Milk feeding and weaning of goat kids — A review

Our studies on milk feeding and weaning methods for goat kids suggest that kids can be weaned earlier than the traditional weaning age of 3 months. Kids can be successfully weaned at 9 kg of body weight, 8 weeks of age or at the same time when at least 30 g/day of solid feed are consumed. Weaning shock is reduced when any of the above criteria are achieved. Restricted milk feeding encourage solid feed consumption by goat kids. In comparison with feeding milk three or four times per day, feeding milk twice daily reduced labor requirements, milk consumption, and growth rate, and increased efficiency of weight gain. If solid feed intake can be stimulated, early weaning is possible as well as economical. Delayed weaning is costly and can be harmful to the development of a functional reticulo-rumen.