Especially if they are about to give birth.
In winter and summer period it is different.
IN winter time this animal needs more roughage.
For example, hay and straw. Tributary grass is suitable for hay. This cattle feeds on hay not only in winter, but also in summer. The product promotes good digestion. The best hay is that which is cut from June to July.
Important! Wet hay loses its nutritional elements.
On winter period Before giving birth to an animal, you need to stock up on brooms made from tree branches, bushes and nettles. In addition, pregnant cattle must be periodically pampered with aspen branches.
Hay dust and kitchen waste are considered excellent complementary foods. But it is worth considering that for pregnant cattle all products must be fresh, clean and free of mold and rot.
Peculiarities:
- Closer to birth, cattle need to add chalk, eggshells and bone meal to their diet. At this time, the baby’s skeleton is actively forming, so the animal needs additional calcium.
- It is recommended to reduce the intake of concentrates in the animal’s diet. If the babies are very large, the animal will face a difficult birth.
- Fourteen days before birth, concentrated feed should be removed from the diet.
Feeding goats requires special care. Poor quality products with mold can contribute to miscarriage. It is better to give root vegetables to animals fresh or boiled. When a couple of weeks before giving birth, a farmer observes a significant increase in the animal’s weight, it is recommended to reduce the portions.
Approximate feeding of goats in winter, diet:
- morning time - concentrates and root vegetables, milking clean water;
- during the day - root crops, silage and kitchen cleaning, milking and hay;
- evening period - concentrates, milking and water;
- At night, it is recommended to put hay and branches in the feeder.
The time of the birth procedure and the degree of appearance of healthy offspring depend on the correct nutrition of the animal.
What to give after lambing
A week before the birth process, you need to limit your food intake.
It is enough to provide only root vegetables, silage and water.
If the animal is severely emaciated, proper nutrition You can switch a couple of days before lambing.
On the third day after birth, vegetables must be removed from the animal’s diet.
Be sure to provide the birthing animal with good hay and water. It should receive only fresh food.
It’s not difficult to create a diet for cattle that have given birth. The main thing is that it is enriched with vitamins and microelements. Only under such conditions will the cattle feel great.
How to reproach a goat after lambing - presented in the video:
Goats are considered one of the most unpretentious animals in comparison with the same cows or horses. However, there are special feeding principles that must be followed in order for the animals to remain healthy. Don't know what to feed your goat? We will help you figure it out.
What to feed a goat?
All acceptable food for goats can be divided into 3 groups: juicy, dry (coarse), concentrated. Each species has certain unique effects on the digestive system of animals.
Concentrated feed provides goats with essential nutrients
Juicy types of feed
From the name it is clear that this type of nutrition is based on the use of living plants of different types:
- Grass is the most accessible and cheapest component of nutrition - it is enough to take animals out to pasture in a field, forest, lawn, clearing. Goats happily eat grass wherever it grows.
- Vegetable tops - any type of tops is suitable, from cabbage and potato leaves to beet and carrot waste. In this case, it is necessary to mix the product with crushed chalk in a ratio of 1 gram per 1 kilogram. This will reduce the acid content in the feed.
- Silage is a fairly popular type of feed due to its nutritional properties: high calorie content and a variety of vitamins in its composition. A complete replacement for grass - it is recommended to give up to 4 kilograms per day.
- Vegetables are a waste-free product that goats happily eat along with the roots and tops! Beets, Jerusalem artichoke, carrots, cabbage, potatoes (boiled only) - all this is served in chopped form. It is advisable to give no more than 4 kilograms per day.
- Fruits are a favorite treat for goats. Peaches, apples, apricots and pears are what they like. The main thing is to remove seeds from the fruits before eating.
As you can see, this type of food can be given both in summer and in the cold season.
Dry types of feed
Rough feed does not have to be given only in winter - its structure helps improve the animal’s metabolism. Therefore, you can use it in warm seasons too.
- hay and catfish – grasses from meadows and forests are excellent for drying. The recommended norm is 2-3 kilograms per animal;
- brooms - pay attention to maple, birch, poplar and aspen. A goat can eat from 3 to 5 brooms per day.
