Yes, even pregnant goats need checklists.
I never thought I’d ever in my life need a checklist for a goat who is about to deliver kids, but well, I guess that’s why life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna get.
Once I convinced my husband to start an urban farm and start raising animals for milk, meat, & eggs, we’ve never looked back. Having goats is like icing on the good ol’ farm cake. They are adorable, dramatic, & mischievous.
We’ve also had our fair share of hilarious goat birth deliveries & complicated goat birth deliveries.
If anything, experience has taught me that it’s important to be prepared. Yes, even with goat births. Today I’m going to share my personal checklist for preparing for a goat birth/delivery.
Goat Pregnancy & Birthing Checklist
Stocking the barn:
- Pine shavings – Any feed store should carry these
- Empty feed bags – these are great to use as trash bags or to lay a kid on top of after delivery.
- Old towels – towels dry better than chux pads, we stock up on used towels at the local thrift store, then after a kidding we’ll spray them off with the hose then wash in the regular laundry washer.
- 2 Trash Bags – One for trash and one to put wet towels in
- Electric lantern – (where to buy) good for night kiddings
- Headlamp – (where to buy) it’s way easier than holding a flashlight
Stocking your kidding kit:
- Kidding Kit Organizer – (where to buy) I love this one, and it’s super durable!
- Ketone strips – (where to buy) For checking for ketosis before/after kidding
- Medical scissors – (where to buy) sterilize before using, then use for cutting umbilical cords
- Rubbing alcohol – (where to buy) (for sterilizing equipment)
- Cotton pads – (where to buy) I use this to rub alcohol over an injection site
- Iodine swabs – (where to buy) I rub this on the umbilical cords after cutting them
- Kid puller – (where to buy) for specific positions where a head is turned back
- Kid tube feeder w/ syringe (where to buy)- To feed a weak newborn goat
- Disposable gloves – (where to buy) for basic birth canal checks
- Long disposable gloves – (where to buy) for intervening on difficult deliveries
- Headlamp – (where to buy) extremely useful for when you need your hands available.
- Nasal Aspirator – (where to buy) for clearing out kid’s airways
- Water-based Lubricant – (where to buy) for quick birth canal checks or for rectal temperature
- Thermometer – (where to buy) for checking doe for fever during 1st week after kidding
- J Lube Powder – (where to buy) A really slippery lube that helps you turn babies around if needed.
- Cayenne Tincture – (where to buy) good to wake up a weak kid so they can start suckling.
- Colostrum Gel – (where to buy) Not a bottle fed kid’s full replacement for colostrum, but a good supplement full of probiotics, dried colostrum, & vitamins to give all kids after they’re born.
- CMPK drench – (where to buy) for a stalled labor or milk fever, but must be diluted
- Small gatorades – (where to buy) to dilute the CMPK and improve the flavor.
- Large cup or glass – for mixing the gatorade & CMPK
- Drench gun – (where to buy) for giving CMPK or other concoctions
- Honey – (where to buy) for after delivery to replenish energy
- Molasses – (where to buy) for after delivery to replenish energy
- Baby goat sweaters – (where to buy) (Miniature goats – 8 inch length, Standard goats – 12 inch)
- Bottles & nipples – (read more about this in our baby goat section on how to choose the right one)
- Electrolytes – (where to buy) Perfect for goats after kidding because it has dextrose in it, which helps prevent toxemia.
- B Complex injectable – (where to buy) helps with stress, energy, and digestive function
- Tylan 200 – (where to buy) antibiotic for postpartum infections or a given after a rough delivery
- Banamine – (where to buy) fast acting pain reliever & anti-inflammatory
- Meloxicam – (where to buy) longer acting pain reliever & anti-inflammatory, better for pain management over time.
- 3ml syringes w/ 20g, 1 inch needles – (where to buy) for administering B-complex, Banamine, or antibiotics.
- Kidding positions chart – (print here) p.s. I took mine to an office supplies store and laminated it.
- Wide Angle Video Baby Monitor (where to buy) – This can be incredibly useful for long nights waiting for kidding to start.
- Old towels
- Phone #’s of expert “goat” friends in case you have a complicated delivery.
- Phone # of a local vet in case you have an emergency.
Do you feel prepared for your next goat delivery? Honestly, most goat deliveries happen without any problems at all, but it’s good to be prepared so you can have the ability to care for your doe and her kids.
