Healthy Kid Guide At-A-Glance

This is a quick "At-A-Glance" look at how we get our kids off to a healthy start. Please be aware that our kids DO NOT leave our ranch until they are fully weaned which is usually between 10 to 12 weeks old.


Bottle-Feeding Schedule
Age                 No. of feedings          Amount         Approximate feeding times
birth- 3 weeks         4                           1 to 3 oz.         8 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, 8 pm
4 - 6 weeks             3                           4  to 6 oz.              8 am, 2 pm, 8 pm
7 -9 weeks              2                           7  to 9 oz.                  8 am, 8 pm
10 to 12 weeks       1                                9 oz.                      8 am

Encourage kids to eat/nibble on hay from a few weeks onwards. Grain can be introduced in very small portions at 2 weeks. Always have fresh water available (in a shallow dish).
Disbud kids as early as 3 days old (for some bucks) to 8 days old. Give the first CD/T vaccination at this time. Then give a "booster" CD/T shot 21 days later; then once a year thereafter.
At 4 days old, give the kids a dose of  Probios to help get their rumens going. Kids usually already start to nibble on hay and may drink water.
Bucks that are not going to be kept for breeding are castrated at about 4 weeks of age.
Start kids on coccidiosis prevention treatment at 6 weeks.
Start kids on worming schedule at 8 weeks.
Check hoof growth at 8 weeks and trim accordingly. Check and trim hooves every other month thereafter. It's good practice to do worming and hoof check/trimming at the same time. Give a dose of  Probios at this time as well (to keep the rumen healthy).
Kids can be weaned safely anywhere between 10 and 12 weeks. Always check the overall health of the kid and weight gain to determine when is the best time to wean. Each kid is different, just like human children, as to when they are ready to be off mama's milk.