From The Farm

Growing lots of flowers and a little food, homesteading with dairy goats and free-range farm kids.

What’s In Our Kidding Kit?

Written by Marie van Hulsentop

February 29, 2020

What’s In Our Kidding Kit?

Goat kidding kits vary a little depending on a farmer’s personality and the proximity of their vet to their farm. This is what we like to keep in our kidding kit and this is by no means an exhaustive list. By posting this here, I invite you to examine several different kits and consult with your veterinarian to find the right fit for you and your farm. Our particular kidding kit has been designed in parts based on our research, our experience with kiddings, and in consultation with one of our veterinarians. Our kit is designed particularly to handle middle-of-the-night emergencies with the understanding that we are very near to our veterinary clinic and can call up for additional supportive medications first thing in the morning following a difficult or complicated delivery. We have done it this way to limit expenses on items that we need very little of or that we may rarely or never use before reaching expiry dates. Additionally, we work with two different veterinary clinics in our area that provide emergency call-out service for any serious situations.

Listed below, you will see that our kit is broken into three sections: “Supplies and Tools”, “Medications and Supplements”, and finally, “Items Purchased As Needed”. This last section lists a few items that are commonly kept by goat keepers and that you may wish to talk to your vet about their recommendations for keepings on hand.

Supplies + Tools

Many of these items can be found in your home or gathered from friends, grocery stores, and feed stores.

  • Nipples for bottle feeding, various sizes
  • Pop Bottles for bottle feeding
  • Tube-feeding kit + large syringe
  • Thermometer (a rectal temperature reading is the first information you need to have to make a diagnosis – you NEED a working thermometer, keep a back-up just in case)
  • Clean small jar with lid for colostrum
  • Notepad/book to record birth weights
  • Needles (20 x 1”)
  • Syringes (3 mL, 10 mL – We use a lot of 3 mL syringes; but also need to have larger ones on hand)
  • Hibitaine/hand sanitizer
  • Saline
  • Ketone strips
  • J-Jelly/Obstetrical Lubricant
  • Gloves
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Cotton swabs
  • 7% Iodine
  • Iodine dip cup
  • Leg puller
  • Infant suction bulb (nasal aspirator)
  • Baby wipes
  • Weigh scale and harness
  • Towels
  • Kid collars + tape
  • Permanent marker
  • Stethoscope

Medications + Supplements

If you are in Canada, you will need to obtain some of these items from your vet. If you haven’t already established a working relationship with a veterinarian, it will be beneficial to do this before you begin kidding!

  • Molasses
  • Sel-On (Selenium-E) injectable
  • Baycox
  • Ivermectin paste
  • Cal-Plus
  • Tasvax – 8
  • Dexamethasone 5
  • Oxyvet 200 LA
  • Glycol-P
  • Thiamine (B12) or B Complex oral tablets or oral gel

Items Purchased As Needed

This last section lists a few items that are commonly kept in stock by some goat keepers and that you may wish to discuss with your vet about their recommendations for keeping on hand. We purchase these items as needed pre-drawn in correct amounts by our vet clinic.

  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) or Vitamin B Complex injectable 
  • Metacam
  • Antibiotic(s)

van H acres is not a veterinarian. Any information provided is based on our own experience and recommendations by our veterinarians or government issued publications. By using the tools and information provided, you are acknowledging that we have no responsibility as to your own care of your animals or results of any treatments that you should choose to give them. Do not use the medications listed or dates provided without consulting with your veterinarian. Do not use the information provided to diagnose or treat any health problems or ilnesses in your animals without consulting with your veterinarian. Information and products suggested or recommended by van H acres have no guarantees and we disclaim any/all liability in connection with the use of the suggestion/recommendations of information and/or products. van H acres assumes no liability should you decide to follow our advice/suggestions/recommendations, nor do we endorse any of the medications/supplements that we recommend/suggest. van H acres is not a veterinarian and we assume no liability for any actions you should choose to take with your animals.

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