It's that time of year again! Kidding season is one of our absolute FAVORITES, even though the waiting can be so agonizing. One of the most important things you can do is make a kidding kit. Not only does this make kidding less stressful, but on the chance you come to a life-or-death situation, it can make all the difference in the world. The majority of the time we don't need all the medicines we have listed below, but its better to be safe than sorry. We also have never had to pull a kid *knock-on-wood*, but if we had to, we would be prepared and capable. I've compiled two lists: Minimum Essentials and Extended Essentials. The Minimum Essentials is the very basic have-to-have's, while the Extended Essentials has all the additional items we have in our kit that gives us a peace-of-mind and/or makes our lives easier.
Minimum Essentials Thermometer (to check temperatures) Thread/Dental floss (for tying off cords) Betadine/Iodine (for dipping cords) 1 oz Disposable Cups (for dipping cords)
Tums (to help does with contractions)
Witch Hazel/Preparation H (to help doe's vulva swelling) Vitamin B Complex injectable 20g 1-inch Needles (we prefer luer locks) 3ml Syringes Selenium and Vitamin E gel Colostrum gel/Frozen Colostrum Bottle Feeding Supplies (see our Goats: How To Bottle Feed)
Heating pad/Hair dryer/Space heater 1 Tbsp Molasses in mason jar (during kidding, you can add hot water to this to dilute it before dumping it into a bucket of hot water - this gives the doe an extra boost)
Ivermectin (to worm doe after kidding)
Gloves (in case you need to go in) Lubricant (in case you need to go in) Kidding Position Images (in case you need to go in - we have ours printed out and put into a page protector)
Snare (in case you need to pull the kids) Towels (to dry off babies if doe gets overwhelmed by multiples or its cold) Wipes (for your hands) Nasal Bulb Syringe (to clear nasal cavities/airways for kids)
Extended Essentials Replamin Gel Plus Vitamin A D E B12 gel CMPK gel Cayenne Pepper Honey Bio-Mycin 200 Red Raspberry Leaves (highly beneficial to give doe during and after kidding) Nutri-Drench Light Sources (ex. head lamps, solar lights, flashlights, etc.) Toltrazuril (in case of coccidia) Cylence (in case of lice) Pepto Bismal (in case of scours)
Nu-Stock (in case of wound) Bag Balm (to sooth udders) Clippers and Cool Care (to give maternity trim before kidding) Hoof Trimmers (to trim hooves before kidding)
Fish Scale (to weigh kids)
Calf Sling (to weigh kids)
*DISCLOSURE: This post may contain amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. These products are products that I used and recommended before becoming an affiliate and all opinions stated are my own. If you find these products cheaper somewhere else, I absolutely recommend buying them there. I became an affiliate just to make a little extra cash (again, at no cost to you) on the basis that you were going to buy the product anyways.
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