After lambing, the goat is usually milked after one and a half to two hours. Before milking, you need to give her a drink of warm water. As mentioned above, if the udder is overfilled with milk even before lambing begins, the milk must be milked, otherwise there is a possibility of the udder becoming hardened and mastitis developing.
The first streams of milk are not given to kids, as it is contaminated with various microbes. Breeding goats on a personal yard.
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 warm and not very liquid swill and good hay. The amount of flour or bran is gradually increased, and root vegetables and other succulent foods begin to be fed.
In the first days goat after lambing milk 4-5 times a day, before each feeding. From the second month after lambing, the goat can be switched to triple milking.
Goat after lambing - feeding
Childbirth 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. Feed hay only in the smallest portions, as well as finely chopped carrots and coarsely ground oats. During the first days, all food should be given in liquid form and in small quantities. When the goat begins to be milked, it is useful to give her warm soup with a small amount of juniper berries - this is an old remedy that has an excellent effect on digestion and milk production.
During the first three days after lambing, the goat should be fed only the best hay and given only clean water to drink. With this feeding, the animal feels quite satisfactory and after three days the activity of the digestive system is completely restored, which allows you to begin to gradually add succulent and concentrated feed to the diet. feeding goats after lambing
Childbirth 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 melted lard, then warm flour soup, where it is good to add a little flaxseed oil. Feed hay only in the smallest portions, as well as finely chopped carrots and coarsely ground oats. During the first days, all food should be given in liquid form and in small quantities. When the goat begins to be milked, it is useful to give her warm soup with a small amount of juniper berries - this is an old remedy that has an excellent effect on 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 disorder, diarrhea and dysfunction of the forestomach, which further depresses the animal’s body, which is already weakened by 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 given only clean water to drink. With this feeding, the animal feels quite satisfactory and after three days the activity of the digestive system is completely restored, which allows you to begin gradually adding succulent and concentrated food to the diet.
Kira Stoletova
For any living organism, pregnancy is a heavy burden, and goats are no exception to this rule. Many farmers wonder what to feed a goat after lambing? The fact is that artiodactyls eat an exclusively dry diet during pregnancy, while after birth they require a large supply of vitamins to replenish immune cells.
The animal's reproductive system also requires restoration. Remember, balanced feeding of the goat after lambing is the key to healthy kids and mother.
Goat diet before lambing
Changing her diet after giving birth will not help the goat recover if the doe ate incorrectly during pregnancy. The last two months place the greatest strain on the artiodactyl's body. Kids grow and develop rapidly, drawing energy and nutrients from the mother’s body.
A shortage 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 functioning of internal organs such as the stomach and kidneys may be disrupted. The liver will not cope with the intoxication of the body. Poor functioning of the mammary glands is noted. If the goat is too emaciated, the risk of miscarriage or the birth of weak babies increases greatly.
The diet of a pregnant artiodactyl should contain a large amount of concentrated food. Moreover, the daily norm increases every day - 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. The best concentrates to use are oats, barley, wheat and corn. It is better to crush or flatten grain crops. It is better to exfoliate the barley before starting complementary feeding, otherwise the gastrointestinal tract can be clogged.
During pregnancy, a female should not be given:
- succulent feed containing high acidity and oiliness;
- root vegetables in quantities of more than a kilogram per day;
- beer shakes;
- low quality straw and hay.
Silage and root vegetables are given in limited quantities due to their effect on the goat's mammary glands. In addition, excessive 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 is low in nutritional value, and the goat will have to eat a lot of this product to satisfy its hunger. However, the stomach of a pregnant female is not intended for large amounts of food - during gestation, the uterus survives the digestive organs.
You should also not overfeed a pregnant goat - obesity can greatly complicate the birth process. The female will not be capable of intense contractions, and the kids may suffocate during lambing. Also, weight above normal can lead to complications after childbirth - uterine prolapse, mastitis and retained 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 experiences intense stress on the body, which must be compensated in full. The birth of goat kids requires a lot of energy.
However, postpartum stress prevents the goat from starting to eat normally. Feeding goats after lambing can be a major challenge for the farmer. A balanced and nutritious diet for the goat mother after lambing is the key not only to her health, but also a factor influencing the well-being of the offspring. First of all, the animal should be given water - lambing can cause severe thirst in the female. It is best to use amniotic fluid, it will help the goat restore its internal reproductive environment. This will speed up the passage of the placenta and will help the uterus restore its previous shape.
In the first days after birth, the goat does not require increased nutrition. To replenish the animal's vital energy, good hay from cereals and legumes is enough. You can make a wet mixture of bran and finely crushed root vegetables - the new mother will like this complementary food. Concentrated and succulent feed can be given, but in limited quantities - no more than fifty percent of the daily requirement.
