Pl2—Lancaster Firming, Saturday, March 13,1982
LANCASTER The Alpine doe
seems restless as her five month
gestation nears its end. The 2-year
old goat has undergone dramatic
changes in the last few weeks from
the accelerated growth of her
unborn kids.
After much pacing and pawing,
she selects a site away from her
herdmates and settles down. Her
uterus contracts more frequently
as the birth of her young is minutes
away.
The scene will be repeated
thousands of tunes as goat
breeders gear up for the kidding
season which generally runs from
February to April. To insure a
healthy kid crop this season,
breeders should meet several
nutrition and management ob
jectives when maintaining the late
lactation or dry doe.
According to the Penn State
Veterinary Science Extension,
goat breeders should accomplish
the following-
.-Dry off the udder and prevent
mastitis;
.-Have the doe in good physical
condition for kidding;
-•Bring the doe through kidding
with the least possible damage to
her udder and minimum of stress;
.-Prevent pregnancy disease
(ketosis) before and after kidding;
.-Prevent post-kidding
reproductive tract infections;
.-Have the doe’s digestive
system in condition to give her a
good appetite and enable her to eat
a large amount of feed for
maximum milk production.
A pregnant doe should be dry for
at least 50 days before kidding for
normal production in the future
lactation.
To dry off a doe milking less than
five pounds a day, simply stop
milking her However, high
producers may need other prac
tices to halt the milk let down
mechanism
The Extension suggests
witholding gram and succulent
feed. Instead, feed poor quality
hay and cut down water intake for
a couple of days When she drops
below five pounds daily, stop
milking her It helps to keep the
doe away from the sights and
sounds of milking
After does have been dried off at
least five days, hand strip any
coagulated milk remaining in the
udder.
The buttermilk-like fluid
remaining during the first week or
two following drying off, is normal
and should be stripped During the
remainder of the dry period, a
small quantity of honey-colored
fluid is also normal
Mastitis prevention is a key
management factor during the dry
period, beginning with the teat
ends
Carefully examine teat ends for
evidence of chapping or irritation
A few days treatment with a non
imtant teat dip or several ap
Get ready
pications of antibiotic ointment
may be worthwhile. Treat any
quarters where there is any
evidence of teat injury with a dry
treatment antibiotic infusion.
Consult your veterinarian before
using any drug.
A propemutntionprogram helps
set die stage for healthy kids and
does that will breed back in six to
seven months.
Late lactation does should be fed
a minimum of gram and a
maximum of forage. Goat owners
should be careful to prevent fat
tening in these does.
Protein requirements are
relatively high for the doe in the
last four weeks of pregnancy. The
Extension recommends feeding at
least a pound daily of the same
feed she will receive after
freshening.
Dry doe mamtanence includes
mixed grass and legume hay. If
browse is available, let her eat all
she wants. Coarse fiber material
restores rumen capacity and
function back to normal in does
which have been fed a relatively
large amount of gram and high
quality forage during the previous
laction. Dry does need at least the
same percent protein in the con
centrate fed as is fed to the milking
herd to prevent udder congestion
at freshening, which is generally
caused by protein deficiency.
Limited salt intake, (less than one
percent m grain) helps reduce risk
of udder congestion.
However, the Extension cautions
against does losing condition in the
last ith of thif
Just minutes old, this Alpine buck kid unsteadily rises to
the occasion with a little maternal urging.
“Am I getting close?"
** ~ M
'oat breeders ore
here come the kids
Proper dry doe nutrition sets the stage for a
healthy kidding season and future lactations.
The bulk of a dry doe's diet should include
may result in some degree of
ketosis.
A correctly fed dry doe is in lean
active condition, alert and hungry
for food.
Goats raised in the Eastern U.S.,
a selenium deficient region, should
receive selenium injectioi it
<•
y***
♦ho^^K 3, *u® *? und it! ” For all his efforts, meal, a bellyful of colostrum
the newborn buck is rewarded with a hearty
•ore
least four weeks prior to kidding.
The Extension also suggests in
jections of Vitamins A, D and E.
The combination of selenium and
vitamins appear to promote good
uterine involution following kid
ding and are helpful for preventing
reproductive tract infections in the
doe. Consult a veterinarian for
Ti'r. *• *
v t. *
d ■» <m
* **
A meal awaits him, but not here.
more forage jn concentrate. Mixed hay and
when available, browse, are recommended.
injection schedule and source of
selenium and vitamins.
Does can experience discomfort
with heavy, tight udders prior to
kidding. Pressure can be relieved
by milking her out a few days
before kidding. However, save a
quart of colustrum for the kid’s
first feeding. Many good udders
r„
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