Pregnant Goat Care: Feeding, Vaccines & Kidding Prep

Good pregnancy care comes down to three things: feeding, vaccination and kidding preparation. Get these right and you protect both the doe and her kids through the final, fast-growing weeks.

Feeding a pregnant doe

Feed high-quality hay free-choice through the whole pregnancy, plus free-choice loose minerals and clean water. The key changes come in the last six weeks, when the kids grow fast and crowd the rumen:

• Offer smaller, more frequent meals as space gets tight.
• Add grain slowly - over about a week - for does carrying multiples or needing extra calories.
• Avoid sudden feed changes and overfeeding, which drive pregnancy toxaemia (ketosis).
• Keep the doe at a healthy body condition to support a normal, strong labour.

Vaccination & deworming

The core pre-kidding shot is CD&T, given about four weeks before the due date so the doe passes antibodies to her kids through colostrum. See our dedicated guide on the CD&T vaccine schedule for exact timing.

In selenium-deficient regions, add a selenium supplement in the same window. Deworm about a week before kidding only if FAMACHA scores warrant it, using products safe for pregnant does. For parasite guidance, the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (wormx.info) is the authority.

Preparing the kidding pen

Set up a clean, dry, draft-free stall about 2-3 weeks before the due date. A 4x6 ft pen gives room to move and sit with the doe. Add fresh bedding, hay, loose minerals, and water in shallow or raised containers so newborn kids cannot fall in.

Your kidding kit checklist

• Clean, dry towels for rubbing kids down
• 7% iodine and a small cup for dipping navels
• A bulb syringe to clear nose and mouth
• Disposable OB gloves and lubricant
• A heat lamp or kid coat for cold weather
• A digital thermometer
• Colostrum backup and your vet’s number to hand

Put it on a timeline

Every one of these steps has a date. Enter your breeding date in the goat gestation calculator and it lays out the whole plan - steaming up, CD&T, pen move and kidding watch - which you can print or add to your calendar. Then learn the signs of labour so you know when the day arrives.