On the first day after lambing, the animal needs high quality hay from cereal crops. Concentrated and succulent feed 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 grasses - 3 kilograms.
- Ground barley and oats – 200 grams.
- Chopped root vegetables - 1 kilogram.
- Cereal bran – 100 grams.
For better absorption of feed, sugar, vitamin supplements containing glucose or sugar beets can be added to the animal’s water.
These components help normalize the functioning of the female’s internal organs, accelerating the body’s recovery process. In some cases, veterinarians recommend administering glucose intramuscularly. Also, do not forget about other elements important for life - for example, calcium. After pregnancy, the goat’s body is usually exhausted, since it has been providing for both itself and the cubs for a long time, so the animal may experience postpartum fever. To avoid this, the goat is given calcium chloride injections. It is also worth giving bone meal, chalk and fish oil, which contain vitamin D, as complementary foods.
Your veterinarian may also prescribe injections if your goat continues to refuse to eat after lambing. An animal weighing fifty kilograms can be administered up to 500 milliliters of five percent glucose per day. If you give yourself a calcium injection, be extremely careful. If the drug enters the skin subcutaneously, inflammation and necrosis may begin. To increase appetite and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, hellebore solution should be poured through the larynx. The drug tympanol is also effective in replenishing nutrients in the body.
Fattening to increase milk production
Immediately after giving birth, the goat's milk production rapidly increases. The first milking should be done half an hour after lambing. If the purpose of goat breeding is milk, then farmers often practice early weaning of goat kids from their mothers. Thus, the owners receive maximum milk yield for sale. If the main products of the farm are wool and fluff, then the offspring are left with the female, but even in this case, the diet must be balanced so that the kids grow healthy and develop faster.
In the first three months, the goat's lactation increases every day or remains consistently at a high level.
At this time, so-called advance feeding should be introduced. This technology has gained particular popularity among cattle breeders. The point of this feeding method is to give the animal more feed than required. During periods of increased milk production, females are extremely sensitive to energy loss and will favorably perceive improved housing conditions.
Advance feeding is mandatory for dairy goat breeds, 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 value;
- oats - twenty percent of the daily requirement;
- corn - ten percent of the daily value;
- 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 the first place in feeding a goat after lambing should be concentrates. From these concentrates you can make feed to increase milk production in goats. In the first week, the daily norm is 300-400 grams of this mixture. Then the rate is increased by 100 grams every week until 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. You can feed from three to five kilograms of silage per day. This type of food has a high calorie content, and due to the high water content it increases the milk production of the animal. Check the food you give to the goat - spoiled or sour silage can cause poisoning and harm not only the artiodactyl, but also the cubs.
Feeding females are given only the highest quality hay. Cereals and legumes are best suited. The animal eats three kilograms of hay per day. If lambing occurs in winter, prepare the required amount in advance. It is not recommended to feed straw to a goat as its nutritional value is very low.
But, as a last resort, you can chop 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. Sometimes farmers soak straw in salted water or lime to increase the animal's mineral levels.
The diet of lactating females differs from the usual one and must be balanced. Feed for lambing goats is high in protein, minerals and vitamins. The lion's share of nutrition consists of concentrated feed, but it is not enough to fully compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals. For this purpose, succulent feed and premixes are used.
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, goat kids eat at least five times a day, every four to five hours. It is advisable to leave the cubs close to their mother for the first few months. However, this will significantly reduce the daily milk yield. Therefore, many farmers carry out procedures for early weaning of goat kids from their mother.
Lactating goats do not milk well because more milk goes to the kids.
If the farm is meat-oriented, the cubs are left with their mother for up to five months. Only in the fourth month do they begin to be given regular food. Remember that in winter the animal’s diet should be more nutritious than in summer, and without the daily milk intake, goat kids may die. Goat kids also need to be given mineral supplements. This usually begins 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 point, the cubs’ immunity will have completely strengthened, and they will be able to receive good complementary food in the form of fresh grass. Kids are weaned off milk gradually around the third month. From this moment on, most of the milk yield can be taken for sale.
Conclusion
How to properly feed a kid after lambing? We remember that he, like a new mother, needs a balanced and rich menu and proper feeding. And the first “dish” will be “mother’s” milk. If the kid is weaned from its mother, then it should be fed with the same milk. To do this, the milk is heated to milked temperature. It should not float or burn the cub.
