One of the cutest things is a tiny goat kid. They’re so tiny, lovable and adorable.
When they get sick or don’t seem quite right, it can really be scary. Usually, the cure is easy and something that you can do yourself. Learn how to take care of a weak goat kid in this article.
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Signs of a healthy goat kid
Before we get into how to care for a weak goat kid, let’s talk about what a healthy goat kid should look like…
You’ll soon lean that goat kids are pretty vocal.
We have three small bottle goats that fuss when they want to eat, when they want to be held (spoiled them the first day) and sometimes just to hear themselves. Goat kids that don’t feel well aren’t always vocal. With that being said, they can still fuss even if they don’t feel 100%.
Goat kids are usually up and moving around.
This is especially true if there is something to explore or climb on. They will put your clothes in their mouth. They will climb on everything and they will attempt to climb up you.
These are all totally normal and signs of a happy, healthy, confident goat kid.
Goat kid poop shouldn’t be watery or runny.
It should be semi-hard and pelleted, like adult goat poop. It should also be a dark green color. Just in case anyone was wondering what goat kid poop should look like!
They should eat frequently.
If they are nursing from mom, you may not notice how frequently they nurse. As long as they don’t look thin, they’re probably nursing enough from her.
They’ll start trying feed and things that she’s eating not long after they’re born. This doesn’t mean that they are necessarily ready for weaning and adult food though.
Their little ruminant stomachs take time to develop the bacteria necessary to digest their food.
Identifying a weak goat kid
This sounds silly, but how do you know if you’ve goat a weak goat kid?
There are a few things that could be wrong with goat kids. Sometimes you’ll hear people talk about ‘floppy’ goat kids. Sometimes you’ll hear the term ‘weak’ goat kids, or even ‘dummy’ goat kids. These can mean different things, so let’s determine what exactly is going on with your goat kid.
Floppy Goat Kids
Floppy goat kid syndrome is a diagnosis that is used to describe goat kids that have overeaten. This is more common in Boer goats and Boer goat crosses. It’s also seen frequently in goat kids that are in confined spaces with their mother and nurse more frequently than necessary.
Floppy goat kid syndrome is usually diagnosed in goat kids that are less than 10 days old. Floppy kids appear weak almost like they have no energy.
Save me for later!
Don’t try to force feed a goat kid if you think it is a floppy goat as this will worsen the problem. To treat a floppy goat kid, give them baking soda.
Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, neutralizes the pH of the goat’s stomach. Floppy kids have very acidic stomachs and the baking soda has a very basic pH.
After treating a floppy goat kid, it’s important to keep them off of milk while they recover. 24-36 hours without milk is usually sufficient.
Antibiotics can also be given to treat any infections of the stomach that may also occur.
Weak Goat Kids
Where floppy kids have overeaten, weak kids are starving.
A weak kid can be a goat kid that was born too early, got too cold or has stronger siblings that don’t allow it to nurse properly.
Weak goat kids may not be able to stand due to the lack of energy that they have.
Their back legs may splay out and their head may curl back over their back. They might push themselves around with their back legs while their front legs are buckled.
Check their rectal temperature.
If you take their temperature, it won’t be elevated.
Most likely it will be low.
A weak goat kid is unable to maintain their body temperature properly.
If the temperature is low (<100 degrees F), then you need to get them warmed up. A heating pad is the best option and a heating lamp can work in a pinch.
I’ve even brought them into my house and put them over the warm air vents to get their bodies warm.
You can put them into a bathtub filled with warm water, just make sure that you stand there and keep their head out of the water.
Massaging the extremities will help get the blood flowing again. When the goat kid gets too cold, the blood flows mainly around the ‘important’ areas- the heart, lungs, intestines, brain, etc.
Blood flow to the legs is restricted. Massage the legs as the goat warms up to help redistribute the blood flow.
Getting them re-hydrated
Lactated Ringer’s Solution can be given to weak goat kids to help rehydrate them.
This is a prescription medication however, and has to come from a veterinary clinic. Lactated Ringer’s Solution is a good product to have on hand as it can be used to quickly rehydrate goats that have become dehydrated for any reason.
Keeping weak goat kids hydrated is really important for their recovery.
