Why do goats give sweet water after lambing. Goat feeding before and after lambing. Signs of approaching childbirth and the behavior of the female before lambing
Lambing a goat is a responsible business. It is important to take care of the mother goat and the newborn kid or kids, if there are several. The survival of your offspring depends on the provision of timely assistance. So, let's consider the question of what needs to be done, if only goats were born in stages.
- 1 Getting ready to replenish
- 2 Caring for goats in the first minutes after birth
- 3 Feeding kids in the first, second and subsequent months of life
- 4 Useful video: how to care for goats
Getting ready to replenish
Once a baby goat is born, he may need your help, so it's important to have everything you need on hand. In particular, you will need:
- several rolls of paper "towels";
- old, clean bath towels or soft rags;
- a bottle of iodine;
- clean scissors;
- a large lamp if the weather is cold outside;
- a box lined with soft bedding or a small fenced-off nook in the barn. It is advisable to stock up on the necessary equipment in advance so that in the confusion of lambing the goat does not look for where everything is. You can also take a small bucket of water to help you rinse your hands.
Goat care in the first minutes after birth
Goat care
also use old rags or bath towels. Just do not take synthetics: it absorbs moisture disgustingly and you are pretty tormented. Something, and it's been tested in practice.
Important!!! Colostrum should be given to newborn goats no later than 30 minutes after birth. If this is not done in time, the kids may weaken. If you plan to keep the kids away from the womb, milk some colostrum and feed the babies from a bottle with a pacifier.
Feeding kids in the first, second and subsequent months of life
So, the goat gave birth, the kids are alive, what to do with them next? There are two ways to raise young animals: under the uterus and without it. In the first case, the goat feeds the babies on its own, in the second, a person feeds them.
Care and feeding when growing kids with a mother goat
raising kids with a mother goat
This method is common when breeding goats of downy and woolen breeds. Kids are kept together with their mother until 3-4 months of age, and then weaned. In dairy goat breeding, goat kids are grown this way in goat breeds with not too high milk yields.
If a goat has one goat, when growing in the first way, they begin to milk it 1.5 months after lambing, when the baby already eats grass, hay and other feeds well. Queens with two or three kids are milked three to four months after lambing, that is, when the offspring are already weaned. However, you can start milking immediately after lambing, and raise kids under it. In this case, part of the milk is not milked - they are left for young animals, which are let in three times a day.
Care and feeding when growing goats separately from the uterus
When kids are reared separately from their mother, they are kept from birth in a separate pen and fed from a bottle with a rubber or plastic nipple. A little later, they are taught to drink from a bowl. Milk is given immediately after milking or heated to 38 degrees.
When growing kids in this way, you will have to tinker with feeding. In the first week, babies are fed five times a day, every 3.5 hours. On the first day, 100 g of milk is given, then the dose is gradually increased, and the frequency of feeding is reduced. Until the age of 10-20 days, the daily norm of milk is adjusted to 1.1-1.2 liters, and from the age of 40 it is gradually reduced, since at this time the kids should already be eating concentrated, juicy and roughage.
From the age of ten, it is advisable to feed the kids with liquid oatmeal or oatmeal decoction (100 g of flour or oatmeal per 1 liter of water), adding them to milk at the rate of 150-200 g per head. Complementary foods are boiled daily, filtered, cooled and salted. Gradually, its amount is adjusted to 600 g per day, and from the age of two months it is gradually withdrawn from the diet.
15-day-old young animals begin to feed a little high-quality hay or dried branches every day. Hay is hung in small tied bundles at a height of 30-40 cm from the floor. Kids are happy to pinch hay from such bunches.
When the kids are one month old, they begin to give concentrates: bran, crushed oats or barley, cake. From the age of one and a half months, chopped fodder beets are introduced into the diet: first 100 g, then 200-300 g per head per day. Five grams of chalk are added to the feed mixers and table salt per head (daily rate). When the animals are three or four months old, they are gradually, within 7-10 days, weaned from milk.
Young growth should be regularly released for walks on fine days from 10-15 days of age. In the summer it is better to graze on the pasture. If there is nowhere to graze, goats are given 3-3.5 kg of green mass from herbs per day.
When growing kids under the uterus, they are also fed with concentrated feed, root crops and hay. With the onset of the stall period, young goats are fed as adults.
