Kid rearing — the management of newborn and young goats — presents significant welfare challenges in both dairy and meat goat production. The neonatal period is high-risk for welfare problems, and management decisions made in the first weeks of life have lasting consequences.
Adequate colostrum intake within the first 4–6 hours of life is essential for kid survival. Goat colostrum provides: maternal antibodies (immunoglobulins) for passive immunity, energy, vitamins (particularly A and E), and growth factors. Failure of passive transfer (FPT) — insufficient immunoglobulin absorption — dramatically increases susceptibility to early infection. Best practice: ensure each kid receives at least 10% of bodyweight in colostrum within 4 hours. Stomach tube feeding of frozen-thawed colostrum from tested does is appropriate for kids that cannot suckle effectively.
In dairy goat systems, kids are typically separated from does at birth to prevent milk consumption and facilitate efficient milking. Early separation causes acute stress in both dam and offspring — vocalisation from both can persist for 24–48 hours. Some systems allow brief suckling contact before separation; others separate immediately.
Artificial rearing on milk replacer requires: appropriate age-specific formulation, adequate feeding frequency (initially 4–6 times daily), correct concentration and temperature, and social housing (not individual isolation). Kids raised in isolation develop abnormal behaviours and increased fearfulness — social housing from the first week of life is strongly recommended for welfare.
Young kids are susceptible to hypothermia and infectious respiratory disease. Housing must provide: adequate insulation and bedding for thermal comfort, ventilation without draught, space for movement and social interaction, and separation from adult animals to prevent infectious disease transmission. Deep straw bedding, heat lamps for very young kids in cold conditions, and regular cleaning reduce disease risk.
Neonatal diarrhoea: The leading cause of kid mortality in the first weeks of life. Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, and E. coli all cause diarrhoea in kids. Oral rehydration, colostrum management, and hygiene are the cornerstones of prevention. Vaccination of does before kidding against Cryptosporidium is available and effective in some regions.
Enterotoxaemia: Clostridium perfringens types C and D cause sudden death, often in the best-growing kids on high-milk diets. Vaccination of does provides passive immunity; vaccination of kids themselves should begin at 3–4 weeks.
CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis): Lentivirus causing arthritis in adults and encephalitis in kids under 6 months. Spread primarily through colostrum. CAE control programmes using tested colostrum or pasteurised colostrum reduce transmission.
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