The stomach of a really weak goat kid may not be able to handle milk yet.
You can mix up a simple sugar solution using molasses, sugar or even Karo syrup mixed into water. This sugar solution contains really simple sugars that can be easily digested, even by a weak stomach.
If the goat kid will drink, bottle feed this solution. When bottle feeding goat kids, make sure to use lamb and goat kid bottles with lamb and goat kid nipples.
You can give it to them with a syringe if they cannot nurse. If feeding with a syringe, give the weak goat kid time to swallow and make sure that you’re giving it slow enough that it doesn’t leak out of the mouth.
Make sure that they got colostrum
Goat kids that are weak from birth may not nurse in time to get colostrum from their mother. Colostrum is extremely important. It contains proteins, probiotics and antibodies from the dam’s body that will kick-start the immune system and the digestive system.
If the kid did not nurse, you can hand milk some of the colostrum from the mother and give it to the kid. Colostrum is thick and yellowy, while milk is off-white and thinner.
If the goat has siblings and the mother doesn’t have colostrum, you can purchase colostrum from many feed supply stores. I was able to easily purchase goat colostrum from my local Tractor Supply store.
Using thiamine to ‘wake them up’
It may also help to give weak goat kids an injection of thiamine, AKA vitamin B1. This is also a prescription item that is helpful to have on hand.
The B1 works to feed the brain and ‘wake it up’ so that the kid will show interest in eating. You can purchase B-vitamin complexes and probiotic pastes from your local feed supply store.
These are also good to have on hand. However, these pastes don’t have the concentrated amounts of vitamin B1 that the injection has, so it’s a good idea to have both available. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
If you notice a weak goat kid, the sooner that you can intervene, the better. Goat kids should be up and nursing within an hour of birth. A weak goat kid that isn’t nursing or hasn’t gotten up needs help.
If they are given help soon, they should make a full recovery.
A weak goat kid that has stronger siblings may need extra nutrition. You can supplement the mother’s milk with milk replacer if the kid can’t get enough from the mother.
Preventing Weak Goat Kids
One of the easiest ways to prevent weak goat kids is to take care of the mother during pregnancy and lactation.
Make sure that your pregnant does have adequate feed and access to ample roughage. They also need free access to loose goat minerals (NOT sheep and goat minerals).
A healthy momma usually means healthy goat kids that require little or no intervention. This also means making sure that she isn’t dealing with unnecessary parasite loads. Learn how to prevent that with FAMACHA scoring.
Keeping mom healthy will help prevent weak goat kids.
For more information on taking good care of your goats, read my Beginner’s Guide to Raising Goats.
Don’t stop taking extra care of the dam as soon as she gives birth. She has additional nutrition needs so that she can produce enough milk to feed her kids. This is especially true if she has multiple kids.
It’s common for does to have twins and triplets.
If your doe has more than one kid at a time, make sure that the kids are eating frequently and enough. Goat kids should look full and fat all of the time. A goat kid that doesn’t look like it’s about to pop after eating may not be getting enough to eat.
Pregnant does that are close to giving birth need to be brought into an area that is warm and secluded, especially if it is cold outside. This will help prevent the birth of weak goat kids due to cold temperatures.
Proper nutrition and care will help prevent weak goat kids. But, if they do happen, you’ll be prepared to take care of them.
Have you had weak goat kids? How do you prevent weak goat kids and promote healthy goat kids in your herd? Hit reply and let me know below!
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Momma had triplets smaller one nursed fine first day. Now weak and only sucking a little on bottle or syringe. Keeps laying head over on back
Trying to keep getting a little milk.replacer in her but not looking good
Terri,
Sounds like she has a vitamin B12 (thiamine) deficiency. The laying the head over the back is a classic sign of that. You can get injectable B12 from a vet. That’s the best route to get it in her fast. If you can’t get that, go to your local farm supply and look for a bottle of sheep and goat B12. I like the brand Rooster Booster. Just make sure that it’s the sheep and goat B12. You should see a difference within a few hours.