After lambing, the goat is usually milked after one and a half to two hours. Before milking, she should be given warm water to drink. As mentioned above, if the udder is overflowing with milk even before the lambing begins, the milk must be milked, otherwise there is a possibility of udder hardening and the development of mastitis.
The first streams of milk are not given to the kids, as it is contaminated with various microbes. Breeding goats in a private backyard.
First three days goat after lambing It is necessary to feed easily digestible food in not very large quantities. Give every 3-4 hours 200-300 g of bran or flour in the form of a warm and not very liquid drink and good hay. The amount of flour or bran is gradually increased, root crops and other succulent feeds begin to be fed.
In the early days goat after lambing milked 4-5 times a day, before each feeding. From the second month after lambing, the goat can be transferred to three times milking.
Goat after lambing - feeding
The birth act weakens the digestive organs, so feeding goats after lambing requires great attention and caution. Goat after lambing it is useful to give the goat a piece of black bread, thickly spread with butter or lard, then warm flour soup, where it is good to add a little linseed oil. Set hay only in the smallest portions, as well as finely chopped carrots and coarsely ground oats. For the first few days, all food should be given in liquid form and in small amounts. When the goat is being milked, it is good to give her a warm soup with a little juniper berries, an old remedy that is excellent for digestion and milk production.
During the first three days after lambing, you should feed the goat only the best hay, and only clean water to drink. With such feeding, the animal feels quite satisfactory, and after three days the activity of the digestive system is fully restored, which allows you to start adding juicy and concentrated feed little by little to the diet. Feeding goats after lambing
The birth act weakens the digestive organs, so feeding goats after lambing requires great attention and caution. After giving birth, it is useful to give the goat a piece of black bread, thickly spread with butter or lard, then warm flour soup, where it is good to add a little linseed oil. Set hay only in the smallest portions, as well as finely chopped carrots and coarsely ground oats. For the first few days, all food should be given in liquid form and in small amounts. When the goat is being milked, it is good to give her a warm soup with a little juniper berries, an old remedy that is excellent for digestion and milk production.
The activity of the goat's digestive organs after lambing is indeed very weakened, and the use of concentrated and succulent feed at this time often leads to digestive system upset, diarrhea and disruption of the functions of the proventriculus, which further depresses the animal's already weakened childbirth.
The method of feeding a goat after lambing, which we recommend, is very different from that proposed by the author, and, first of all, in its simplicity and ease.
During the first three days after lambing, the goat should be fed only the best hay, and water only with clean water. With such feeding, the animal feels quite satisfactory, and after three days the activity of the digestive system is fully restored, which allows you to start adding juicy and concentrated feed little by little to the diet.
Goats are very popular pets. They are valued not only for nutritious and tasty milk and meat, excellent wool, but also unpretentious care. The lambing of a goat proceeds easily, and therefore there is no need for strict and constant control by the farmer. However, this does not mean that a pregnant individual can be left without care. In this article, we have tried to answer all the questions that the owner of a pregnant goat may have.
Pregnancy lasts an average of 5 months, most often from September to March. The duration of pregnancy depends on the number of fetuses. Two kids appear after 147-150 days from the date of conception. If there is only one goat, then it should be expected later, and with multiple pregnancy, childbirth occurs earlier. Active development of the fetus begins from the second month. The female can give birth to up to five cubs, but usually it is one or two kids.
Basic methods for determining pregnancy
Take note! Experienced goat breeders recommend using several available methods at home at once: palpation, monitoring the condition and behavior of the animal, etc. This is the only way to confirm pregnancy with a high degree of probability.
How to care for a pregnant goat?
A “heavy” goat needs special care. First of all, the mode and diet are adjusted. Moldy and frozen food should be avoided, concentrates should be limited, and in some periods of pregnancy they should be completely excluded from the diet. You need to feed 3-4 times a day, strictly according to the schedule.
The main principle is that the diet should be optimal, that is, contain vitamins and minerals in the required quantities. Sometimes the owners keep the female specimen exclusively on roughage and water, feeding it with cleanings and tops. Usually this approach is dictated by the desire to save money. However, most often this leads to undesirable results - miscarriages, fetal dystrophy, deterioration of the goat's condition.
A female goat must be separated from aggressive tribesmen. Blows with the horns can cause a miscarriage.
