is normal for babies consuming mama’s milk. As they start eating and consuming hay and other foods over the coming weeks, the poop will turn to little brown pellets.
We just had twins, is there anything that we should give them?
If they are up and nursing, then that’s great! Some people give a BoSe injection at birth, but that’s not necessary unless you have a selenium deficiency problem, and the med is by prescription from a vet. Selenium-deficient kids may not be able to stand and nurse. Here is more info on selenium:
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goats-selenium/
Be sure that your goats all have a free-choice GOAT mineral available, as goats are not native to North America and have a greater mineral need than other livestock.
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/
It’s fun to read of others having kids. I decided not to bred my doe this year after her having four kids and then, five last spring! We don’t need up here until Nov/Dec with our -30 and -40 winter temps.
Best wishes to all those new kids
Barb