Kidding Kit Checklist: The Complete List of Goat Kidding Supplies
Kidding season doesn’t care if it’s 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. When it’s time, it’s time. After reading as much as we can and learning from seasoned breeders, this is the comprehensive list I keep on hand for smooth, low-stress goat births. Take what fits your herd and vet’s guidance, skip what you won’t use, and build your kit a little more each year.
The Quick-Start 10 (Bare Minimum)
If you grabbed only these today, you could handle most normal births:
Clean lube
Gloves (snug disposable; a few OB sleeves)
7% iodine or Betadine/chlorhex for navels and a small dipping cup
Bulb syringe or NoseFrida-style aspirator
Towels (big and small) or blue shop towels
Thermometer
Selenium/Vitamin E gel (dose per label/vet guidance)
Scissors and dental floss (trim/tie long or bleeding cords)
Molasses water and fresh alfalfa for mama after kidding
Safe, clean bonding pen with water hung up high
Stall Setup That Saves You Time
Bedding: fresh straw or shavings. A tarp under the top layer lets you remove the messy part in one lift.
Flooring: stall mats make cleanup faster.
Water: never on the floor in a kidding stall. Hang buckets or use a shallow pan only with supervision.
Heat (only if needed): securely hung heat lamp, a heating pad, or a warming barrel. Always supervise heat sources.
Light & power: headlamp or flashlight, outdoor-rated extension cord, and a phone charger.
Hands-free help: halter or lead if you need to steady a doe; a low footstool to save your back.
Kid parking: a clean tote with straw or a small exercise pen so you can focus on mama.
Cleanup: trash bags or old feed sacks, pitchfork, shovel, barn lime.
Clean & Ready: Prep Supplies
Dish soap or antimicrobial skin cleanser for hands and teats
Rubbing alcohol for tools and a couple of small cups for dips
Chlorhexidine or Betadine solution
Paper towels/blue shop towels and baby wipes
A good obstetrical lube; Premier 1 Super Lube is a nice upgrade
Glove hack: wear snug vinyl/nitrile gloves, then pull a finger-trimmed OB sleeve over them for clean arms with real dexterity
Kid Care in the First Hour
Airways: a bulb syringe or NoseFrida-type aspirator (a lot of breeders prefer this)
Warmth: towels and a blow dryer for chilled kids
Navels: dip promptly with 7% iodine (or your vet-approved alternative)
Colostrum: bottles with a couple of nipple styles (PetAg with a large X-cut helps tiny Nigerians) and a tube feeder with syringe as backup
Track it: small scale for birth weights, temporary IDs like velcro puppy collars, and a notebook or phone notes for time, sex, weights, teat checks, and anything you gave
Doe Care Before, During, and After
Comforts: molasses water right after kidding, fresh alfalfa, electrolytes (store-bought or homemade).
Support: CMPK (oral or injectable per vet), Tums as a quick calcium bump if your vet advises, orange peels (some use to deter post-kidding worm bloom), red raspberry leaf (many give a small handful daily around kidding—confirm with your vet).
Udder health: California Mastitis Test (or similar), intramammary tubes if your vet approves, Fight Bac spray, warm compress or hot water bottle for congestion or early mastitis.
Soreness and swelling: Preparation H and witch hazel.
Monitoring: thermometer every time you’re concerned; ketone strips for high-risk late-gestation does.
When You Need to Assist (Talk to Your Vet Now)
Tools
Kid puller for tricky positions
Soft, clean paracord if gentle traction is needed
Drench gun for fluids and electrolytes
Tube-feeding kit (can also be used carefully for warm-water enemas in true meconium constipation; be extra gentle with small breeds)
Scissors, petroleum jelly, syringes and needles (3 cc and 6 cc; 18–22G), dental floss or sterile thread, stethoscope
Medications commonly kept by experienced breeders
(Availability and legality vary; many are prescription-only in the U.S. since FDA rule changes.)
Oxytocin after kidding for hanging placenta and milk let-down
Banamine or meloxicam for pain/fever
Dexamethasone (induction protocols and crashy kids; vet-directed only)
Antibiotics your vet recommends for your herd and region: Penicillin, LA-200/LA-300 (oxytetracycline), Tylan 200 (tylosin), Nuflor (florfenicol), and intramammary cephapirin tubes
Bo-Se (selenium/Vit E injection) where appropriate
Fortified B-Complex, Vitamin C powder, Benadryl liquid
Nice-to-Haves That Earn Their Keep
Kettle or electric hot pot and a thermos
Puppy pads for quick cleanup
Baby blankets for drying
Phone mount for hands-free light or a quick video call
Laminated kidding-position cards on a key ring where goats can’t reach
Gatorade for mixing CMPK or keeping the human midwife upright at 3 a.m.
Colostrum: Replacer vs. Supplement
If you can’t get colostrum from the dam or your frozen stash, have a true colostrum replacer on the shelf. A supplement alone isn’t enough for the first feedings. Ask your vet or feed supplier which brands they trust and practice mixing it before you need it.
Organize It So You Can Find It
Two kits: a grab-and-go birth bag (the Quick-Start 10 plus airway gear, lube, gloves, scissors, floss, towels, headlamp, thermometer) and a med tote that stays labeled and closed until needed.
Label bins: “Clean & Dip,” “Kid Care,” “Doe Care,” “Rx/By Vet Only,” and “Tools.”
Prep early: hang the water bucket ahead of due dates; lay fresh straw over a tarp the week you start night checks.
Post the numbers: your vet, an experienced goat friend, and a 24-hour clinic taped inside the barn door.
Safety, Legal, and Good-Sense Notes
Many antibiotics, Bo-Se, oxytocin, pain meds, and intramammary tubes are prescription-only in the U.S. Build the relationship with your vet now, ask what they want you to stock, and keep written dosing for your breeds and weights.
Use heat sources with redundant safety: chain plus clamp, proper guards, safe distance, and a thermometer in the kid zone.
Don’t give oxytocin before kids are out unless your vet directs you.
Always check a temperature before antibiotics and any time a kid seems off.
Keep simple records. Your future self will thank you.
Printable Master Checklist
Stall/Setup: bedding, tarp, mats, hung water, shallow pan (supervised), heat source, headlamp, cords, charger, halter/lead, footstool, kid tote, trash bags, pitchfork, shovel, barn lime
Clean/Prep: dish soap, antimicrobial cleanser, alcohol, dipping cups, chlorhex/Betadine, lube, snug gloves, OB sleeves, towels/blue shop towels, baby wipes
Kid Care: bulb or NoseFrida aspirator, towels/blankets, blow dryer, iodine dip, bottles and multiple nipples, tube feeder with syringe, scale, temporary collars/IDs, washi tape, selenium/Vit E gel, notebook/phone
Doe Care: molasses water, electrolytes, CMPK/Tums (per vet), alfalfa, mastitis test, intramammary tubes (if vet approves), Fight Bac, warm compress, Preparation H, witch hazel, thermometer, ketone strips
Assists/Emergency: kid puller, paracord, drench gun, electrolytes, petroleum jelly, scissors, dental floss, syringes/needles, tube-feeding kit, stethoscope
Med Cabinet (per vet): oxytocin, Banamine/meloxicam, dexamethasone, PenG, oxytetracycline (LA-200/300), tylosin (Tylan 200), Nuflor, cephapirin tubes, Bo-Se, fortified B-complex, Vitamin C, Benadryl
Extras: kettle/thermos, puppy pads, baby blankets, phone mount, laminated position cards, Gatorade