The animal is also protected from sudden changes in weather and contact with cold water. That is why the animal is taken out for a walk only after the dew has subsided, and in winter it is better to completely abandon grazing. Outdoor walks and active movement are recommended. If even in the last weeks of pregnancy the individual behaves too actively, walking on a leash is recommended to avoid miscarriage.
Launching and feeding before lambing
During the period of feeding offspring, the body of a goat experiences serious stress and stress. The launch will prepare the animal and help to achieve high milk yields after childbirth. Launching refers to actions aimed at stopping lactation 3 months before lambing. This is achieved by changing the diet and the gradual rejection of milking.
During the launch period, goats exclude juicy food (beets, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage) and concentrates from the menu, stop giving swill (water with the addition of nutritional supplements), and reduce the total amount of food. Preference is given to clean water and roughage. In summer, the amount of green mass is reduced by half. As a result, the nutritional value of the diet should be reduced by 30%.
In parallel with the change in diet, they begin to gradually reduce the number of milkings until the complete disappearance of lactation.
Gradual reduction of milkings
The quantity and quality of goat milk directly depends on how correctly the goat is launched before lambing. This is one of the main problems of reducing milk yield. What is a launch and why is it needed, we will consider in.
Feeding after launch
After the launch, the diet of the sucrose female is again adjusted. The menu is composed in such a way that: the fetus receives the necessary nutrition, prevent fetal obesity, prepare the individual for lactation. In this case, small amounts of food are desirable. Juicy food is again introduced into the diet, but in limited quantities to avoid swelling of the limbs. To build the skeleton of the fetus, crushed chalk or bone meal is mandatory.
Feeding goats after launch
The diet after launch may look like this:
- compound feed - 0.3 kg;
- hay, herbs - 2 kg;
- crushed chalk or bone meal - 20 g;
- root crops - up to 0.5 kg;
- brooms - 0.3 kg.
Concentrates in the "menu" are included for a reason. After the launch, the fetus begins to actively develop; nutrients are needed to maintain this process. If they are not in the feed, then a mechanism will be launched by which the fetus will begin to receive everything it needs from the mother's body: muscles, bone tissue, liver, subcutaneous fat.
At the same time, in order to maximize lactation, it is not recommended to give compound feed in large quantities (800 g or more). A similar method is practiced in large farms where milk is produced on an industrial scale. In small farms it's inefficient.
A common version of the mixture (100 gr.):
- barley - 30 g;
- fodder wheat - 12 g;
- herbal flour - 7 g;
- yeast for livestock - 3 g;
- sunflower meal - 3 g;
- salt - 1 g;
- wheat bran - 20 g;
- cotton meal - 8 g;
- oats - 13 g;
- phosphate - 3 g;
- vitamin and mineral premix - 1 g.
Signs of approaching childbirth and the behavior of the female before lambing
Udder swelling is the earliest sign of approaching lambing. Two days before lambing, viscous mucus is released from the genitals - a leash. Around the same time, the nipples swell and become hot. 50 hours before lambing, the animal's body temperature drops by 0.4-1.2 degrees. During the day, dimples appear in the area of \u200b\u200bthe root of the tail, which indicates a divergence of the pelvic bones. The vagina opens in 2-4 hours.
The behavior of the animal just before lambing changes dramatically. The goat is worried, bleating, can look at the stomach. Constantly lies down on the mat and jumps up to find the best position for childbirth. Sometimes she tears the litter with her hooves in an attempt to equip something like a nest. The animal will persistently seek a secluded place if the owner does not take care of it.
To provide competent assistance to the animal, you need to learn how to identify the signs of the approach of lambing. You will learn from how many days the udder of a goat is poured, as well as about the change in the genitals before lambing.
How to take birth on your own?
When the above signs appear and behavior changes, the animal is transferred to a separate room with good circulation of air masses, but without drafts. The optimum temperature is 15°C, humidity is 75%. It is advisable to disinfect surfaces with a 2% hot sodium hydroxide solution or a 5% soda ash solution. The floor is covered with clean straw.
Necessary things:
- paper bags for placenta and other debris;
- clean rags;
- scissors;
- bottle with iodine solution;
- magnifying glass;
- thread for tying the umbilical cord.