Procurement of dry food is carried out in mid-July - freshly cut grass for hay is usually stored in bunches or sheaves. If desired, it can be detailed before serving - farmers believe that this way the feed is consumed more economically. Brooms are also collected from small bunches with rods up to 60 centimeters long.
Concentrated (ready) feed
Such food must be present in the diet due to the presence of useful substances in it. But it must be served correctly so as not to cause stomach upset and digestive problems.
For example, grains such as wheat and oats can only be given in crushed form. Corn must be fed in portions, otherwise the goat may develop obesity.
This group also includes cake, mixed feed, bran and meal - fill them with boiling water 12 hours before feeding. For mixed feed and bran, the concentration is arbitrary, for cake and meal - in the ratio of 1 part feed to 3 parts water.
Be sure to combine these types of food, creating a complete diet rich in all the necessary nutrients.
Standards for feeding animals are calculated depending on factors such as their age, weight, gender, and general health.
Vitamin and mineral additive in feed for goats
Here are some basic rules:
- large goats require more food than small ones;
- Dairy goats require more protein in their diet than dry goats. Do not forget also about calcium and phosphorus in the composition of products;
- lactating queens should be given 1.5-2 times more food than others - after all, the nutrition of dairy goats, which consume up to six liters of milk per day, also depends on their diet;
- In winter, animals need food with a high fat content to be able to independently fully heat the body. In the summer, give the females more protein food in order to increase milk production and carbohydrate food - the horned ones need energy for long walks on pastures.
On average, about 360-550 kilograms of roughage, 400-600 kilograms of succulent feed (including leaves and brooms), 30-40 kilograms of concentrated food are consumed per year per head of the herd. The minimum value is accepted for young goats and kids, the maximum – for large dairy goats.
Pay attention to the animal's appetite. If the goat does not eat the amount of food allotted to it, increase it. At the same time, overeating should not be allowed - obesity has a negative effect on the volume of milk production. Besides, overweight highly undesirable during pregnancy.
Example of a daily diet
Below is an approximate diet for all types of goats in the warm season, taking into account all the norms:
- Meadow grasses – 6-8 kilograms, alfalfa hay – 1 kilogram, haylage – 2.5 kilograms.
- Oats – 4 kilograms, meadow grass hay – 1 kilogram.
- Walk on pasture with an arbitrary amount of grass eaten, green oats - 4 kilograms.
- Steppe grasses for walking with an arbitrary amount eaten, alfalfa hay - 1.2 kilograms.
The diet in the cold season is somewhat different from that presented above:
- Clover hay - 2 kilograms, crushed beets - 2 kilograms, ground oats - 0.4 kilograms.
- Meadow grass hay – 2 kilograms, forage cabbage – 3 kilograms.
- Making hay from alfalfa - 1.5 kilograms, from meadow grass - a kilogram, ground root vegetables and beets - 0.5 kilograms.
- Alfalfa hay - 1 kilogram, meadow grass hay - 0.5 kilograms, a mixture of ground carrots and oats - 2.5 kilograms.
Depending on your capabilities, meals can be swapped, and the specified products can be replaced with others of equal value.
Feeding regime and routine
When feeding goats, it is important to follow a certain regimen, without which failures and a decrease in milk yield and a deterioration in the general health of the animal are possible. The most acceptable diet is 3-4 times a day.
In this case, the time intervals between feedings should be approximately the same. For example, with the chosen three-time feeding, you can give food in this way: 6-7 o'clock in the morning, noon, 6-7 o'clock in the evening.
The diet should be selected in such a way that rough, heavy feed is served in the morning and afternoon, and easily digestible food in the evening.
Don't forget to serve clean too. drinking water– the recommended rate is 2.5-4 liters 2 times after meals. Free access to water is also welcome. The temperature of the liquid should be no lower than 6 degrees Celsius so that the animals do not catch a cold, but not higher than 10 degrees. Warm water leads to addiction, which often leads to illness during the cold season.
