What to Feed an Orphaned Baby Goat?

When you are trying to raise an orphaned kid, a proper feeding process becomes effective. Taking care of a newborn goat involves a lot of tasks for over a span of a few weeks.  And there is a lot that is required to be done to make sure it is growing up healthy.

Due to unavoidable circumstances when a goat dies after giving birth to a baby. Then it becomes a matter of concern about how will you save the baby goat’s life. Before digging into “What to Feed an Orphaned Baby Goat? “and feeding process. Let’s learn how to care for an immediately born goat and what and how to feed them. 

What to Feed an Orphaned Baby Goat Immediately After Born? 

Fast of all, make sure to keep it in a warm environment during the first few weeks. Because it will be tough for the baby goat to adjust to the harsh weather conditions outside. Also, you need to feed them, to keep them alive. Here is what and how? 

1. Clip off the cord to 3 -4 inches long and dip the navel cord in an iodine solution so that it is not infected in any way possible. Tie it with a surgical material if the cord is bleeding. Go for the trimming option only when the cord is too long and/or it does not break off naturally. Always make use of sterilized equipment while doing the same.
2. Feed the colostrum milk immediately via a bottle within two hours of its birth cause this is vital for its survival and proper birth.
3. Arrange a bottle of this milk in advance so that you can feed it immediately after the birthing and cleaning procedure is over. This is necessary because it is rich in antibodies that will help to develop the immune system. Freeze the colostrum milk that will not be used and this milk should be used within six months.
4. The goat kid has to be fed with a bottle frequently and then milk replacer gradually. The baby goat has to be fed almost close to 3 to 4 times every day so that they do not suffer from any sort of digestive issues.
5. One advantage of bottle feeding the goat yourself. Because it is an orphan it will get accustomed to the human touch sooner. Subsequently, it turns out to be friendlier than the ones that grow with their mother.
6. Wean the baby once it has reached a weight of about 20 pounds.

How to Make Colostrum Milk at Home?

Colostrum milk is essential for baby goats. In case you don’t have other options to feed them, you can make Colostrum milk in your home.

• 740 ml of Cows/Goat Milk
• 1 Chicken Egg
• One T-spoon unflavoured cod liver oil.
• One teaspoon glucose sugar

Now, if you are a beginner to goat farming, this may seem troublesome. But, we can guarantee that you will love rising is as a pet.

Starting Solid Foods

You can start giving solid foods to the goat after the first week of its life along with the normal milk supply. After a duration of 10 days, as the guardian, you can start giving the baby goat a starter feed that has almost 18 to 20 percent protein. It can be made to taste the pasture and hay after it has grown almost 8 weeks old. At this age, they can be fed things that a goat eats. It must have access to the fresh water from any source all the time.

In order to develop the rumen, provide a starter grain that has almost 16 to 18 percent of crude protein. The ruminating occurs by rechewing the partially digested food. Provide a high-quality fodder or fine stemmed hay or pasture mix.

When you start feeding them solid foods start it with grains, hay, grass, oats, and barley. Avoid feeding it poisonous plants such as moldy grains, azaleas, rhododendrons, and moldy grains.

Vaccinate the Baby Goat

Although most of the immune system will be developed by the time it is grown up mostly from the antibodies in the colostrum and the bottled mother’s milk, it is, however, wise to get them vaccinated to get them immuned against the common diseases.

Some of the vaccinations that you must provide are as follows:

• Clostridium and Tetanus Vaccinations soon after the goat is 30 days old.
• CD&T booster is necessary that you can add after the goat is around 3 to 4 weeks old. 

Just like a newborn human baby, the newborn goat baby will also need regular trips to the veterinary hospital for various medical evaluations. This is part of their routine care.

Goats and kids should be checked on for outside pathogens like viruses and bacteria more often. Check out for lice.this is a parasite that infects the goat’s fur if not removed in due time. You can also purchase a lice powder and spray it on your goat from time to time to remove the lice. Also, trim the fur short to prevent the lice from spreading all over the body.

Many wild goats will have the horns that grow as they grow older. As the orphaned goat will be domesticated, the horn can be a danger in many ways. Remove the horn buds at a veterinary hospital by burning off the horns using a heated iron under supervised care. This must be done while they are too young or else it will be difficult as he oat grows older. Removing the horns will keep it and those around safe. 

Provide a Dry and Clean Environment

The newborn goat must have a clean draft shelter that must have a good amount of bedding. Make sure that the baby goas are housed separately from the other grown-up animals so that they are not infected by any pathogens. The youngest of any species are susceptible to infections of all sorts.

Hence a strong immune system is required to survive. As they grow up they will require proper shedding and bedding. This is required to protect them from the cold environment and keep them warm. Also, any bedding provided to them must be kept clean and dry.

Avoid drafts in the shelter. In a warm and dry climate, provide a shelter that is made up of three walls. and make sure it is enclosed during the cold climate. Also, make sure that the size of the shelter is not less than ten feet. (Tip: Add dirt floor in the shelter that will provide a way to absorb the goat’s urine.

In the winter it becomes more sensitive. So, cover the shelter with hay to provide a comfortable and warm bed. Read Winter goat care.

Conclusion

Therefore most of the tips that you may need to feed and on how can you take care of the orphaned newborn goat have been covered up here. The final conclusion that can be drawn from here is that if you need to have a healthy goat take care of it as you would do your human baby.