We have 2 sets of twins, one set from dec, and the other from feb. We got them April 1st, and 3 of them are doing great. We noticed the 3 teaming up on the fourth and now number 4 is weak and stopped eating and drinking since the other 3 wont allow her to do it on her own. We seperated her and have been hand feeding along with water and now a bit of gatorade. She curled her head back and lays there and she is now leaking snot. I was going to the feed store to get some antibiotics but not sure if that will hurt or help. Any suggestions will be great. We have done the molasses and baking soda as well as gatorade and her own pen. Yuma Az
The curled back head is a definite sign of thiamine deficiency. You need to get her some ASAP. The best would be from your vet in injectable form. If that’s not an option, look for Rooster Booster for goats at your local farm supply store.
I have a 5 month old baby and he is not doing well. He is very weak and hardly stands up, but when he does he takes a step and then falls. Today is the first day we gave him some selium and also did dewormer. He is eating hay and drinking water but is just having a hard time standing up and gaining weight. He is wobbly when he is laying down. We have a blanket on him to stay warm. What else can I do for him? He is 100% Nubian baby goat. Thank you.
He also does not like being with the other goats only with us. He is bottle fed.
Thank you.
It sounds like he needs some thiamine. I would give him that and see how he does.
I have already giving tgim some and still nothing. How many times do I give it to him? We lift him up atleast 4 to 5x but he still falls over. He eats well and drinks good. Out of a bottle that is.
What would be next.
Thank you.
My goat was just born but sleeps all the time and having a hard time getting him to eat.
Brianna,
I would try giving him some B12. That helps boost energy and creates a better appetite. And, if they don’t actually need the B12, he will just urinate the excess out. You don’t have to worry about giving him too much.
In the absent of the Breast milk to a kid goat that cannot suck what type of milk can be given to the kids goat
my baby goat is so weak. she cant stand or hardly move and her head is over her back she isnt eating off mom and im worried she wont survive the night
Maddy,
I would get B12 into her as quickly as possible.
My goat lost his mother now it’s one month now
It has been active and doing but suddenly it became weak and lost appetite
Please I need help
Bobo,
It’s most likely a vitamin B12 deficiency. If he’s one month old, he should have been eating enough that his body can handle the loss of milk. I would supplement with bottle feedings and get him B12 ASAP.
What is the dosage of b12 for a kid that is only 4 days old?
I read 1cc per 10 lbs. so when calculating for my goat it was just over a half a CC. Actually close to 3/4 of a cc for a 6 lb 9oz baby. It is marked where you can see that in a 3cc syringe.
Goat had 2 babies she rejected them one them didn’t make it the other was doing fine with me feeding it up until 2 days ago
It’s front legs are weak and don’t really want to get up now what should I do
I would get some B12 into her as soon as possible. You can get injectable B12 from your vet (that’s the best) or you can get B12 over the counter that is oral. Look for Rooster Booster B12 for livestock.
Thiamine is vitamin B1, not 12
Hey Amanda,
You’re right! Thanks for catching that typo. 😀
My goat baby birth yesterday .her baby don’t stand up and leg is very weak .what can i do ?
B12 injections or oral medication should help
My baby goat is a week old and all of the sudden got weak. She can barely walk or stand by herself. What should I do?
I have a 3 week old kinky/Spanish kid. Twin. Mom and twin died at birth. Nursed mom and got a little clostridium to feed the kid. She has been bottle fed since. She started walking around and doing fine, but suddenly stopped. Vet gave vit E and antibiotics. Treated her for floppy kid. Back to vet with a steroid injection. Not improving. Help, she has a huge personality and has stollen my heart.
Try giving thiamine. That is a common cause of floppy kid syndrome. It causes them to stop nursing and lose interest in eating.
My new baby goat was born yesterday. Her droppings are light brown and runny. What to do? Not nursing well.
My goat is a little bit older and has always had a big belly. We started to think she was bloated ; this was for a year. I came home the other day and she a a baby! The baby was extremely tiny, but she was running around. It has been 2 days and I go and check on her and she walks around, but we have watched and watched and have never seen her nurse. Last night I tried feeding her formula, but she didn’t take it. She looks okay, but I don’t know if she is getting enough food! She is sooo tiny and kinda skinny.
Isabel,
This sounds normal. As long as the kid doesn’t get weak and is moving around good she’s probably nursing fine.