Nutrition to increase milk
Milk-producing goats require a larger volume of food than dry goats. Moreover, the diet depends not only on the amount of milk received, but also on the weight of the animal. Below are general guidelines for feeding dairy queens:
| Weight, kilograms | Amount of milk per day, liters | lump unit | Amount of protein, grams | Dry weight, kilograms | Calcium, grams | Phosphorus, grams | Table salt, grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,1 | 110 | 1,2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | |
| 1 | 1,3 | 130 | 1,4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1 | 1,4 | 140 | 1,6 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
Pay special attention to compliance with the norms when feeding those animals from the herd that produce more milk than others. The taste and quality of milk increases with the amount of protein consumed, which is found mainly in sprouted grains and other concentrated feeds. Silage, root vegetables, legumes, cake, bran, and salt will also help you maintain the parameters.
Feeding in winter
In winter, it is necessary to ensure that your pets receive all nutrients from their food, despite the lack of succulent grass feed. The lack of fresh grass is compensated by hay prepared in advance. The norms for providing hay to goats in winter are on average 1.8-2.2 kilograms per animal.
Dry brooms are an excellent alternative to hay in a 2 to one ratio. At the same time, one animal can be given no more than 5 brooms per day.
Dry food in winter can be easily diluted with succulent foods: vegetables and fruits, which goats adore. Any root vegetables, potatoes, cabbage, apples, carrots, pears, which must first be washed and chopped, are suitable.
With this method of feeding, the diet of goats is considered complete, but if desired, you can add vitamins and other useful substances: salt, chalk, ground cereals and legumes. An example of complex vitamin preparations that are served both as drops in food and spread on bread crumbs: “Tetravit”, “Trivit”.
Video - Alternative to conventional food in winter
What to feed a goat before lambing?
The nutrition of goats during pregnancy is not very different from the classic one. Enough to follow simple rules so that the female bears a healthy baby.
The need for nutrients in the second half of pregnancy (from about 3 months) increases up to two times - increase the amount of food with nutrients taking this into account. Despite this, it is impossible to overfeed a goat carrying a fetus - excess weight leads to difficult birth. There is a possible risk of miscarriage.
Approximate daily diet of an animal:
- morning: crushed grains and root vegetables - 200 and 500 grams, respectively;
- lunch: 1.5-2 kilograms of hay;
- dinner: a mixture of grain and cake - 100 grams of each ingredient, hay from hard meadow grasses.
Prices for grain grinder
Chopper for crushing all types of feed grains and seeds
At the same time, do not forget to take the animal daily to pastures where succulent grasses are available in unlimited access.
In winter, succulent feed can be easily replaced with granulated feed, which is excluded from the general diet 15 days before the expected date of birth. During this period, the goat is transferred to a lighter and more liquid diet with easily digestible ingredients. Suitable liquid and mushy bran swill with chopped root vegetables, steamed grain with a mushy consistency.
What to feed a goat after lambing?
During the birthing process, the animal’s digestive system is greatly weakened - it needs time for complete rehabilitation. Therefore, for a week after lambing, goats are given exclusively light foods that are quickly digested. Bran swill, finely chopped root vegetables, legume hay - here sample list suitable products.
After 7-8 days, the female’s health returns to normal, after which she can be switched to standard food.
The basis of nutrition during the feeding period is fresh hay and root vegetables (about 3-4 kilograms per day of each product). It is these components that contribute to active lactation in nursing queens.
After giving birth, a goat does not leave her kid for a second.
Harvesting fodder hay
When preparing fodder hay, it is worth considering that with a decrease in the percentage of moisture in plants (from 90% to 15%), their nutritional properties. Therefore, it is important to competently approach the process of drying, transportation and storage.
There are several ways to dry cut grass: natural, natural with additional drying, active ventilation, artificial. The choice of method depends mainly on the accompanying weather conditions: temperature and humidity, the presence of precipitation.
High-quality hay is always well dried - when the moisture content of the product reaches 25%, the hay loses beneficial properties, begins to rot and rot, fungal and mold are actively spreading. At the same time, it should not be overdried - the most nutritious parts of plants (leaves and flowers) are damaged during collection and transportation.
The Natural Way to Dry Herbs
Optimal times for collecting hay:
- from legumes (clover, sainfoin, peas, alfalfa) - during the period of active budding. This type of food is necessary in winter, especially for dairy goats, due to its high protein content;
- from cereals (oats, wheatgrass, fescue) - after the release of ears.
The grass must be mowed at dawn before 6 am - at this time the plants are maximally filled with carotene. The mowed workpiece is cleaned throughout the week.