With the normal course of lambing, the animal does not need active human help. Well-known goat breeders strongly recommend observing and not touching a goat without good reason. Normal childbirth goes something like this:
- the goat takes a comfortable position for her;
- a translucent bladder comes out and opens from the external genitalia;
- with the forelimbs forward, the cub enters the rupture of the bladder;
- within a few hours after lambing, the afterbirth comes out.
At the end of such childbirth, the croup and thighs of the goat are washed with a 4% solution of baking soda.
Video - Lambing goat
What to do in case of complications?
In case of complications, human intervention in the lambing process is necessary. If the head does not come out, then the external genital organs are lubricated with boron vaseline and during contractions the kid is gently pulled in the right direction. If the afterbirth does not come out, then the woman in labor is given a flaxseed solution. But with presentation, you can not do without a veterinarian.
The farmer may also experience prolapse of the uterus. In this case, you need to contact a specialist. If this is not possible, then the breeder is obliged to help the goat on his own. It is recommended to water the uterus with water room temperature from a watering can. This is enough for the organ to retract. Sometimes you have to insert the internal organ with your hands. Do this with sterile hands, with extreme caution. For several days from the day of the procedure, the animal is led on a leash to avoid re-prolapse of the uterus.
The main causes of complications:
- improper feeding and, as a result, abnormally large fetal weight;
- infections and diseases;
- first lamb;
- violation of conditions of detention during pregnancy.
Goat processing
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | To begin with, we break the amniotic sac, if the cub came out in it. |
| 2 | We clear the respiratory tract from mucus. |
| 3 | In the absence or difficulty of breathing, blow into the mouth. If it doesn’t help, then we put it on our back and alternately bend and unbend our legs. |
| 4 | Let the mother lick offspring. |
| 5 | We wipe the goat's skin with a dry cloth. Do not wash under any circumstances! |
| 6 | At a distance of 2-3 cm from the abdomen, we tie the umbilical cord with a thread moistened with iodine solution. We cut off the umbilical cord (at a distance of 1 cm from the place of the sling) and cauterize with iodine. |
| 7 | We let the offspring to the mother. If you do not plan to keep the cubs under the goat, then they should be placed in a separate enclosure, but so that they can see the mother. |
Important! If you plan to use offspring for a tribe, then make sure that there are no defects. Particular attention to the genitals. Insufficient or superfluous nipples, lack of testicles, an irregularly shaped vulva are all reasons for rejection.
Proper milking is the key to high milk yields
The animal should be prepared for milking after lambing about a month before the birth (otherwise the first milking will turn into torment: the udder will be hard, and the goat will not be handed). To do this, you need to stroke the udder every day so that the individual gets used to the sensations and proximity of a person. You can use a soft cloth dampened with warm water. You need to massage carefully and be patient - during pregnancy, the animal does not make contact with a person. There are two main ways of milking.
The goat is being milked by the goats
To use this method, the kids are kept under the goat, that is, in the same enclosure. The mechanism is simple. In the first days of life, they will disturb her up to 15 times a day. The animal will not have enough time for sleep and food, lactation will certainly decrease. All this will affect the state of the offspring. Another real danger is damage to the udder and teats.
Advice! If selling goat milk is a business for you, then keep the young in a separate pen, but in such a way that the goats see their mother.
Milk by hand
You need to start the first milking in the first hour after lambing, before the afterbirth comes out. This is necessary for two reasons: for feeding offspring and for the prevention of mastitis. In the first week after the offspring, the goat has increased lactation, so 6 milkings per day for 6 days are recommended. With a decrease in puffiness, you can switch to a five-time or four-time scheme.
The optimal scheme for the first milking:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | We wash the udder drinking water, wipe dry with a towel. Another udder can be lubricated fat cream on a natural basis ("Children's" is suitable). |
| 2 | Smoothly stroke the udder several times. |
| 3 | We express the first stream of milk in a separate bowl. |
| 4 | We milk vigorously to make room in the udder for new portions of milk. |
| 5 | At the end, we line the udder so as not to leave any milk residues. |
| 6 | Wipe the udder dry. |
The value of the first milking for offspring
The first milk contains the bacteria and immunoglobulins necessary for his intestines, without which he simply cannot survive. It is also an excellent laxative and ideal nutrition. It also contributes to the unhindered and soft departure of the birth feces. Usually, within 5-7 days after birth, all milk produced is given to goats.