I was wondering what the KY jelly was for because there is already J- lube on there? We are getting a herd of dairy goats and a few of them will be close to kidding date when we get them.
Hello-
They can be used in place of one another, but J-lube is often used to lubricate gloves and KY is often used when taking temperatures.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
So could I just buy J-lube? Or do I have to buy ky jelly also?
Hello-
J-lube would be fine.
Thanks -Bobbi
What are the goats in the picture?!?!? Nigerian? Pygmy? They are so cute! I want some goats like that!
Hello-
They are Nigerian Dwarf goats.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
The brown name should be Leggens
Im a new goat owner and i feel my goats are pregant. Their bellies have grown big . I got my goats in april 2020 they have been with the male the whole time Today the girls have swollen vulvas and tails straight up. no milk bag yet but teats are big. should i move my male out i have one big barn and they are all together My doe came over to me and smelled they usally wont let me touch them and she did not want to eat and smelling the corners of the barn Help Me
Hi Phyllis-
If your goats are going to deliver soon then you should separate the buck from them.
You can check to see how close they are by feeling the ligaments in the tail. This article can help you with that: https://fiascofarm.com/goats/prenatalcare.html
Best of luck with everything!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
We lost our baby & Our mama goat died She was in lying down for 2 days. Please tell your readers that if the goat is lying down in the stall and ready to give birth & but is not pushing to call a vet immediately. She had given birth before so maybe she was toooo calm. Our vet said we should have called 2 days sooner.
Hello,
Our goat Betty was pregnant , she delivered her baby boy last night and today he was up by our house on the ground. He looked well cared for, he was clean and warm but he was not breathing. Betty is now walking around crying for him. This was our first kid and Betty and Brutus are our first goats. Is there anything I can or should do to make things better for her?? I feel so bad she lost her baby!
Hi Alisha-
I’m so sorry you lost your baby goat. That’s always tough. And yes, it can be tough on the mama. Right now she just needs a little extra TLC and attention from you. Also for for her health, make sure she has plenty of water, nutritious feed, is dewormed, and she isn’t running a fever. She has gone through a lot stress and will continue to go through some as the days continue. If you are not milking her out also watch her udder and make sure it does not get infected and that she eventually stops producing milk.
I hope that helps. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.
Best wishes for you and your goats.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi Alisha. A bleeting goat can be sad but comfort her as much as possible. If you can get her something to play with or do and if you can get her another goat. So sorry for your kid.
Hi DaNelle! I started my back yard farm in September. I now have 2 pregnant females due at the end of February. I have separated them from our male into a pen with 6chickens and 4 ducks. Everyone gets along great. My question is as my pregos get closer to kidding, do they need to be separated from 1. The other animals and 2. Each other? Or can they kid and all live together?
Hi Mandy-
Goats are herd animals so you can keep them all together as long as there is plenty of space for the mamas to have their own areas. However, separating them into their own pens at the time of the birth, and for a few days after, can reduce the stress on the mama and allow them time alone with their babies. If you have the capability to separate them I would do that. If not, they can stay together, just keep an eye on them. Best of luck with your soon to be new arrivals!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Today I got goats and one is pregnant and we do not how far along she is and she is the same kind as luna and my mom said that she does nit want to get an altru sound.
Hi Zoe-
That’s great you have a new goat! If she is like Luna then she is a Nubian. It can be difficult to tell if your goat is pregnant and how far along she. This article will give you the information to know if she is pregnant and possibly how many weeks or months along she is. https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-pregnant/
Best of luck with everything!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I have a goat that had aborted last year due to being butted by other goats. I bought her this year and she had twins and all went very well. The question I have is when that happens(aborting) does their milk still come in? And if it does is it a normal milking cycle or shorter? She’s hard to milk so I was wondering if she’s just not real used to the milking thing or is she being a stinker for me?The other goat is 7 and she is great to milk. I’m a newbie to this so I need practice also. The first goat is almost 3.
Hi Cindi-
Depending on what stage of pregnancy the doe aborts in will depend on if her milk comes in. If her milk does come in it will be a typical milking cycle, but with a doe losing a kid, just make sure you are not adding stress to her already stressed out body by milking her.
As for being a difficult milker, that is very goat dependent. Some does are little angels and others are little terrors, especially if they’ve had bad milking experiences prior to you owning her. Just keep working with her and use A LOT of patience. They usually come around, it just takes quite a bit of time.