What should you not feed goats?
Despite the unpretentiousness of goats in terms of feeding, there are certain foods that are prohibited for consumption by animals. Conventionally, they can be divided into 2 groups – poisonous and spoiled:
- red clover, datura, nightshade, wild rosemary are classified as poisonous. They must be excluded from hay and succulent feed. But don't worry: even if the goats get one of these herbs, they will recognize it and refuse to eat it;
- green raw potatoes are also poisonous;
Damaged ones include:
- moldy hay;
- rotten vegetables and fruits;
- sour sidos;
- plants affected by insects.
Feeding animals with these products leads to bloating and disruption of the digestive system. Pregnant females are at risk of miscarriage. In some cases, death is possible.
Conditions for keeping goats
The unpretentiousness of goats is manifested not only in feeding. They don't need special conditions for living: these animals feel good both in barns and attics.
Their proximity to other ungulates and poultry does not bother them.
The room for goats should be well ventilated - moisture has a negative effect on their health. Heavy hit welcome sunlight inside. But don’t worry about heating the room - goats can easily withstand even sub-zero temperatures. A sign of optimal temperature conditions in the goat's rue in winter is always available, unfrozen water.
In southern regions and countries, it is even practiced to keep animals under a canopy instead of completely covered premises.
Goats do not require much space, but standing too closely will reduce milk production. Their optimal area is 2x2 meters per head. Bucks need to be kept separate from does, just like kids. During periods without kids, an empty stand will be useful to you for young animals or treatment of sick individuals.
Video - How to properly keep goats
As you can see, goats are an excellent type of animal to raise even in limited conditions. It is enough to know about the basic rules of feeding and keeping them so that the animals always remain healthy and produce a lot of milk.
Goat breeders who have been breeding small ruminants for a long time know well how important it is to properly prepare their animals for the birth of their offspring. This concerns the creation of proper care conditions, preparation of the barn, etc. But first of all, a change in the nutritional diet of pregnant animals will be required, as well as during the subsequent feeding of the lactating goat and her babies. We will tell you in this article how to feed a goat at different stages of gestation.
A properly selected diet is important during the subsequent feeding of a lactating goat and her babies.
If the mating with the goat was successful, you can easily determine when exactly the goat will give birth to little ones. Pregnancy in these animals lasts five months (21 - 22 weeks, or 148 days). When there are about ten days left before lambing, the room in which everything will take place needs to be prepared. In this case:
- the barn is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a lime solution;
- allocate a separate stall where the goat and her cubs will be kept.
All five months for the female create the maximum comfortable conditions. This assumes:
- mandatory daily walking in the fresh air: in spring and summer on the street, in winter - in a special walking pen;
- organizing continuous access to fresh and non-cold drinking water;
- introduction into the diet of feed and mineral supplements in the amount necessary to maintain her body in good shape and the successful formation of the fetus. The menu must include spruce branches, birch brooms, aspen and cherry branches.
It is necessary to ensure that goats, especially young ones, behave calmly during pregnancy and do not try to jump over fences or ravines. All such measures increase the animal’s chances of lambing successfully.
A specially equipped separate barn is allocated for a pregnant goat.
Changing your diet
The menu of a pregnant goat is changed several times before lambing.
- When a goat becomes pregnant, she must be given concentrates, gradually increasing the daily intake. In the third month, 150 g of feed is given, and by the end of pregnancy the amount is increased to 600 g. It is better to include barley and rolled oats in the feed; you can add crushed wheat and corn, but not more than 40% of all grain crops. Silage, straw, and stillage are removed from the diet. Root crops are fed up to one kilo per day.
- About a week or 10 days before the approximate date of birth, the pregnant female is transferred to water, hay and root vegetables. Grain crops, mash and crushed feed are completely excluded from the menu. If the goat is too thin, then transfer it to light diet later is allowed, just three days in advance. Vegetables should be limited to those that will not cause bloating. They exclude rutabaga and white cabbage, but leave pumpkin, potatoes, red beets, zucchini and kohlrabi cabbage.
- Three days before lambing, vegetables are also removed, leaving only high-quality hay and water on the menu. Thanks to such procedures it is possible naturally rid the goat's body of excess fluid and mucus.