Nutrition after lambing
After lambing, the goat is given water with bran and molasses every 4 hours, legumes or any other suitable hay, a small amount of chopped root crops. The goat's digestive system is weakened at this time. That is why in the first three or four days they refrain from giving concentrates and everything that is poorly digested.
Goats need to drink
After the digestive system has become stronger, the food becomes more varied. The recommended basis of the diet for queens is fresh hay and succulent feed. They also give brooms, because the goat itself is not able to graze.
Possible menu after 3-5 days from the date of birth:
- up to 2 kg of selected hay;
- branch component - up to 1 kg;
- juicy food - up to 3 kg;
- bran - up to 400 gr;
- concentrates - 500 gr;
- salt - up to 10 gr.
When calculating the volume of food, the number of offspring is taken into account. They start from the fact that 5 liters of milk give 1 kg of weight gain for a kid. For the formation of 1 liter of milk, an individual should receive an additional 0.4 feed units and up to 60 gr. protein.
false pregnancy
Common in goats. With a false pregnancy, the udder of the animal increases, milk is possible, uterine cramps are observed. Even a test in a lab can show pregnancy.
The error is due to the large amount of progesterone in the body. In most cases, the phenomenon is provoked by a uterine infection. Usually, the “falsehood” lasts 5 months (like a real pregnancy) and ends with the release of water and placenta without offspring.
The well-known livestock breeder Smith considers the phenomenon not very dangerous. It upsets farmers more than causes real harm.
Premature lambing followed by miscarriage
A common occurrence. The factors that cause it are varied. Most often these are blows, falls, pushes, jumps caused by fights and games with other goats. Among them are the use of poor-quality food, poisoning, and infections. That is, all the reasons can be put under one capacious phrase - improper care.
The main signs of this negative phenomenon: a change in behavior, a weakening of the pulse, a depressed look. After a miscarriage, the goat should receive proper care. With a new mating should be postponed.
Sometimes the condition is accompanied and complicated by sepsis. Sepsis is indicated by a rapid pulse, tremors, changes in temperature, heavy breathing, changes in the skin, etc. In this case, treatment is with oxytetracycline.
After premature lambing, infections should be ruled out first. For this, the blood is sent to a specialized laboratory for analysis.
Infections develop due to improper or insufficient nutrition, contact with a sick animal, and poor hygiene in the stall. Treatment includes a set of measures: quarantine, taking antibiotics, improving the diet. Any infection during pregnancy is undesirable, therefore, after mating, preventive measures are taken.
Kira Stoletova
For any living organism, pregnancy is a heavy burden, and goats are no exception to this rule. Many farmers are wondering what to feed a goat after lambing? The fact is that artiodactyls eat an exclusively dry diet during pregnancy, while after childbirth they need a large supply of vitamins to replenish immune cells.
The reproductive system of the animal also needs to be restored. Remember, balanced feeding of a goat after lambing is the key to healthy kids and mothers.
Goat diet before lambing
Changing the diet after giving birth will not help the goat recover if the female did not eat properly during pregnancy. The last two months give the greatest load on the body of artiodactyls. Kids grow and develop rapidly, drawing energy and nutrients from the mother's body.
A lack of nutritious food can have a bad effect on the female - the body will replace the shortage with internal resources. Subcutaneous fats, muscles and bone tissue will be used. The work of internal organs, such as the stomach and kidneys, may be disrupted. The liver will not cope with the intoxication of the body. There is a poor functioning of the mammary glands. If the goat is too emaciated, then the risk of miscarriage or the birth of weak cubs increases greatly.
The diet of a pregnant artiodactyl should contain a large amount of concentrated food. Moreover, every day the daily rate increases - in the third month the goat should consume 100-150 grams per day, and at the end of pregnancy the figure reaches half a kilogram. Of the concentrates, oats, barley, wheat and corn are best suited. Grain crops are best crushed or flattened. Barley before the start of complementary foods is better to exfoliate, otherwise you can clog the gastrointestinal tract.
During pregnancy, the female should not be given:
- succulent feed containing high acidity and oiliness;
- root crops in an amount of more than a kilogram per day;
- beer yeast;
- straw and hay of poor quality.