Young goats at the age of seven to eight months are already actively eating hay and feed. Increase the daily amount of silage in the diet of kids every day. Potatoes, carrots and cabbage are sources of essential vitamins for a growing body. Beets should be introduced into the diet carefully - this natural laxative can lead to upset of the young animals’ stomachs that are not yet strong. Before complete weaning, the kid is completely transferred to the “adult” menu. A balanced diet will allow kids to grow to their maximum by the first year of life.
For the first three months, the animal will have enough hay and green mass, and in the last 60 days it is necessary to reduce bulk feed so that the rumen is not compressed by the uterus. Intensive growth of the fetus requires the consumption of nutrients, and therefore the goat must receive a sufficient amount of concentrates.
What diet should be provided to pregnant goats?
Feeding animals is a very important moment in the life of any farm, and providing pregnant animals with the right diet is even more so. Stale, low-quality food combined with cold water have a negative effect on the fetus and can cause miscarriage or untimely lambing.
In the summer, goats should receive the following types of feed in the required quantities:
- green mass;
- feed;
- grain mixtures.
One animal must be allocated at least 0.8 kg of feed and 0.7 kg of grain per day. You can additionally diversify your diet with root vegetables, but beets should be excluded (in some cases they can cause miscarriage).
In winter, the green mass is replaced with hay or straw. As additional nutrition, branch food is prepared by cutting off green branches and then drying them. Animals also eat very well coniferous branches, which contain large quantities of vitamins and essential oils, which are valuable sources of nutrients for the body of a pregnant goat.
In the second month, it is imperative to include mineral supplements in the diet in the form of the following ingredients:
- feed chalk;
- bone flour;
- crushed egg shells.
Such components will be necessary because At this moment, the active formation of skeletal bones in the fetus is underway, and therefore the need for calcium increases. Veterinary pharmacies offer an analogue to all these components in the form of mineral and vitamin supplements, which contain calcium in large quantities.
In the fourth month, goats gradually begin to remove feed and grain from their diet so that the fetus does not reach too large a size. Otherwise, the birth process may occur with serious difficulties. 21 days before the expected lambing, the feed should be completely removed.
If the goat gains excessive weight, 30 days before giving birth, reduce the feeding rate and remove all food that contains a large amount of calories.
You should know that during this period the goat must be protected from dampness and drafts. When grazing on pasture, you should avoid steep slopes and hills. It is necessary to give preference to flat terrain. If the animal jumps a lot, then such active movements can cause miscarriage.
Diet depending on the stage of pregnancy
The diet of a pregnant goat, depending on the period, has its own characteristics. The first half of the term involves the division of animals into two groups: milking and dry.
Traditional goat breeding involves preparing for mating, weaning the kids, and phasing out milking. By the time of planned mating, females should be dry. This approach is most often practiced by animal owners of the following types:
- meat;
- downy;
- woolen
For the dairy sector, this technique is used much less frequently.
In the first half of pregnancy, animals are very rarely fed differently in order to increase nutritional value. This is due to the fact that at this stage the body of females does not change significantly.
As a rule, the end of grazing and the beginning of the stall period coincide with the breeding period, which begins in September. At this point, they begin to change their diet:
- in the morning the animals receive hay;
- during the day they go out to pasture;
- in the evening - hay and straw cutting.
With the end of the summer period, the grass significantly loses its nutritional value, and therefore the goats will need additional feeding, but only if the animals are poorly fed.
On dairy farms, animals do not stop milking during the breeding period, and therefore you can receive the main products from them for another 90 days. They begin to launch the uterus at the moment when pregnancy flows into the second phase. The dry period is necessary for the animal’s body to accumulate useful substances, which will be used in the future for the formation of milk.
If there is a lack of nutrients needed for the lactation period and fetal growth, the mother’s body reserves can be used. This is fraught with exhaustion of the animal itself, miscarriage, postpartum complications, as well as diseases of the skeletal bones and internal organs.
You can get acquainted with the approximate diet of a goat in winter with a milk yield of up to 2 kg of dairy products per day in table No. 1:
The diet is regulated by the owner, who takes into account the fatness of the animals and the amount of milk yield. A gradual reduction in feeds high in protein and carbohydrates is recommended to prepare the animal for the dry period.
What should goats receive in the second half of pregnancy?
With a properly formulated diet, the owner will no longer have several problems:
- providing the fetus with sufficient nutrition in connection with increased growth;
- preventing excess weight gain;
- preparing the female for the lactation period.
Straw, which has low nutritional value, should be excluded from feeding mated goats, or given in large quantities to satiate the animal. In the second half of pregnancy, goats cannot eat food in unlimited quantities. The fact is that the scar shrinks significantly due to the enlarged uterus.
