Doe-kid separation
Doe-kid separation is the practice of separating kids from their mothers in goat farming. It is a near-universal practice amongst farmers globally. It is usually done in 2–4 months. It can be done gradually or abruptly.[1]
Background
The female goat, or doe, is typically bred for the first time depends on when she reaches sexual maturity, which can be anywhere from 5–8 months of age. When it is time to wean a kid, the kid is moved to another pasture. When a doe has twins, a farmer may move one twin to another pasture and allow the other twin to remain with the mother.[2] The general rule of thumb is to separate kids from does once the kid is 2 1/2 to 3 times its birth weight.[3] Male kids are always separated from their mothers, as leaving them with their mothers can result in unintentional inbreeding.[1] Some kids are sent to slaughter as soon as they are weaned.[4]
Early vs late separation
Early separation is defined as separating kids from their mothers before they are weaned (<10 weeks).[5] A study conducted found that pre-weaned kids separated from mothers in groups of same‐age peers expressed different social behaviors compared with pre-weaned kids kept with their mothers. Pre-weaned kids kept with same‐age peers spent less time resting alone and showed less allogrooming, but play‐fought, raced, stepped‐on each other, and stood in contact with each other more than the pre-weaned kids kept with their mothers. These differences were not found after weaning, suggesting that the presence of adults and experiencing maternal care decreases play‐fight and increases allogrooming in kids kept with their dams. However, after weaning and mixing rearing treatments with each other, Pre-weaned kids kept with their dams ended up initiating more and receiving less agonistic interactions than pre-weaned kids kept with same‐age peers, but this difference vanished across weeks, suggesting that pre-weaned kids reared with same‐age peers changed their social behavior after being in contact with pre-weaned kids kept with their dams.[6]
Methods
Group pasture weaning
This method of separation involves removing kids from the pasture and taking them to a distant paddock where they cannot see or hear their mothers.
Fence-line weaning
This method of separation involves keeping does and kids on opposite sides of a fence. This reduces stress by allowing does and kids to see and hear each other after separation.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Meat Goat Management". Mississippi State University Extension Service. Mississippi State University. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Link, Emma. "How Does Weaning Timing Affect Growth of Goat Kids?". Practical Farmers of Iowa. Practical Farmers of Iowa. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ "Weaning Management for Goat Kids". OSU Small Ruminant Team. The Ohio State University. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Nye, Tony. ""Are Meat Goats for Me? An Introduction to Raising & Producing Meat Goats"" (PDF). OSU Extension. The Ohio State University. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Young, Mindy. "Weaning Kids: Simple Tips for Less Stress in Goat Kids". Farm Fit Living. Farm Fit Living. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Toinon, Waiblinger, Rault, Claire, Susanne, Jean-Loup (May 2022). "Maternal deprivation affects goat kids' social behavior before and after weaning". Dev Psychobiol. 64 (4). doi:10.1002/dev.22269. PMC 9311730. PMID 35452535. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Cooper, Tamsin. "When Can a Baby Goat Leave Its Mother?". Goat Journal. Goat Journal. Retrieved 11 July 2026.