Kidding Kit

PREPARE your kidding/lambing kit at least 2 weeks before your doe/ewe’s delivery due date! Here’s a list of suggested items:

• Old towels, rags, etc for drying-off kid/lamb
• Lubricant, if you have to ‘go in’ to examine doe/assist birth
• Shoulder length sterile surgical gloves
• Dental floss – if necessary – to tie-off naval cord
• Sterile scissors – if necessary – to cut navel (approx 6-inches from the body)
• 7% iodine – to dip navel (to prevent navel ill)
• Film canister/small disposable cup to put iodine into for dipping navel
• Nipples to bottle feed kids (I prefer Pritchard Valve Nipples)
• Sav-A-Kid Syringe & Feeding Tube – if necessary –  Tube Feeding How-To  ( You just may safe a life! )
• Colostrum replacer/milk replacer – if necessary
• BoSe (injection/syringe thru local veterinary) or Selenium & Vitamin E Gel for the prevention and treatment of white muscle disease
• Black strap molasses ( about 1/4 cup molasses to two gallons of warm water ) for energy for the dam AFTER she has kidded; also useful to smear on kid if she is having trouble bonding with her newborn
• Organic cod liver oil for signs of Vitamin A/D deficiency – the tendons in their legs appear to be too tight causing them to “knuckle under” as if they were standing on their tip toes; administer about 1/2 tsp of cod liver oil per day for 2-3 days
• Nutri-drench, corn syrup for pregnancy toxemia or ketosis
• Small drench (oral via mouth) syringe

For the blessed day, in addition to being prepared, be CONFIDENT. Be there to help, don’t stress and keep your cool. Don’t be over-anxious to help!!! Allow Mother Nature to do the work. Provide a CLEAN area for mom and the babies…lots of CLEAN, dry bedding. It should be draft-free. Allow access to good quality hay (please, NO HAY NETS!) and fresh clean water at all times; position the water bucket so kids do not drown by accident.

Help to dry the kids off (especially in cold weather) with clean dry cloths/towels with attention to the nose and mouth. Help to direct/assist the newborn to mom’s teat for life-saving sips of colostrum! Mom’s milk or milk replacer should be the kids primary source of nutrition for the first three months.

Have a blessed kidding/lambing season!