During pregnancy, and even taking into account the birth itself, the goat undergoes a lot of stress, its health significantly deteriorates under the influence of such stress. In order for fattening after childbirth to be successful, it is important to take care of your diet in the last two months of pregnancy, when the body’s stress becomes maximum. The fetus develops actively, consuming more and more energy, taking almost all nutrients from the uterus.
If nutrition is insufficient, “building material” will begin to be removed from bone tissue, fatty tissue, liver and muscle system. If you bring a pregnant female to severe exhaustion, a miscarriage may occur, or the offspring will be born weak and not adapted to life.
Signs of lambing
You can understand that lambing is about to begin by the behavior and condition of the female:
- the animal begins to behave restlessly, often lies down and gets up. At the same time, it behaves carefully, choosing a suitable place for a successful birth;
- the udder clearly grows in size, a day before lambing it loses elasticity, hardens, its temperature increases;
- the pelvic ligaments become softer and lengthen;
- the sacrum sinks;
- the genitals become enlarged, secreting thick mucus.
If you notice these symptoms, then it is time to monitor your goat with special attention and care.
Signs of restless behavior in a pregnant goat warn of imminent labor.
Postpartum feeding
Immediately after kidding (and lambing lasts from one to three hours), the female feels very thirsty. To help her recover as quickly as possible, warm water is prepared in advance. In this capacity, decoctions are used:
- bran;
- flaxseed.
You cannot feed the goat right away; let it pass at least an hour and a half after the babies appear. It is much more important to provide the animal with plenty of water, adding fresh water every few hours. But make sure that the female does not drink more than two liters at a time, otherwise her udder will swell.
This is what experts advise feeding a goat after lambing:
- first of all, give her a piece of black bread, spread with a thick layer of melted lard or butter;
- then feed warm flour soup with added flaxseed oil.
The further diet should, firstly, help the animal regain strength and normalize digestion, and, secondly, stimulate milk production. To make the goat stronger, the following should be mixed into its food:
- coarse oats, from 200 to 300 g;
- finely chopped carrots;
- some high-quality hay, cut during the flowering period of the grass;
- 10 - 20 grams of table salt.
All foods are given in small portions.
To enhance milk production, warm soups are prepared for the animal, adding juniper berries to them.
Often a goat does not eat at all after giving birth. Be sure to try to give her water to drink. Experts advise giving the animal something to drink amniotic fluid to strengthen the reproductive system - the placenta will leave sooner, the uterus will return to its original state. If the goat continues to refuse to eat, intravenous infusions of a solution of glucose, calcium chloride, and calcium gluconate will be needed.
First feeding order
One and a half to two hours after lambing, the woman in labor needs to make mash according to the recipe:
- one or two handfuls of oatmeal are diluted in two liters of boiling water and brewed;
- add a tablespoon of sugar.
Then after another couple of hours they make a new chatterbox. This time it is recommended to follow the following recipe:
- boil two tablespoons of flaxseeds;
- boil a couple of handfuls of flour in boiling water;
- Mix everything in two liters of water.
On the second day, the animal should only be given clean, warm water to drink.
Also, after lambing, goats eagerly eat bran mash mixed with finely chopped root vegetables. Such food for domestic goats after lambing helps the body replenish fluid and promotes accelerated separation of the placenta. The daily intake of products should be approximately as follows:
- grass hay: 2.5 – 3 kilos;
- barley and rolled oats: 200 g;
- finely chopped root vegetables: half a kilo - a kilogram;
- wheat bran: 100 g.
Proper feeding after lambing will help the goat regain its strength faster.
Possible problems
Let's try to explain why feeding a lambing goat is so strikingly different from the usual. Childbirth is accompanied by a general weakening of the body; as a result, the animal’s digestive system is not yet able to “work” as it should, and it requires a gentle regime. In the first three days, the goat should not be given heavy feed at all - the body simply will not be able to digest it, the animal will not receive the nutrients that are so important for it, and therefore will weaken even more.
If you have nothing to replace the feed with, then at least try to sift it thoroughly, removing large particles. But it’s still much better to feed:
- flour;
- warm milk soup.
