I know what you’re thinking, 7 baby goats in 7 days? Our first kidding experience was totally trial by fire. I was prepared, but when you have seven babies in seven days, it’s a little–hectic–to say the least!
*This post contains affiliate links for which I MIGHT earn a small commission. It hasn’t happened yet. Someone tell me what it’s like.
Here I am going to walk through our kidding experience, starting with my kidding kit and the things I felt were essential.
In my kidding kit:
- Chux pads or puppy potty training pads
- towels
- scissors
- flashlight
- betadine swabs or spray
- gloves
- nasal aspirator
- lube
- molasses
- keto drench
- colostrum gel
- kid puller (I didn’t have one of these and didn’t need it, but I’d like to have one just in case)
- BoSe or selenium gel
I started off with a crate full of this stuff I deemed essential for kidding. I did a lot of research and watched a TON of videos. Crystal at Blue Cactus Dairy Goats has the best birthing videos I’ve seen. I watched at least twenty of them!
We made a pallet birthing stall barn with three stalls. We thought this would be sufficient because according to the ultrasound we had three pregnant does. One doe, however, who wasn’t supposed to be pregnant, just kept growing along-side her sisters. Once I could feel her side and feel her babies kick, I knew. She was pregnant too.
For about a week before the great kidding, we locked the girls up at night because, great planners we were, they were due to deliver in January. January in NC might be mild, but tell that to a newborn baby goat! We put an amber heat lamp in there and a baby monitor that swivels and let us view each kidding stall as we needed.
Poppy
First up, Poppy! We could tell that she was close when her ligaments went mushy. The doe’s tail ligaments are like two thick pencils on each side of their tail. You can feel them by taking your thumb and forefinger and placing them on their rump, positioned on either side of their tail. Then pull your thumb and finger down the tail and you should feel the “pencils.” When they are about to deliver, the pencils disappear and you can make your thumb and forefinger nearly touch around their tail when you pinch together. This means their bodies are readying for delivery.
I kept an eye on her all evening from the monitor.
She was locked up all day and night by herself to keep her babies safe should she deliver. I went to sleep around 10:30pm. At 11:30pm I woke and looked at the monitor and there was a little black bundle beside her and another on the way.
I raced out to see if she needed help, but she did not. She kidded like a pro, despite being a first timer. She delivered two little polled kids, a doeling and a buckling, I named Lucy and Ricky.
We gave Poppy warm molasses water for a quick burst of energy that she sucked down like she had a straw. I sucked the mucus out of the babies’ noses and mouths and wiped their umbilicals with betadine. She immediately began cleaning them. She was such a good first time mom!
Her babies began trying to stand right away, so I didn’t have to break out the selenium. They started to nurse within 30 minutes–the ideal timeframe–and we headed back to bed.
Penny
Three days later, Penny delivered a singleton, a polled doeling named Fiona. We totally missed this one! She delivered in the middle of the night. Mom and baby were resting comfortably, baby cleaned and nursing. We gave Penny warm molasses water the next morning.
Phoebe
The very next day, Phoebe was in labor. Phoebe was our first baby goat, and so a bit special to us. We were lucky to be able to witness her birth! Thankfully, she was able to deliver without assistance because her little babies–Chandler and Monica–did NOT cooperate. Chandler came out superman style with one hoof and a nose presenting. I was a little concerned he wouldn’t come out on his own, but he did! Then stinker Monica came out butt first. Neither one of them cooperated very well. Phoebe got her molasses water and her babies were cleaned–mostly by Phoebe, a little by us–and started nursing right away.
Polly
Two days after that, Polly, who wasn’t supposed to be pregnant, delivered twin doelings, Kate and Allie! This one happened in the middle of the night also and seemed to have gone off without a hitch.
Honestly, our first kidding experience could have gone way worse. It really went as smoothly as anything. I was surprised, having all first time moms. It was such a special time on the farm!
Congratulations!!!!!! What an awesome first time experience!
Thanks! It was pretty awesome, I have to say!