How to Raise and Care for Baby Goats

If you're a farmer or just want to raise goats, sooner or later you may have baby goats to care for, particularly if you're raising them for milking. Providing a baby goat, or a «kid,» with the right care will help it grow into a healthy, hearty adult goat.

This guide breaks down the most critical care tips related to managing the birth, learning what to feed the baby goat, and how to maintain its shelter.

Treehugger / Dan Amos

Immediately after the baby goat is born, you should be present. This helps the baby goat imprint on you so it starts to get accustomed to human contact.

There are three main actions to take after its birth:

Allow the umbilical cord to break naturally, and only trim it if it is longer than four inches. You will want the cord to be about three to four inches in length. If you need to trim the cord, use a sterilized pair of scissors, then clean the cord with iodine, and allow the stub to fall off naturally.

If possible, leave the baby goat with the mother. She will lick the baby clean, and the baby goat and its mother will bond. The mother goat will likely eat some of the afterbirth; that's fine. Your job is to stay and monitor the situation.

Make sure the baby goat feeds from its mother within the first hour after birth. If the kid does not feed from its mother, you will need to bottle-feed it colostrum, the early milk that is high in nutrients and immune-building properties.Colostrum can come from its mother, another goat, or it can be purchased at a feed store.

Treehugger / Dan Amos

Before the birth, make sure to decide whether you will bottle feed the baby goat or if you're going to have the mother raise and nurse the baby. The advantage of bottle-fed goats is that they are usually more