The goats are no longer given sour silage and concentrates at the usual rate. These types of feed cause pathologies in metabolic processes and digestion. Spoiled vegetables, grain with pests and broken hay also have no place in the feeders of pregnant goats. At this time, females should receive exclusively high-quality food. To prevent swelling of the limbs, the amount of vegetables and succulent food in the diet is regulated.
30 days before the planned lambing date, animals should receive the following types of feed (you can see them in table No. 2):
7 days before lambing, animals with good fatness change their diet again, reducing concentrates in order to reduce the amount of protein and energy value.
What to feed the animal after the birth of a kid
Immediately after lambing, the queen is given diluted liquid bran, the best quality hay and a small amount of chopped vegetables (carrots or beets). Bran is quite nutritious and is well absorbed by the body of goats, so this food is well suited for animals that have just given birth.
As a result of the birth process, the digestive system of animals is weakened, and therefore concentrates will be too heavy food for the animal, especially during the first three days. Goats are transferred to their usual diet after 6-8 days.
Especially if they are about to give birth.
It is different in winter and summer.
In winter, this animal needs more roughage food.
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.
For the winter period, before the birth of an animal, you need to stock up on brooms made from tree branches, shrubs 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, you can switch to proper nutrition 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:
Pregnancy and childbirth lead to exhaustion and exhaustion of the animal's body. Feeding goats after lambing is aimed at speedy recovery of their entire body, including reproductive organs.
Why change your diet?
Even before lambing, the goat’s feeding diet changes. The baby grows rapidly, consumes more vitamins and substances, which can lead the goat to illness or exhaustion. Therefore, they begin to be given preservatives, concentrated feed, and are almost completely excluded from silage, stillage, straw, and root crops.
After childbirth, the diet changes again. If before birth the goal was to provide the norm of nutrients to the animal and the baby, then feeding the goat after lambing is aimed at restoring the young mother. After lambing, the goat is weak and may begin to get sick or refuse to eat for several days. She needs recovery. But, in addition, postpartum feeding is aimed at improving milk production. The more milk, the better for the kid and its owners.
What to give in the first hours after lambing?
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Lambing takes a lot of strength and energy from a young goat. Therefore, food and water must be prepared in the stall. Most goats will refuse to eat after giving birth, but there are exceptions, so it's better to be on the safe side. The food given is hay from legumes and cereals, a mixture of bran and root vegetables.
Experienced breeders recommend giving the goat a drink made from brewed bran, water and sugar after lambing. This drink contains a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and proteins, which will not only help restore the animal’s strength, but will also promote active milk production.
If the goat refuses to eat, it must at least be given something to drink. She is unlikely to refuse this. You can offer plain water or amniotic fluid. The latter are much more nutritious and better for the body. It has been noted that they can contribute to faster recovery and also contribute to the reverse development of the uterus.
What is a goat's diet after lambing?
After a day or two, the goat gradually returns to normal - her appetite returns. But you don’t need to feed her everything - a certain diet is established!
Feeding a goat after lambing includes:
- 100 g wheat bran;
- 200 g rolled barley or oats;
- 0.5-1 kg of vegetables and root vegetables (pre-chopped);
- 0.5-3 kg of hay.
The given menu is designed for one day. As you can see, most of the diet consists of hay. It should be useful and high quality. You can even purchase more expensive hay for the recovery period from selected herbs that are beneficial for goats.
Great benefit during feeding goats after lambing , brings added glucose to food. Instead, you can safely use molasses, sugar or sugar beets. They are rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, which, quickly absorbed into the blood, help restore the animal’s body.
To increase milk yield, you need to create a slightly different diet. Its basis is feed: barley, oats, wheat, bran, corn, premix, grass flour, feed yeast. In the first 3 days after birth, 300 grams of this mixture are given. Then the amount is increased weekly by 100 grams until milk yield stabilizes. Later, despite feeding, it will still shrink, but this is how it should be - this is a normal process.
In addition to feed, dairy products are added to the diet to increase milk yield: silage, root vegetables and vegetables. You can buy special vitamin supplements at the veterinary clinic that will increase milk yield and have a positive effect on the goat’s recovery.
- Before giving birth, it is important not to overfeed the goat. Obesity can lead to difficult births. After birth, obesity can worsen lactation or the health of the animal.
- A goat can handle childbirth on its own, but there should be several people in the stall. While some will deal with the newborn, others can deal with the goat.
- If the birth was difficult, the goat began to get sick after it or did not eat for several days, it is recommended to administer a solution of glucose and calcium borogluconate intravenously. But only a veterinarian should prescribe such procedures.
- After giving birth, the goat should not be released into the field or meadow. During the recovery period, she should be in a pen. The fact is that the fresh grass that she will eat can ruin her digestion. So it is excluded from the diet, but you can give dried cut grass instead.