In other words, the first few days after the first lambing, until the body and digestive system are stronger, all the food of the horned pet should be as liquid as possible. It is advisable to limit even fresh hay or give it in small portions.
If the owners do not feed their ward correctly, but begin to feed her concentrated food out of habit, this will cause digestive upset, which will be accompanied by diarrhea. There is also a threat of disruption of the proventriculus.
Return to daily diet
If you follow all the listed norms for feeding a goat after lambing, by the end of the third day its body will be sufficiently strong, and the digestive system will gradually return to normal. But you should still gradually return to the diet on which the goat was kept before giving birth.
You need to start with half the usual portion of the combined feed. On the fourth or fifth day approximate diet should be as follows:
- root vegetables - 3 kilos;
- twig food - 1 kilo;
- meadow hay - 2 kilos;
- bran - 0.4 kilo;
- concentrated feed - 0.5 kilo.
There is no need to worry that your goat will remain hungry during the first days on a liquid diet. Firstly, three days of such a diet will not harm her, and, secondly, thanks to a gentle diet, the body will be able to digest the mucus that the female licked from her cubs as soon as they were born.
Features of care
Immediately after the birth of the offspring, the weakened female will need your help. You will need:
- help her get back on her feet as soon as the birth is completed safely. Help her stand for a few minutes, then lay her down again to rest. This must be done to prevent uterine prolapse - if the animal gets up, the uterus will naturally return to its place;
- After half an hour, the animal needs to be milked a little. This will help reduce the risk of mastitis. You should not completely express the udder.
If the goat does not have enough milk to feed the kids, changes are made to its diet. Milk soups and tea with milk will be a good help.
After lambing, the goat needs human help and attention.
Feeding for milk production
Now it’s time to tell you what to do in order to bring your pet to the maximum level in terms of milk yield. To enhance lactation, you can milk the goat yourself. Milking lasts 90 - 100 days, milk yield will gradually increase and then remain at a high level. At the same time, goats receive improved feeding and care, i.e., the nutritional value of the feed should be slightly higher than they need, taking into account their body weight and productivity. Such “advance” food quickly gives good results.
In order for an individual to milk well after lambing, concentrates should play the main role in its diet. The ratio of products in the feed is selected as follows:
- 20% each of barley and oats;
- 15% feed wheat;
- 11% wheat bran;
- 10% each of corn and sunflower meal;
- 5% each of feed yeast and grass meal;
- 4% premix (to compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals).
For the first three to five days, feed the goat this food in a volume of 300–400 g. After that, increase the portion by 100 g every week. When the milk yield becomes constant, the norm is kept at the same level until the amount of milk begins to decrease. Following the milk yield, begin to reduce the daily norm, otherwise you risk overfeeding the cattle.
To increase milk yield, you can introduce dairy feeds containing a lot of moisture into the diet.
These include:
- silage: up to four to five kilos per day. Goats eat it with pleasure, but you should not feed them sour or spoiled product to avoid milk loss;
- root vegetables, tubers and other vegetables containing not only moisture, but also vitamins, carbohydrates, and mineral components. The daily norm is two to three kilos of the mixture. It is advisable to chop root vegetables (beets, carrots), and boil the potatoes.
For dairy goats, high-quality hay is selected - forb or grass-legume. A goat is given about three kilos of hay per day.
Straw is also suitable, but only in processed form. To do this:
- it is finely chopped;
- pour boiling water;
- leave to swell for 12 hours;
- yeast is added to increase nutritional value.
Resume
We tried to answer in detail the questions about what feeding should be for domestic goats after lambing, and what to do if the goat is not eating well. As you can see, at first the animal needs to go out, give it time to return to normal, and therefore the food on the first day should be liquid.
Then the calorie content of the food is gradually increased, bringing it to the usual feeding norm.
If a goat refuses to eat after giving birth, so as not to lose the already weakened animal, intravenous injections will have to be given. But for this it is better to invite a specialist and clarify the required treatment with him.
Like any animal, after lambing, a goat requires special attention, because this process takes a lot of energy from her.
As soon as the goat lambs, it needs to be milked. This must be done even if the afterbirth has not yet come out.
The first streams should be fed into a separate bowl, but they are not given to kids, because they contain a very high content of microbes and if this portion is given to a kid, it may get sick.