Silage and root vegetables are given in limited quantities due to their effect on the goat's mammary glands. In addition, the excess consumption of these products leads to ketosis - an unpleasant disease that disrupts the metabolism of artiodactyls. Pregnant individuals are especially susceptible to this disease.
Straw has a low nutritional value, and the goat will have to eat a lot of this product to relieve hunger. However, the stomach of a pregnant female is not intended for a large amount of food - during pregnancy, the uterus outlasts the digestive organs.
You should not overfeed a pregnant goat either - obesity can greatly complicate the process of childbirth. The female will not be capable of intense contractions, and the kids may suffocate during lambing. Also, weight above the norm can lead to complications after childbirth - prolapse of the uterus, mastitis and retention of the placenta.
Feeding goats after lambing
Childbirth in artiodactyls lasts two to three hours, sometimes it can drag on for a longer period. At this time, the animal is experiencing intense stress on the body, which must be fully compensated. The birth of kids into the world requires a lot of energy.
However, postpartum stress prevents the goat from starting to eat normally. Feeding goats after lambing can be a serious problem for a farmer. A balanced and nutritious diet of a goat mother after lambing is a guarantee not only of her health, but also a factor influencing the well-being of the offspring. First of all, the animal should be watered - lambing can cause severe thirst in the female. It is best to use amniotic fluid, it will help the goat restore the internal reproductive environment. This will speed up the discharge of the placenta and help the uterus restore its previous shape.
On the first day after birth, the goat does not require enhanced nutrition. To replenish the vital energy of an animal, good hay from cereal and legume grasses is enough. You can make a wet mixture of bran and finely crushed root crops - such complementary foods will be to the taste of the new mother. Concentrated and succulent feeds can be given, but in limited quantities - no more than fifty percent of the daily requirement.
On the first day after lambing, high quality hay from cereals is enough for the animal. Concentrated and succulent feeds can be given, but in limited quantities - no more than 50% of the usual norm.
A balanced diet for a goat after lambing looks like this:
- Hay from a mixture of various herbs - 3 kilograms.
- Grated barley and oats - 200 grams.
- Chopped root crops - 1 kilogram.
- Cereal bran - 100 grams.
For better absorption of feed, sugar, vitamin supplements containing glucose or sugar beet can be mixed into the water of the animal.
These components help to normalize the work of the internal organs of the female, accelerating the process of recovery of the body. In some cases, veterinarians recommend injecting glucose intramuscularly. Also, do not forget about other important elements for life - for example, calcium. After pregnancy, the body of a goat, as a rule, is exhausted, since it has provided both itself and its cubs for a long time, so the animal may begin postpartum fever. To avoid goat-like injections of calcium chloride are given. Also worth feeding bone meal, chalk and fish oil, which contain vitamin D.
Also, the veterinarian may prescribe injections if the goat continues to refuse food after lambing. An animal weighing fifty kilograms can be administered per day up to 500 milliliters of five percent glucose. If you are injecting calcium yourself, then be extremely careful. When the drug gets subcutaneously, inflammation and necrosis can begin. To increase appetite and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, a hellebore solution should be poured through the larynx. Tympanol is also effective in replenishing the beneficial substances of the body.
Fattening to increase milk production
Immediately after giving birth, the goat's milk production rises rapidly. The first milking should be done half an hour after lambing. If the goal of breeding goats is milk, then farmers often practice early weaning of kids from their mothers. Thus, the owners get the maximum milk yield for sale. If the main products of the farm are wool and down, then the offspring are left with the female, but even in this case, the diet must be balanced so that the kids grow up healthy and develop faster.
In the first three months, goat lactation increases every day or remains stable at a high level.
At this time, the so-called advance feeding should be introduced. Among pastoralists, this technology has gained particular popularity. The point of this method of feeding is to give the animal more food than it needs. During increased milking, females are extremely sensitive to energy loss and will favorably perceive improved housing conditions.
Advance feeding is introduced without fail for dairy breeds of goats, not even during the lambing period. The body of these artiodactyls is aimed at producing a large milk yield, which can greatly harm the female without additional feeding.
The daily diet of a goat after lambing to increase milk production looks like this:
- barley - twenty percent of the daily norm;
- oats - twenty percent of the daily requirement;
- corn - ten percent of the daily norm;
- wheat and bran - fifteen percent of the daily requirement;
- yeast, herbal flour and permix - fifteen percent of the daily requirement.
