I remember Vicky saying that as long as there were no drafts and the kids had plenty of clean dry bedding they would be fine, so I follow that advice and raise mine outside with no problems. Our kidding barn is cold, it is built for good ventilation in the intense summer heat and humidity, but the stalls are draft free. My kids can handle single digit temps out there no problem.

I make sure newborns are eating at least 10oz four times a day before they go out over night if we have single digit temps. Before that they stay in our unheated sunroom so they are used to the cold. I feed all the warm milk they can drink 4 times a day especially right before I go to bed and first thing in the morning. They have a heat lamp secured above one corner of their stall. I check during the day to make sure they are playing and jumping and not chilled. After they are over week old they don't really sleep under the lamp anymore.

Out of nine kids born so far this month only three had a few nights in the sunroom before going to the kid barn.

Christy

 

We take our kids to the house for the first one or two feedings only, long enough to get dried off and we make sure they are eating. We have a seperate kid nursery with a room that is somewhat insulated but no drafts. They spend the first 3 days to a week in a water tank with a heat lamp on a chain, then get moved to a bigger pen within the room. After about 10 days they go to another larger pen in the outer part of the barn that can get as cold as single digits, but they still have a heat lamp just hung higher. At about 2-3 weeks they are ready to move to a pen with out a heat lamp with plenty of bedding.
Tim

 

We have a "Stor Mor" brand wooden shed for a kid house, and I use heat lamps. I NEVER bring kids in the house. Regardless of the reason. They do just fine, even to the single digits.

Ken (In Idaho)

 

Not really a problem where I live.......but since I'm kidding this time in Feb., I have put up some temperary plywood panels in my kidding stall, just in case it is really cold the day of kidding......I will be able to put a heater in there for a couple hours if needed until the kids are dried off good. Even then, I just would plan on knocking the chill off a bit.

Whim

 

Hmmm, sounds like we just baby ours too much. LOL Seriously, If today's weather holds out a few more days I will look at setting up an area in the barn that can be sheltered a bit more for them.

 

We usually don't start kidding until March, but here in Montana, it can still be cold, especially at night. Some of our does raise their kids.They don't dome in unless it's really chilly and I have to bring them in to use the hair dryer. With my bottle babies, most are out of the house by a wek to 10 days old. They have a baby house that is well strawed. I have never used a heat lamp in it. I'm currently spending the night with my friend. I was just out inthe goat yard today with a goat family. The kids were born on a really cold week and only had the heat lamp for a couple days. They are on their dam and growing like little weeds. They aren't in the least bothered by the cold and snow. The poor La Boer mama has chapped teats, though.
Kathie

 

You can make little "rooms" for the kids by stacking straw bales up to block any drafts and trap in body heat. Something that folks do around here for their mini goats is to put a low watt bulb in a 55 gallon plastic drum. The drum is chained to the wall or ceiling so it can't be moved. Kids go in there and huddle in the warmth, and come out to feed and play.

 

Ooooh, I hadn't thought of using the straw bales. We could easily do that. We've done it for chickens before but just didn't occur to me for this.

I'm having a hard time picturing the drum idea. The lightbulb is in the drum? What keeps the kids from getting at it? We had a chicken fly into a heat lamp once. Dumb thing.

 

Just put a picture of barrel incubators in Goat 101
http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php?topic=2037.0

 

Ah, I get it. Neat idea. Thanks for the picture!