Basic Kidding Kit Essentials: What We Use for Every Goat Birth

A Quick Look at some of the supplies in our basic kidding kit.

With kidding season basically here, I thought a great place to start would be with kidding kit basics. We keep two levels of kidding kits here on the farm, but today we’ll be covering our simple kidding kit—the one we have with us for every birth to help things go as smoothly as possible.

The Container

First things first: you need a handy container to keep everything together. I like to use a 2-gallon bucket. It has a nice handle, is easy to carry, and can even be repurposed as a kid-carrying device if needed. Plus, buckets are useful for about a hundred other farm tasks, so it’s a win all around.

The Basics: Towels, Puppy Pads, Gloves, and a Thermometer

Every basic kidding kit should include:

• Towels

• Puppy pads

• Disposable gloves

• A thermometer

Small and large towels as well as puppy pads are a must have for kidding.

Towels and puppy pads serve similar purposes—cleaning up kids and helping dry them off. We like to start with puppy pads to get the bulk of the goo off the kids, then switch to towels to finish drying them and help mama clean them up. If you prefer to just use old towels, they work perfectly fine on their own. We also use a towel to wipe off mama’s back end after she’s finished, helping keep everyone clean and comfortable.

Gloves are there to protect you. Goats can carry zoonotic diseases, and we want to keep ourselves healthy so we can continue caring for the herd. I wear disposable gloves anytime I’m assisting a doe—whether that’s helping with kids, cleaning up afterbirth, or tidying the stall once the placenta has passed.

The Most Important Tool: The Thermometer

The thermometer is, in my opinion, the most important item in any kidding kit. Anytime a kid or a doe seems “off,” the first step is checking their temperature.

Kids can chill very quickly, especially if they’re born in colder weather. Catching a low temperature early can make all the difference. The same goes for does—after kidding, infections and other complications are possible. Taking her temperature if she’s acting off is the first step in identifying a problem and getting her back on track.

Basic Medical Supplies We Keep on Hand

Some of our suggested medications for your basic kidding kit.

In addition to the basics, our simple kidding kit also includes:

• Probiotics

• Selenium & Vitamin E gel

• Tums

• Safe-Guard

These are all basic medical supplies you can find at your local farm store, but having them on hand can make a big difference during kidding season.

Probiotics and Tums (For the Doe)

Probiotics and Tums are for the doe after kidding. Birth is stressful, and probiotics help support rumen health at a time when she needs to be eating well to support milk production. A doe that’s not eating can go downhill quickly.

Tums act as a preventative measure for ketosis and milk fever by providing an extra calcium boost. I have heavy-milking Mini Nubians, so this extra support right after kidding is especially important for them.

Selenium & Vitamin E (For the Kids)

Selenium and Vitamin E gel can be critical for kids with weak muscles or joint issues. Before using it, research your area to see if you’re selenium deficient. Many areas in the U.S. are, but overdosing can be deadly—so knowing is always better than guessing.

I typically give a pea-sized amount to kids over three days old if they’re still struggling with weak legs, knuckling over, or turned joints.

Safe-Guard (Post-Kidding Deworming)

Finally, we keep Safe-Guard in our kit to dose the doe after kidding. Kidding is extremely stressful and often triggers a worm bloom. While we don’t generally deworm on a schedule, this is one time we do give a preventative dose to help our does maintain healthy levels during the first few weeks postpartum.

In addition to this, we also give a double dose of our favorite herbal worm preventative.

Wrapping It Up

That’s the rundown of our basic kidding kit. There’s a lot of information packed into something that fits in a simple bucket, and we’ll be sharing even more as kidding season continues.

If you have questions or want to hear more about anything mentioned here, let us know—we’re always happy to help! 🐐