The milking procedure is very important for dairy breeds in particular. If this is not done, there is a danger of milk accumulation in the udder.
This can lead to hardening of the mammary glands and mastitis. This is especially important if the kids will be raised separately.
Also, in order to milk a goat after lambing, you need to milk it at least 4 times a day.
In order for the goat to regain its strength, it needs to be given about 2 liters of water (you can add a cup of molasses to it). Every 2 hours the animal must be given this drink.
It stimulates milk production and also replenishes nutritional and fluid deficiencies in the body.
The birth can be called over if the placenta comes out (about an hour and a half should pass). If the afterbirth does not come out, the goat should be given a decoction of flaxseed.
If even then there is no afterbirth, then you need to seek the help of a veterinarian. The released placenta must be immediately removed and destroyed.
Goat nutrition after lambing
IN Special meals are also included. After about three hours of rest, the goat should be given 200-300 grams. bran or flour in liquid form. The mixture should be warm, but not very liquid.
It is also advisable to provide good hay, succulent types of feed, and root vegetables. At this stage, it is recommended to feed the goat cake, carrots, it is very important to feed salt on average up to 15 g, bone meal and chalk.
For a goat after lambing, a small slice of dark bread with butter or melted fat will be useful.
Firstly, the goat needs to be fed watery food and most importantly in small doses. 
If the animal needs to be milked, then it should be fed juniper soup, silage, and various grain mixtures.
This food has a positive effect on milk production and intestinal function.
After lambing, the goat should be given easily digestible feed in small quantities for the first three days. Then they switch to their normal diet.
Concentrated feed should be excluded from the feed, and simple and light feed should be provided. Give only clean water.
Video - caring for a goat after lambing
The process of reproduction is a key factor in animal husbandry. Therefore, issues of pregnancy and birth of animals must be approached with full responsibility and armed with knowledge.
The topic of today's article is goat pregnancy and lambing.
Lambing of a goat usually occurs quite easily, without difficulties requiring human intervention. But the key to a successful birth of a goat is the correct actions of the breeder in caring for the animal from the moment of mating until lambing.
When can goats be mated?
Goats reach puberty at 6-9 months depending on the breed. However, mating in such early age are not produced, since the goat’s body has not yet formed and is not capable of bearing and producing healthy offspring. Moreover, in the case of pregnancy at such an early age, various diseases often arise, among which the most dangerous are lesions of the udder - cysts, mastitis, bleeding.
In addition, due to early mating, complications often occur during lambing. Females that give birth early have health problems, are less productive, and age faster.
The ideal age for mating goats, according to experts, is 1.5 years.
The same situation applies to males. Despite the fact that goats reach sexual maturity at six months, they are allowed to mate only at the age of 1 year.
Early mating negatively affects male goats, just like goats: their health and development deteriorate, and the offspring of a too-young goat will be sick and weak.
For mating, goats are milked at six years of age. But sometimes you come across strong manufacturers that last up to 8 years.
How to determine the hunting period? Signs of heat in a goat
For mating to be successful, it is necessary to accurately determine the hunting period. Despite the fact that at the beginning and end of the mating season it is quite difficult to determine the signs of heat in a goat, even a novice breeder can do this in the period from September to February.
Professional goat breeders claim that best time for mating is November-December, since at this time the most positive result is obtained.
The duration of estrus in goats ranges from 12 hours to 4 days. The break between hunting periods is 19-26 days.
- redness and swelling of the genitals
- discharge from the genitals - thick at first, then becomes thin
- loss of appetite
- restless behavior
- rapid bleating
- the goat is constantly sniffing in search of the goat
Goat hunting - video
Why does a goat refuse to mate?
There are also situations when, it would seem, both the goat is young and the period is appropriate, but the female does not show interest in mating and does not come to hunt. This also happens with goats that have already given birth several times, but also at a certain point lost interest in mating.
In such cases, first of all, an existing pregnancy should be excluded, since there may have been free mating in the pasture or with young goats that were not removed from the goat in a timely manner.
In addition, the reason for refusal to mate may be obesity in goats. IN in this case The goat must be put on a light “diet”, reducing the share of solid feed in its diet. In addition, the animal must be given the opportunity to actively move and roam freely.
