Sunday, November 14, 2010

Kidding Kit

We are in the heart of breeding season (some of you may already be done), so it's not too early to start thinking about putting together a kidding kit. Once you have it done, you can rest easy, and you won't have to run around trying to find things when the blessed event occurs.

You'll need a container to keep everything in, but it doesn't have to be anything fancy - in fact, you can just use a box. Here are some items that you should have available at kidding:
  • 7% iodine for dipping cords
  • A plastic film can or prescription bottle to put iodine in for easy dipping
  • A flashlight (one of those lights you wear on your head will free your hands)
  • Dental floss, to tie a cord if you have to cut it
  • Sterilized surgical scissors for cutting cords
  • Bulb suction
  • Old towels for cleaning kids
  • Betadine surgical scrub for washing hands
  • Disposable exam gloves
  • K-Y jelly
  • Feeding syringe and tube for weak kids
  • Empty feed bags to put under kidding goats (easy clean-up)
  • Empty pop bottles and Pritchard teat, if kids have to be bottle-fed
- Raising Goats for Dummies, p 215-216