From this list, we can conclude that concentrates should be in the first place in feeding a goat after lambing. Of these concentrates, you can make compound feed to increase milk production in goats. In the first week, the daily rate is 300-400 grams of this mixture. Then the rate is increased by 100 grams every week until the milk yield stabilizes. After reducing the level of lactation, the goat's diet should also be made more dietary, otherwise there is a risk of obesity.
To improve milk yield, you also need to use succulent feed. From three to five kilograms of silage can be given per day. This type of feed has a high calorie content, and due to the high water content, it increases the milk production of the animal. Check the feed that you give to the goat - spoiled or sour silage can cause poisoning and harm not only the artiodactyl, but also the cubs.
Hay for lactating females is given only the highest quality. Cereals and legumes are best suited. The animal eats three kilograms of hay per day. If lambing occurred in winter, prepare the right amount in advance. It is not recommended to give straw to a goat, because its nutritional qualities are very low.
But, in extreme cases, you can grind and steam the cereal straw, and then mix it with yeast. This will increase the calorie content of the feed and it will be easier for the goat to digest the straw. Farmers sometimes soak straw in salted water or lime to increase the animal's mineral levels.
The diet of lactating females is different from the usual, and must be balanced. In the feed for lambing goats, protein, minerals and vitamins are valued. The lion's share of nutrition is concentrated feed, but they are not enough to fully compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals. To do this, use juicy food and premixes.
How to feed baby goats
One of the first questions that worries a farmer who has received offspring from a goat is how to feed the kids after lambing? In the first month, kids eat at least five times a day, every four to five hours. It is advisable to leave the cubs next to the mother in the first few months. However, this will significantly reduce the daily milk yield. Therefore, many farmers carry out procedures for the early weaning of kids from their mother.
Lactating goats don't milk well because more milk goes to the kids.
If the farm is meat-oriented, the pups are left with their mother for up to five months. Only in the fourth month they begin to introduce regular food. Remember that in winter the animal's diet should be more nutritious than in summer, and without a daily norm of milk, kids can die. Also, goats need to be given mineral supplements. Usually this is done in the third week after birth. The daily norm of salts and minerals is ten grams per cub.
Young animals should be released together with adults after the first month of their life. By this time, the immunity of the cubs will have finally strengthened, and they will be able to receive good complementary foods in the form of fresh grass. Wean goats from milk gradually around the third month. From this point on, it is already possible to take most of the milk for sale.
Conclusion
How to feed a kid after lambing? We remember that he, like a newly-born mother, needs a balanced and rich menu and proper feeding. And the first "dish" will be "mother's" milk. If the goat was weaned from its mother, then it should be fed with the same milk. To do this, the milk is heated to the temperature of milked. It should not soar or burn the cub.
Young kids at the age of seven to eight months are already actively eating hay and mixed fodder. Increase every day the daily norm of silage in the diet of kids. Potatoes, carrots and cabbage are sources of essential vitamins for a growing organism. Beets should be introduced into the diet carefully - this natural laxative can lead to upset stomachs of young animals that are not yet strong. Before complete weaning, the kid is completely transferred to the "adult" menu. A balanced diet will allow goats to grow to their maximum by the first year of life.
Experienced goat breeders know that it is necessary to prepare in advance for the appearance of the offspring of their wards. It is important to clean the shed where the animal is kept, put a cage for babies with a feeder and drinker, cover the floor with a thick layer of straw.
Preparing for lambing
Do not be afraid that after giving birth, the goat will starve. In three days, nothing will happen to her, but she will be able to digest the mucus that she licked from the born babies.
Features of care
It is advisable to prepare for the appearance of offspring in advance. After all, it is important not only that the diet be changed. Particular attention is paid to what should be the care of a goat after lambing. After the appearance of the cubs, it is necessary to help her rise to her feet for a few minutes, and then lay her down again to rest. This is necessary in order to avoid prolapse of the uterus, when standing up, it falls into place. Also, 1.5 hours after birth, it is advisable to milk her a little. This is necessary to prevent the development of mastitis. But it's not worth it all.
If the animals have little milk, then it is necessary to reconsider the feeding of goats. After lambing in such cases, you can give milk soups, drink tea with milk. You can also milk the goats yourself, this stimulates milk production.