How to Care for a Mother Goat in Parturition

Parturition in goats refers to the birthing process. Caring properly for a mother goat during and after parturition ensures that she remains healthy, infection free and able to care for her kid. The most important aspects of caring for a mother goat during and after parturition are to make sure that she has a clean stall, plenty of nutritious food and ample amounts of fresh, clean water available at all times.

Things You'll Need

  • Stall
  • Clean straw or other absorbent bedding
  • Tincture of iodine
  • Washcloth
  • Soap
  • Water
  • Bucket
  • Sterile container
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate an appropriate stall. The stall for a goat in parturition should be off the beaten path so that she is disturbed as little as possible while she kids, but should be easily visible in the event she has difficulty birthing the baby. This is especially important for first-time moms.

    • 2

      Create a clean delivery environment. Does who are gestating and are ready to deliver or kid should be moved to a stall free of feces, urine and other contaminants. The stall should be well bedded with straw or other absorbent material such as cedar chips. The kid has not yet been able to build up a tolerance to common contaminants and the doe may experience tearing in the uterus or vulva, which can become infected -- especially if the environment is dirty.

    • 3

      Dip both ends of the umbilical cord in iodine. After the doe has delivered and has severed the umbilical cord, the ends should be dipped in tincture of iodine to prevent organisms from entering into the bloodstream of either the mother or the kid. Dilute the iodine by pouring a capful into a pint of warm water. Then dip the ends of the cords into the mixture. In some instances, the mother's end of the cord is not accessible. It is not necessary to find the cord if it has retracted back into the mother goat.

    • 4

      Wash the udder with warm soapy water. Mix a few squirts of dish detergent into a pail of warm tap water. Using a washcloth, clean the mother's udders thoroughly to remove any contaminants. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

    • 5

      Milk the mother's colostrum. It is imperative that a kid receive 10% of his body weight in colostrum within the first twenty four hours of life in order to prevent many diseases. In order to ensure that he receives this vital nutrition, the mother should be milked. Place a sterile container under the mother goat. Start by grasping the top of the teat, squeeze gently between your thumb and forefinger and then slide your hand down the teat. It may take a time or two before the colostrum begins to spray from the teats.

    • 6

      Monitor the doe for proper milk production, and for pus or other signs of infection from her vulva. She will expel the placenta within a few hours of giving birth. You should inspect it and make sure that it is intact to ensure that she has not retained any of it. Retained placentas can cause infections. Keep her vulva area clean and make sure that the bedding in her stall remains clean and free of feces and urine for several days post parturition to prevent infection.