Goat Breeding and Goat Kidding
Goat breeding and goat kidding are a huge part of raising goats. There is nothing quite as wonderful as a brand-new baby goat jumping around with all its cuteness and energy. All these years later, it still amazes me how resilient they are. They are able to stand just a few minutes after hitting the ground for the first time.
That doesn’t mean that all goat kiddings go off without a hitch. There are times when things go wrong, and I learned this lesson the hard way.
Goats are something I love to talk about at Simple Living Country Gal because they are such a huge part of our homestead and I know they will be a great addition to yours.
Disclaimer: In accordance with FDA guidelines, the information and products offered on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am not a medical professional. Before administering any medications to your animals, please contact a veterinarian first.
Early on, I learned that preparing for (almost) anything that can go wrong is the best way to raise livestock, especially with goats. This is true with daily care but especially true during breeding and kidding season.
Even all these years later, I still do what I can to prepare and below is a list of my top articles. Lessons I have learned over the years covering breeding, kidding, and everything in between.
Goat Breeding
Breeding your goats is usually a time when you can let nature take care of things, but sometimes things can go awry. The best advice I can give is to have a plan. This will help you to relax and, in turn, your goats will be calmer as well.
Make a plan
Having a plan for kidding will help you to better prepare for breeding. Use our FREE Goat Gestation Calculator to better pick a breeding window that fits with your spring dates. Knowing the dates will give you the time you need to prep your shelter, your birthing kit, and your goats.
Before you breed
In order to breed your goats, you will need to have access to a buck, a male goat that is intact. You can either raise a goat on your property or rent a buck to come in and do the job.
For me, keeping my own buck on my own property was important as it gave me the most control over the health and lines of our herd. This is important if you want to be sure of the genetics you are getting.
Raising a buck comes with a few challenges you want to be prepared for. Read How to Keep a Buck on Your Farm for tips on housing a buck safely, what to feed your buck, and safety tips with their care.
Prepare the bucks
Once you have a buck on your homestead, your next step is to prepare them for the long task of breeding.
It is important to remember with goat bucks that during the breeding season, they have a one-track mind. They will not be interested in anything other than breeding. This includes sleeping, eating, and even drinking. For that reason, it is important to prepare your bucks before breeding begins by building up their immune systems and overall body condition.
Prepare the Does
Just as important are the does that you plan to get bred. Your female will also need stamina during breeding season, so their nutritional support should begin before breeding starts.
On our farm, we prefer to go natural whenever possible (unless medically advised to do otherwise). This means it is important to be proactive with our animal’s health. Remember, it is easier to support a healthy animal rather than wait for illness, rushing to find medical care.
Breeding
Once you have all your goats nutritionally prepared, it is time to start breeding. Know the art of how things work on both sides so you can help out when an issue arises.
Our page, Goat Breeding 101, will walk you through most of what you need to know for traditional breeding options. If you need an alternative breeding plan be sure to check out our other articles:
Goat Kidding
Once your does are pregnant, you have some time to relax before the next big event happens, goat kidding.
Please know that about 90% of all goat kiddings take place without any issues, however you will still want to be ready for that other 10% so you are not caught off guard.
The first thing to have ready is a private space for your does and setting Up a Birthing Pen for Your Goats will help you to do just that. Having a separate area for your goats to kid away from the herd will keep the mother and babies safe and allow you to intervene more easily if needed.
Agri-Pro Enterprises Lamb and Goat Kid Feeding Kit 1- Tube (14Fr), 1-Syringe (60 ML)
50 Pieces Disposable Dressing Gutting Gloves 1.6 Mil Shoulder Length Hunting Field Dressing Gloves for Deer Cleaning Gutting (White)5pcs Pet Nursing Bottles with 5pcs Nipple for Goats Small Animal Milk Drink Nipple Bottle for Nursing Lambs and Goat KidsAGRI PRO ENTERP Lamb & Pig Puller ECON #390001Premier 1 Supplies Shepherd’s Lambing Essentials Kit
You will also want to have a Goat Birthing Kit ready in case you need to assist during the birth. This kit has been a lifesaver for us and is now something I recommend to all goat owners new and seasoned.
To be better prepared for kidding time, knowing the signs that labor is close will help you to pinpoint a closer kidding date. These 13 Goat Kidding Signs will help you to recognize when things are getting close. If you are not sure what to watch for you can get an intro with this article: What do Goat Contractions Look Like?
How do You Know When a Goat is Done Giving Birth is another great article to read so you know if your doe is finished or if she has another kid on the way.
Goat Kids
Once the kids are here, we like top keep them separated with their mom for a few days to allow everyone to bond. After about a week or so we move them to the main pen with the herd.
If you are worried about the larger goats and how they will be around new young kids, you can have a separate space that only your kids will have access to. Read our article on How to Set up a Goat Kid Pen so you can see how easy it is to DIY a space. This is a great way to give your kids a chance to socialize while giving the moms a chance to take a break from motherhood.
More Goat Kid Resources:
- When and How to Wean Goat Kids
- how to prepare for baby goats.
- Bottle Baby Goat Feeding Schedule
- Building a Kid Box for your baby goat kids.
- Baby Goat Feeding Schedule
Growing a herd doesn’t have to be stressful or scary. By preparing yourself for what might go wrong you will feel more confident in the barn. Remember to prepare your does and buck for breeding and kidding by feeding them the best foods, giving them minerals if needed, and setting up areas for kidding.
Read up on each step and make a plan that you can rely on year after year. Keeping notes each season will allow you to look back and update any setups so they work well for your herd.