Feeding kids

              NE,r iilaxrc0 cOLtlGE 0r AGRTOULTUIiE AltrD :,tEcHANrc AETS
AltrD AGIiICULTUTT.\L EXPERIi,I-SiT STATION
Pr.ess Bulletin 982
FESDING KIDS
The feedidg of the kids is an important parb of rnilk goat husbandry, becanse on
them depends the future herd. One of uilk three methods is generally used ftr feeding to kids: feeding from a pan, feeding by means of a bottle and nipple, and allow-ing
two or nore kids to nurse one doe. perhaps pan feeding is tne rnoil popular nethod. P.rns can be cleaned and sterilized easily and are convenient to- hindlel €s- pecially lf a lvooden rack is made with holes of proper size for holding the pans uhile the kids are drinking.
The bottle-and-nipple system of feedingr rrsi.ng a heavy bottle and a lamb nipple,
i-s very satisfactory lf there are not too nany kids to feed, A rack for holding the bottles in inverbed position is helpful when feeding a large nunber, sometimes a tank is provlded with several nippLf'hold.ers on the bottorn, A tank of this kind prusents difficulties, if it is d-esired to control the amount of nilk taken by each kid., and it cannot be kept in sanltary condition so easi-ly as simpler eguipmeit. In
3ny case, kids need to have the colostrum or first nilk given by Lhe mot]her. If
bhey arc to be hand-fcd, they may be allovred to nurse the doe for two or three days or taken array at once and fed the corostnrm fron a pan or bottle.
Three fecdings a day, are deslrable for at l-east a week or turo and many persons
continue to feed three times a day throug,hout the nilkJeeding period" On- t-he other
irlnd, nanJr kids are ralsed on tuice-o-day feeding of milk after'the ftnst two or
fhree days.
Another point of variation is the amount of
breeding stock often feed klds all the nilk they
limit the amount,
Whatever method of fe*:dln8 milk is practiced, clean, bright hay, some grain,
and clean nat,er should be available. to the kids from the start, so lhat thef learn to eat as soon as possible. Kids that are eating vrell may be renoved fron milk
feeding at the end of tv'ro months, but they l,rill nake rnore rapid development if they
receive rnilk until at least three or four months of age.
A prelin:inary trlal of full-feeding of milk to kids in cornparison vrith lilgited
feeding lvas rnade at the Ne'''r fulexico Agricultural Experiment Station.* Th" kids in
one group, 2 males and 5 fem*lles, irere fed aII the rnilk they would drink three tfunes
;r day. The kids in a second group, 2 nales and 2 females, vrere fed all the milk
they would drlnk lyice a day, Those in a third group, 2 rnales and 2 fernales, were
fed,one pint of nnilk each tlrlce a day, The kids received nilk for approxfunately
2 L/2 monthsi
Because of scarclty of herp and frequent change of workrnen, records are not as
complete as they should be for thc latter part of the trial and kids were not
l:eighed at the tine they were taken off mi_Ik feeding, A1l kids vrere vreighed on
June 17, 1913.
The six kids given fu1l feeding of r.rilk three times a day rveighed an average of 6.f pounds at birbh and 59.9 pounds on June 1f, I9t+), Their av"rage age at thai
i,ine ''rras 12J dal's and their ilvcrage daily gain was or{2 pound.
The kids that received a fulf feeding of milk tr'rlce a day had an average weight
,:,f 5ol por:nds at birbh and thcir average weight vras /+6.I po,uis on June I/ when ttrey
r;ere 81 days old; their avorege daily gain thus being O./+9 poundr
The average birth weight of the kids that received I pint of milk each twice a
,rl.y rT&s 8.9 pounds and thi:ir average lveight l'ras rr? pounds bn June 1?. since thei-r
vrrrilgo agc lvas 111 daysp tl:cy had made an average daily gain of Q.J{, poundo
The four kids in the group receiving a full feeding of rnllk tuice a day were -,:'rdruplets. Thelr greater gain than that of the kids given a full feedingthree
ti"r:r,rs a cay is difficult to explain, but probabry is not sj_gn5-ficant.
milk f ed, Persons trho are s elling
vlish at each f eedingr while others
during the experimerit,
January 2O, Lgl+l+
a graduate student, was in chargrr bf the handling of the kids
0. C. Cunnin6han
Dairy Husbandrnan