Prenatal Care for Goats
Prenatal Care for Goats White Mountain 4H Goat Group 2013 Woodward
Month 0 – Do a nice hoof trim and breed the girl.
Day 0 – Fertilization
Day 1.5 – Babies have eight cells!! GO MITOSIS! :)
Week 1 – Exercise Mama in moderation, until the babies come!
- Mama goat needs exercise, especially if she is overweight.
- The babies are at the ‘Blastula’ stage.
Week 2 – Implantation!
- At about day 12, the embryos attach to Mama’s uterus.
Week 3 – Have a heart!
- The embryos heart begins to beat at about day 20!
Week 4
Month 2
Week 5 – Tiny babies!
- At 30 days old, the embryos begin to resemble an animal, and they are about this long: _____
Week 6 – Growing babies!
- At 42 days old, a the embryo can be called a fetus, and it has tripled its length!
Week 7 – STAGE 1 done! – First 50 days of pregnancy complete!
Week 8 – Pedicure!
- Check hooves and trim if necessary.
- Shhh. The fetuses look like toy goats, about four inches long now.
Month 3
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12 – Quit milking Mama!
- Mama needs at least a 2 month break before she has babies. Earlier is fine!
Month 4
Week 13
Week 14 – STAGE 2 done! – Second 50 days of pregnancy!
- The fetuses have been busy DEVELOPING, but now they will start GROWING.
- Some people start dropping the calcium levels in their feed, so that the doe will produce parathyroid hormone – this will help her body start releasing Calcium from her bones, to support the milk production she’ll be doing later. Some does will deliberately start eating LESS grain, so that their Calcium:Phosphorous ratios are changed and they will absorb less dietary calcium. Maybe keep grass free choice.
Week 15 – Stage 3 Pregnancy starts!
- 60% of fetal growth will occur during the last 40 days!
- Mama needs 70-80% more energy than she did when she was not pregnant.
- Adopt a Stress Free Goat Lifestyle from here on in.
Week 16 – Start ramping up the calories! You do NOT want pregnancy toxemia.
- Mama needs almost twice nutrition now, and her stomach is smaller – “Lead Feed” – start with ½ cup grain and GRADUALLY increase every day until she has the baby. Use the same grain you’ll be using to supplement Mama’s diet later, when you are milking.
- Up the Vitamin B3 if possible
Month 5
Week 17 Revving up the Colostrum:
- Supplement Selenium (gel or RX BoSe – DO NOT OVERDO THIS; Selenium is toxic
- CD/T shot (behind the elbow)
- Lysigen vaccine (against one of the bacteria that cause mastitis)
- Check for worms (fecal) and deworm if necessary – READ CONTAINER to make sure the wormer is safe for pregnant does!!!
Week 18 Caprine Beauty Shop:
- Give a ‘birthing trim’ – shave the excess hair around the vulva, tail feathers, back legs – anywhere that might be getting ‘goop’ in it. The doe will drip lochia for a few weeks after kidding and you don’t want it stuck in her hair. Especially if there are dogs around.
- Trim hooves. The babies really start growing the last 4-6 weeks and Mama gains weight fast!
- Supplement Selenium again, but DO NOT OVERDO.
Week 19 Another shot!
- J-Vac vaccine (against another bacteria that causes mastitis), Pasteruella vaccine.
Week 20 - 21
- Maybe another BoSe shot.
Babies anytime! They can come up to 2 weeks early and a week late, but are usually 150 days.
- IMPORTANT! WORM YOUR DOE AS SOON AS SHE GIVES BIRTH. The changes in the doe’s internal chemistry from ‘pregnant’ to ‘milking’ seems to be a signal to the worm eggs she carries, to hatch and grow.
Two Major Issues to Watch For!
Problem - Pregnancy Toxemia/Ketosis*
When it happens - Late pregnancy and early lactation
Why - Quick growth of multiple fetuses cannot be supported by Mama's energy intake, especially if she has lots of internal fat - no room to put food! She does not have enough glucose, so starts breaking down fat reserves.
