How To Warm A Cold Goat Kid Correctly

By Deb Haines

Lesson one: Heat goes from high heat *TO* low heat – so the heat has to be higher than the goat temp and it will equalize.

For example, if the kid is 96 degrees and the heat source is 104, the eventual kid temp will be 100 as the kid absorbs heat. Some heat is also lost to the air (or the kid never would have gotten cold), so it is not exact. Do *not* put the kid against you to warm up – your temp is 98.6 and that is too cold for a kid, so they lose heat when you hold them to warm them up – wrap them and get them to a heat source ASAP.

Slowly warming is the key – too rapid of a warming when body is very cold can disrupt cells (break them) and create more problems. An even warming is desired. A few methods to use include hot water bottles, liter bottles warmed in microwave, hair dryer heat. BUT – beware the heat is not too hot or will burn, and that a layer of a towel is there to insulate a bit.

An acceptable method is a warm water bath – place the kid in a plastic bag up to its neck and with the head sticking out – any bag will do so long as no water can get inside. A wet kid loses heat very rapidly. Place the bag and kid into a warm water bath – no more than 105 or 106 degrees (use your thermometer to check tap water temp, then fill the sink, etc.). Keep an eye on bath water – if drops below 100, refill it with the warm water again – stop when temp stabilizes at 102 as this means baby is at 102 as well (verify by checking kid temp).

Commence feeding when kid temp hits 99 to 100 degrees – they need colostrum/milk and they can then generate their own internal heat, but do keep them warmed. Can go from a warm water bath to towels and a heating pad – keep them sitting sternally – upright.
Neonates are very poor at maintaining their temps, so check often.

Make sure to put towel on heating pad and monitor not to burn babies skin, hot water bottles wrap also in towels and rotate around body not to burn skin.

Normal Temp = 102-104

📍NOTE…. If temperature is below 99 degrees, they are in danger and are unable to digest milk proteins so do not attempt to feed

📍Note…… heat is lost at any temp as heat radiates out and moves from high to low – from a warm body to ambient temps. In the case of the desert, the opposite may occur when temps hit over 100 degrees