Methods of mating (insemination) of goats
In goat farming, four methods of covering goats are used:
- artificial
- manual
- free
- harem
Artificial turf (insemination) of goats
Artificial covering of goats is not common in Russia, since this method requires seed material.
There is no sperm bank for goats in Russia, and buying material from abroad is not economically profitable.
Manual mating
Manual mating consists of bringing the goat to the male for mating. The goat is allowed to carry out two cages, then the female is taken away.
Most often, pregnancy occurs after this. But if the goat still shows signs of heat, the mating is repeated after 12 hours.
Free covering of goats
With the free mating method, the buck is placed in the same room with the does throughout the entire season. In this case, natural mating occurs - the goat himself chooses a female in a state of heat and fertilizes her. With free mating, there are no uncovered goats left, because the goats act sequentially - first they fertilize one female, then look for another uncovered one, and so on, until they have impregnated all of them, and only after that can they return to the first goat.
Free mating of goats is good for everyone, except that after it the goats experience severe exhaustion. Therefore, it is best to periodically transfer the breeding goat to rest in another room for 8-10 hours so that he can recuperate.
Harem mating
Harem mating differs from free mating only in that the male is kept in the same room with pre-selected females during the hunting period.
Mating of goats - video
Caring for a goat during pregnancy and after lambing
Feeding
Feeding pregnant goats three times a day requires significantly diversifying the diet. Sources of replenishment are usually found in food products, which are considered waste from home kitchens or even public canteens.
Both leftover cooked food and potato, cabbage, beet and other peelings are suitable for use. They are crushed and supplemented with animal feed. Mineral supplements must include table salt and bone meal: the daily ration is measured in one teaspoon of both.
Goat feeding rations
| Goats with a milk yield of 2 kg per day | |
|---|---|
| Miscellaneous hay | 1 |
| Tree leaves | 1 |
| Fodder beet | 2 |
| Kitchen waste | 1 |
| Concentrates | 0,6 |
| Goats with a milk yield of 4 kg per day | |
| Miscellaneous hay | 1 |
| Brooms with leaves | 1 |
| Cabbage | 0,5 |
| Boiled potatoes | 1,5 |
| Concentrates | 0,8 |
Feeding technology for pregnant goats
Feeding technology is an equally important factor. Feeding begins with swill, concentrated feed is required here, continues with succulent feed, and ends with roughage. Drinking finally makes it easier for the queens to digest food: warm water is required. Moreover, each animal has its own dishes, separately for swill and water. The duration of saturation with fresh air is extended due to feeding time: in equipped bazookas.
Caring for a goat during lambing
Preparing for the appearance of young animals also requires additional attention. A sure sign- the udder swells. The eve of lambing is a time for changes in the goat's behavior: anxiety increases, turns its head back, steps more frequently, and does not find lasting relief and peace either lying or standing. Finally, the plaintive bleating of a goat is a direct appeal to others.
Usually goats do not need the services of outsiders when lambing. Three quarters of an hour - and the process is complete. If the appearance of the first kid does not reassure the woman in labor, then the second offspring is expected in another quarter of an hour.
Cleanliness is an indispensable condition for lambing. Clean burlap is suitable for wiping newborns. Primary efforts include cleaning mucus from the muzzle, eyes, nose and ears, as well as disinfecting the umbilical cord.
The kids are placed at the front legs so that the uterus has the opportunity to immediately lick the newborns. Human assistance should not deprive the animal of basic functions. Then the kids are further dried and placed in a warm room. Over the next hour or two, the goat gets rid of the placenta. It is removed with the litter. For postpartum drinking, prepare 4-5 liters of water, salted and warm.
| Age | Number of feedings | Quantity of milk per feeding (g) |
Approximate time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | As needed | ||
| 1 week | 6 | 300 | 8,11,14,17,20,23 |
| 2-3 weeks | 5 | 300 | 8,12,16,20,23 |
| 4-6 weeks | 4 | 600 | 8,12,16,20 |
| 7-8 weeks | 3 | 600 | 8,14,20 |
| Week 9 | 2 | 600 | 8,20 |
| 10 week | 1 | 600 | how convenient |