Symptoms - Ketosis strips positive, decreased appetite, some ataxia or acting blind, milk production drops, breath smells like acetone, may act nervous or have swelling in legs.
Treatment - Get goat to eat. Vit B injection, offer leaves, provide glucose or glycerol or propylene glycol. "Magic" formula. Terminate the pregnancy. :(
Prevention - Increase the concentrated food energy in the last 4- 6 weeks of pregnancy. Goats should hve good body condition when bred and get exercise! feed 6g daily niacin in last 6 weeks of pregnancy
Notes: Worst Risk Factors: Over-fat does, multiple babies. May also lead to acidosis.
Problem - Hypocalcemia (Milk Fever)
When it happens - Pre- and Post-kidding
Why - Doe's milk production is using blood calcium, which is not being replaced by the bone reserves; calcium is necessary for muscle and nerves to work right.
Symptoms - Trembling, weight loss, low body temperature (below 101), loss of appetite, sudden cardiac arrest.
Treatment - Oral calcium drenches like MFO or CMPK. Very careful injections of Calcium solution. Tums-treats?
Prevention - Provide lots of non-alfalfa hay in the last weeks of pregnancy, in addition to regular feed; some advocate removing legume hays.
Notes: If you use injected calcium solutions, you can shock the doe's system and kill her.
Resources:
Kathryn Heiniger, Black Mesa Ranch, personal communication 2011.
“Common Nutritional and Metabolic Disease of Goats”, R. Van Saun DVM, MS, PhD. http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/GoatFeeding/GoatNutritionalDiseases1.pdf Accessed 2/25/13
Disease of the Goat 3rd Edition, copyright 2009, John Matthews BSc, BVMS, MRCVS. Wiley-Blackwell, Chelmsford, UK.
The Biology of the Goat, Karin Christensen. http://www.goatbiology.com/ Accessed 2/25/13.
“Feeding the Pregnant and Milking Doe”, T. Sahlu and A. L. Goetsch, Langston University. http://www.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/feeding_pregnant_doe98.htm. Accessed 2/25/13
Month 0 – Do a nice hoof trim and breed the girl.
Day 0 – Fertilization
Day 1.5 – Babies have eight cells!! GO MITOSIS! :)
Week 1 – Exercise Mama in moderation, until the babies come!
- Mama goat needs exercise, especially if she is overweight.
- The babies are at the ‘Blastula’ stage.
Week 2 – Implantation!
- At about day 12, the embryos attach to Mama’s uterus.
Week 3 – Have a heart!
- The embryos heart begins to beat at about day 20!
Week 4
Month 2
Week 5 – Tiny babies!
- At 30 days old, the embryos begin to resemble an animal, and they are about this long: _____
Week 6 – Growing babies!
- At 42 days old, a the embryo can be called a fetus, and it has tripled its length!
Week 7 – STAGE 1 done! – First 50 days of pregnancy complete!
Week 8 – Pedicure!
- Check hooves and trim if necessary.
- Shhh. The fetuses look like toy goats, about four inches long now.
Month 3
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12 – Quit milking Mama!
- Mama needs at least a 2 month break before she has babies. Earlier is fine!
Month 4
Week 13
Week 14 – STAGE 2 done! – Second 50 days of pregnancy!
- The fetuses have been busy DEVELOPING, but now they will start GROWING.
- Some people start dropping the calcium levels in their feed, so that the doe will produce parathyroid hormone – this will help her body start releasing Calcium from her bones, to support the milk production she’ll be doing later. Some does will deliberately start eating LESS grain, so that their Calcium:Phosphorous ratios are changed and they will absorb less dietary calcium. Maybe keep grass free choice.
Week 15 – Stage 3 Pregnancy starts!
- 60% of fetal growth will occur during the last 40 days!
- Mama needs 70-80% more energy than she did when she was not pregnant.
- Adopt a Stress Free Goat Lifestyle from here on in.
Week 16 – Start ramping up the calories! You do NOT want pregnancy toxemia.