Best of luck and Happy Goating!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Well Bobbi today she was much better! I think she’s coming around to it. My son (he’s 5yrs)and I say a little prayer before we milk so that we will have extra patience and that the goat will have patience with us, and boy does that help. I’m new so still learning and I know that they have to get use to me doing it rather than old owner. Everyone does things a lil different. Thanks for your help. I’m have a great time with my new farm girls(the goats) and just love them.
Hello, thanks for all this great advise! I bred my Nigerian doe back in may, so she’s due in about a month. The only problem is that she isn’t filling up at all. I dont think she’s gone into heat, because our wether never even tried to mount her? She is a first freshener, but her bag doesn’t even seem the least bit filled… is it common for first fresheners to fill late? I want to know for sure if she’s pregnant, so I can really start prepping her, I’m only 13, and this is my first time breeding goats… any tips/advice?
Hi Alex-
It definitely is difficult to tell if a goat is pregnant sometimes, which can be frustrating. Here is an article that DaNelle wrote about how to tell if your doe is pregnant. https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-pregnant/
Hopefully this information will help you. Good luck with your doe and Happy Goating! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hey, I’m a new goat owner and our first goat just had a doe! (By the way I’m 13, so sorry for my bad grammar) I have been trying to research when I should start milking her. It has been about two days since she had the kid. Right now they are in the same penn and the doe is feeding well, but I don’t know if when I start milking her if we should take her mom out and put her with the other goats, or if it would be alright for them to stay together and the baby still get enough milk after me milking her. Thank you for all of ur help through out the reset of your blog. I love how much u respond to your comments.
Hi Kenna, this article should help: https://www.weedemandreap.com/raising-goats-milking-goats/
You’ll wait till about 2 weeks after birth to milk her.
Hi DaNelle! Thanks so much for all this great information. I’m curious what kind of shelter is needed for does kidding in February? We occasionally hit single digits at night during the winter, and we have a shed that they have access to. We’re trying to decide how much insulation they need in their kidding pens, and whether heat lamps are necessary. Thank you!
Hi Susan, I would say you’d definitely need a heat lamp in the stall for the first week of the babies’ life.
Hi there! First of all, thank you for being such an incredible resource!!!! Your blog is so informative and so fun to read. My question is regarding the Keto-drench you mention…. We purchased a pregnant doe (crazy? Probably a little!!!) and she is really skittish, and due this Sunday! I’m sure the whole event will be an adventure since she is so terrified of us, but I’m fairly certain I won’t be able to get close enough to give her an oral drench….is it possible to give this mixed with water at her leisure? If not, do you have any other suggestions for something that would achieve similar benefits without the need for close contact?
Thanks in advance!!
I would probably do it that way for sure!
Hi I have a really small pygmy/Nigerian dwarf doe who I bred with my billy.she is due in about 30 days but has not got a big belly..but her sack is getting large and her attitude changed.do you think she is bred or just going to have a tiny baby? She has not been back in heat sence she was bred
Hi Crystal, she could have a singleton, which is normal and in that case, it’s hard to see that much of a difference. It also could be a false pregnancy. This happens from a hormonal imbalance and they are called maiden milkers, because they go into milk without ever having a baby:) Either way you can just wait a month and see if she has a baby:)
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I’m keeping them separated, the vet told me I could turn the momma and baby out with the billy, I think he was totally wrong! The Billy tried his best to do the baby in. I will be having him neutered, I don’t want any more, we just have them as pets nothing else. If the male can’t get along with the baby after being neutered I’ll give him back to my brother in law. Ha.
We just had our first baby, it is 8 days old. When is it okay to let the momma and baby out.
I have only 3 pygmy goats, daddy,momma and now baby. We have been keeping the momma and baby in a separate house. I was told after a week they can be introduced back into the rest of the fold. Any advise.
Hi Patricia,
The daddy, or buck, must be kept away at all times unless you want mama goat bred again:) Most people breed their goats once a year, so I’d keep them separate until breeding time comes around again:)
As far as any other goats (that are not intact males) you can let the baby and mama with them at the 2 week mark:)
We have a goat that has a baby 3 days old. Mamas teats are swelled and red. do you have anything we can do?
Hi Gloria,
Some slight redness and swelling is normal, it’s common to have some rawness in those early days, but if her udder feels hard or extremely hot to the touch, then you need to take her to a vet to rule out mastitis or something else:)
Thank you. Great information to have on had!
This was very helpful! Thanks!