I have a baby Billy that had lost its momma. He had been fine up until today. He is several weeks old and today it’s like he can’t walk very far without laying down and then her goes to flopping around. Any suggestions I saw where you said to do either baking soda or sugar water. They are still on the bottle and in the pasture with the other 3 goats which are fine.
Hi our momma goat had 3 kids 2 boys and a girl I didn’t witness what had really happened the 1st day I know they were born around 2pm others on the farm the next day said the girl was weak and not doing well they didn’t think she’d make it so I brought her inside tonight and trying to feed with a syringe (I finally found a nipple but she isn’t taking well to it yet) mom wouldn’t let her feed and she was far away from the others before I brought her into the house. She has been peeing and pooping but it’s hard to get her to eat and I don’t want her to starve to death. I gave her some colostrum that we had frozen should I continue with that or milk from our other goats? Is there any tricks to get her used to the nipple? I feel like a syringe is tricky I don’t want her to aspirate. (I really don’t know what I’m doing just trying to save this baby)
Hey Shelby,
If she’s weak, she may need some B12 to help her get some strength. You need a goat bottle with a goat kid/lamb nipple. You can find them pretty easily at farm supply stores.
PLEASE HLEP!! Momma had kid about 40 hours ago. Kid has head flopped back over towards her butt and she has never tried to even stand. She just lays down wherever we put her and doesnt try to move. Took to vet who showed us how to tube feed because she had no suckle. She gained a suckle overnight the first night, but will only suckle for a few seconds before just holding the bottle in her mouth. very limp normally, but will kick her legs like crazy when we try to feed, especially when tubing. Could this be b12 deficiency??
We took her to the vet the day she was born, but they didnt mention anything about it?!
Kate, that sounds like classic thiamine deficiency. The head over the back is usually a B1 problem. Get some B1 (thiamine) into her asap. Unfortunately, some vets aren’t well versed with goats, so that could be why it wasn’t mentioned.
I have a weak kid 2 days old. He is rooting but won’t latch on to the bottle. Will swallow if i dribble it in his mouth. I was trying to find out if I need to give any injections. Your article had soooo many advertisements I couldn’t read it…..Sorry
5 week old baby goat, wobbly rear end and back legs give out quiet a bit. I don’t have a farm vet near me to get B-1 but have injected fortified B. I do help supplement milk and have given a dab of selium with no change so far. Twin sister is doing great. What else can I try?
Since the fortified B blend isn’t as concentrated, it sometimes takes a day or two for you to see a change. Keep giving the B injections. You could also add a probiotic to help get the gut bacteria (that normally produce B vitamins) back where they should be.
Hi, we have a baby goat we have been bottle feeding (about 2 weeks) who has suddenly stopped feeding properly. She starts feeding but looses interest quickly. She is still up and about and looks for food on the ground but not wanting the feeds. Is this an issue?
We have a 3 week old doe kid, only one of triplets born alive, that has been bottle fed since the beginning. She could never latch on to mama so we milked colostrum and 2 days from mama then switched to formula replacer. She is getting 4-5 oz bottles a day but still seems to be starving and is constantly trying to “nurse” from our fingers, ear lobes, etc. starting about an hour after she eats. Last night I noticed that she was shaking right before her bottles but stopped after eating. She also grinds her teeth some… I have heard this is a sign of pain… I just want to be sure I am feeding her enough, because there is so much conflicting info on the internet. Thank you in advance for any advice!!!
Renee, I’ve always fed the babies if they seem hungry. She will let you know if she’s had enough. You can also try to introduce some other foods like grass, hay and a very small amount of feed. I would also recommend putting out some loose goat minerals for her.
my baby goat was born three days ago, and she was a twin. her legs are backwards, so she can’t use them, her mom tried to kill her. took her to the vet, her pelvis is disfigured. however, she’s been hyper and fussy and has such a big personality we thought she’d be okay. she’s also been eating regularly, i milk the mom and we give her that milk every day. today, however, she’s been so lethargic. and i noticed last night that her poop was kind of orange-y and somewhat runny. she has eaten, but she hasn’t pooped at all today. i can tell she’s not feeling okay. please, if you know anything that can help, please let me know. our vets office down here has no experience with goats so i can’t go to them for help. i have absolutely no idea what i can do to help, but i need to do something fast. thank you!!