- Mama needs almost twice nutrition now, and her stomach is smaller – “Lead Feed” – start with ½ cup grain and GRADUALLY increase every day until she has the baby. Use the same grain you’ll be using to supplement Mama’s diet later, when you are milking.
- Up the Vitamin B3 if possible
Month 5
Week 17 Revving up the Colostrum:
- Supplement Selenium (gel or RX BoSe – DO NOT OVERDO THIS; Selenium is toxic
- CD/T shot (behind the elbow)
- Lysigen vaccine (against one of the bacteria that cause mastitis)
- Check for worms (fecal) and deworm if necessary – READ CONTAINER to make sure the wormer is safe for pregnant does!!!
Week 18 Caprine Beauty Shop:
- Give a ‘birthing trim’ – shave the excess hair around the vulva, tail feathers, back legs – anywhere that might be getting ‘goop’ in it. The doe will drip lochia for a few weeks after kidding and you don’t want it stuck in her hair. Especially if there are dogs around.
- Trim hooves. The babies really start growing the last 4-6 weeks and Mama gains weight fast!
- Supplement Selenium again, but DO NOT OVERDO.
Week 19 Another shot!
- J-Vac vaccine (against another bacteria that causes mastitis), Pasteruella vaccine.
Week 20 - 21
- Maybe another BoSe shot.
Babies anytime! They can come up to 2 weeks early and a week late, but are usually 150 days.
- IMPORTANT! WORM YOUR DOE AS SOON AS SHE GIVES BIRTH. The changes in the doe’s internal chemistry from ‘pregnant’ to ‘milking’ seems to be a signal to the worm eggs she carries, to hatch and grow.
Two Major Issues to Watch For!
Problem - Pregnancy Toxemia/Ketosis*
When it happens - Late pregnancy and early lactation
Why - Quick growth of multiple fetuses cannot be supported by Mama's energy intake, especially if she has lots of internal fat - no room to put food! She does not have enough glucose, so starts breaking down fat reserves.
Symptoms - Ketosis strips positive, decreased appetite, some ataxia or acting blind, milk production drops, breath smells like acetone, may act nervous or have swelling in legs.
Treatment - Get goat to eat. Vit B injection, offer leaves, provide glucose or glycerol or propylene glycol. "Magic" formula. Terminate the pregnancy. :(
Prevention - Increase the concentrated food energy in the last 4- 6 weeks of pregnancy. Goats should hve good body condition when bred and get exercise! feed 6g daily niacin in last 6 weeks of pregnancy
Notes: Worst Risk Factors: Over-fat does, multiple babies. May also lead to acidosis.
Problem - Hypocalcemia (Milk Fever)
When it happens - Pre- and Post-kidding
Why - Doe's milk production is using blood calcium, which is not being replaced by the bone reserves; calcium is necessary for muscle and nerves to work right.
Symptoms - Trembling, weight loss, low body temperature (below 101), loss of appetite, sudden cardiac arrest.
Treatment - Oral calcium drenches like MFO or CMPK. Very careful injections of Calcium solution. Tums-treats?
Prevention - Provide lots of non-alfalfa hay in the last weeks of pregnancy, in addition to regular feed; some advocate removing legume hays.
Notes: If you use injected calcium solutions, you can shock the doe's system and kill her.
Resources:
Kathryn Heiniger, Black Mesa Ranch, personal communication 2011.
“Common Nutritional and Metabolic Disease of Goats”, R. Van Saun DVM, MS, PhD. http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/GoatFeeding/GoatNutritionalDiseases1.pdf Accessed 2/25/13
Disease of the Goat 3rd Edition, copyright 2009, John Matthews BSc, BVMS, MRCVS. Wiley-Blackwell, Chelmsford, UK.
The Biology of the Goat, Karin Christensen. http://www.goatbiology.com/ Accessed 2/25/13.
“Feeding the Pregnant and Milking Doe”, T. Sahlu and A. L. Goetsch, Langston University. http://www.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/feeding_pregnant_doe98.htm. Accessed 2/25/13