When to Wean Goats
Weaning the Low-Stress Way
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There are a lot of opinions on when to wean goats, however, there are several ways to reduce weaning stress for healthier kids and does.
Although everyone looks forward to bouncing baby goats. However, whether dam-raising, bottle-feeding, or a mix of both, not many look forward to the weaning process. There are a lot of ways and times to wean a goat and what works for one herd might not work for yours. However, reducing stress is universal because it’s so closely tied to overall health — especially at vulnerable stages like lactation and growth — it must be handled with extra care.
Preparing for Weaning
If dam-raising, weaning usually occurs when the kid is separated from the doe, which can cause additional stress. Success hinges on knowing when to wean goats and considering how long it takes to transition to regular feedstuffs.
What’s the best age to wean baby goats?
When can a goat leave it’s mother? Although kids can be weaned at 12 weeks of age if they’re eating hay and concentrates well, and are at least three times their birth weight, most will grow better and be less stressed if weaning waits until 16 weeks. Some dairy goat breeders leave their kids on milk until 20 weeks with no issues. This allows for a relatively stress-free weaning process and goats that are likely to reach breeding weight by fall. The extra time allows for better growth than those weaned at 12 weeks. Weaning before 12 weeks isn’t recommended due to a higher chance of health problems.
Though more extended weaning periods have an additional input cost of time and resources, the potential profit and health of kids could outweigh the expense, depending on your goals and whether you have does in milk to feed them. If you’re new to goats, your bottle babies may depend on store-bought milk, which can get pricey as they grow. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of a later weaning age and decide what’s best for you and your goats.
What to Feed Baby Goats When Weaning
Ensure kids have access to hay, water, and concentrates from about the second week of bottle-raising. If dam-raised, they’ll be taught to try it by their mothers. This allows them plenty of time to get used to drinking and eating things other than milk. Kids need to have time and exposure to solids for proper rumen development before weaning. Early exposure allows this to happen naturally as they explore their world.
This approach enables you to customize your weaning for groups of kids and makes the question of when to wean goats easier. Research shows that weaning each animal based on the consumption rate of at least 1% of their body weight in solid feed allows for a better transition.
Weaning Stress and Health Issues
Early weaning is undoubtedly the most stressful period of a kid‘s life up to that point. Though each animal is different, some may have setbacks that cause slowed growth or weight loss. An excessively stressed kid can experience reduced feed conversion, increased manure output, decreased immunity, and poorer meat quality.
When assessing when to wean goats, one should avoid weaning sick kids. They already have a compromised immune system, and weaning can further negatively impact their growth or recovery. Also, consider putting off weaning for kids who were previously ill, as they may benefit from a slower weaning process and a longer time on milk.
Coccidia is a Common Problem
A common health problem to be on the lookout for in kids is coccidia, which often coincides with the weaning period. Coccidia are parasitic sporozoan microorganisms found in the environment. They’re a normal part of the microbial population in the intestinal tract under usual conditions.
However, young kids are especially vulnerable to overpopulation of coccidia, which leads to diarrhea and dehydration. When kids are placed under stress, the population can climb rapidly and cause damage to the intestinal lining.
Coccidia are often controlled with feed additives such as Deccox and Rumensin or drugs such as Corid and DiMethox. Many breeders take a preventative treatment route that can start approximately two weeks before weaning and should continue for two weeks after.
Not all treatments are labeled for goats. The side effects of different products are hotly debated among breeders, with widespread disagreement on what constitutes the best protocol to adopt. When deciding on when to wean goats and what to use to control coccidia, your veterinarian and local breeders are your best source of information for your specific situation.
Don’t Forget the Does
If you’re dam-raising kids, there will be stressors and issues for the doe.
A major problem with weaning is mastitis. This stems from not having a dry-off practice in place along with the weaning protocol. Once the kid is removed, there will be no natural outlet for the milk the doe produces.
Unless you plan to continue milking your does after weaning, having a dry-off protocol can help reduce the risk of illness (or mastitis) and stress. This may include gradually reducing the kids’ exposure before permanently pulling for weaning, which will also reduce the stress of weaning on both the kid and the doe. If you have a doe who’s particularly susceptible to mastitis, speak with your vet about introducing a dry-off treatment with products to prevent contamination and the mastitis vaccine.
Just as weaning causes stress on the kid, the doe can also have “separation anxiety” if she hears her kids calling for her. Sometimes, keeping the kids within eyesight can help alleviate the noise and stress, but it can be tricky to craft a fence that will keep kids from reaching through and nursing.
Though weaning will never be the most fun activity for you or your animals, having a weaning protocol in place can help with the transition process and help to reduce or minimize the stressors.
Reduce Weaning Stress
Ways to reduce overall stress during weaning.
- Start kids on feeding options by 2 weeks old and feed them highly nutritious forage.
- Start by separating the kids overnight at 4 weeks of age, but allow them to stay with their dam during the day so they get used to being without her. This way, when you separate them for the last time, it won’t be as big a shock to either of them.
- Wait until at least 16 weeks of age before weaning if possible.
- Avoid “stacking” stressful events like dehorning, tagging, tattooing, castration, hoof trimming, and other management activities at the same time. Either complete them before or postpone them until after weaning is complete when possible. This allows the kids time to handle each change or event independently. Vaccinations are the exception, as giving them before weaning can help bolster their immune system when compromised by stress.
JACLYN DE CANDIO is a professional agriculture writer, communications specialist, and farmer. A member of the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Agriculture Communicators Network, she lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and children where they operate Latria Livestock Co., feeding out market kids and lambs.
SOURCES:
- Campbell, B. (2022, February 28). Weaning Management for Goat Kids. Ontario Goat https://ontariogoat.ca/goat-gazette/weaning/
- Weaning Health Issues. Goats. (2019, August 14). https://goats.extension. org/weaning-health-issues/
- Niyigena, V. (2021, June 3). Minimizing Weaning Stress in Sheep and Goats. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. https://www.aces.edu/blog/ topics/animals-urban/minimizing-weaning-stress-in-sheep-and-goats/
Originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.