Post Kidding: The First Couple Months

If the kidding has been successful, and the mama and kids are all doing well with nursing, after a few days I'll let them all join the herd under my watchful eye for a little bit, working over the next week or so to let them all have full access to one another.

At that point, I'll give each kid a probiotic boost with Fastrack if they didn't get some at birth.
I will also be paying close attention to my doe's udder to see if the kids are nursing on both sides evenly.  If not, I will start milking her out on one side or the other to keep them even.  I won't have to separate the kids from her during this time (other than when she's on the stanchion).  Last year my poor doe was definitely heavier on one side and I was just too inexperienced to figure it out.  Whatever milk I get during this time I will freeze and save for potential kidding problems with the other does.  And...I can always make soap with it all if all bares well.

After two weeks,  I will start separating the kids from the mama at night, so I can milk her in the morning before letting the kids back with her for the rest of the day.  That is how I like to milk, once a day, until the kids are weaned and sold.  It works out great for me in terms of time management.  I have no desire to bottle feed if I don't have to, and I haven't had problems (yet) with kids bonding to me with plenty of attention.  The one problem I did have last year was one kid chewing on the teat of my doe, so you better believe I'll be watching  like a hawk for any similar issues and will bottle feed before releasing them to mama to take the hunger edge off (if not removing a naughty kid altogether; those teats are valuable!).  Otherwise, I'm happy to keep the kids on mom.

About that time, I'll start the kids on our wormer schedule.  I've been using Molly's Herbal Wormer for years and so far am happy with the results.  I do think the key to using any herbal wormer is consistent, diligent use--we worm our animals (even our dogs) every single week with it.

Within that first week, the kids will all be disbudded, and I will begin to offer up our kids for pre-sale and take deposits.

At 3-4 weeks, we will wether the bucks unless someone intends to buy a buck (and has fully paid for him at that point).   Because our soils are horrible, I'll also give all of the kids a dose of selenium/vitamin E gel.  And of course, they will all stay on the weekly worming schedule as well.

All doelings and bucklings will be registered with KGBA and ready to go at eight weeks if their weight looks good.

Then the kids will hopefully all leave the property to go to happy and good homes after getting their tattoos done and hooves trimmed.  At that point we'll begin milking twice a day until (1) we dry them off for the winter and don't want to milk in the cold barn or (2) the does are two months from kidding again.

That is the "plan" (smile).