Improving Welfare in Suckling Goat Kids During Winter: Impact of Heat-Retentive Kid Nest on Hiding, Playing, Suckling, and Nursing Behaviors.

The welfare of winter-born suckling goat kids is important, as their thermoregulatory systems are still developing. The pilot study investigated the impact of heat-retentive kid nest (HRKN) on hiding, playing and suckling behaviors of kids born during winter. Twelve newborn kids were divided into two groups along with their respective dams. The HRKN, designed to provide warmer microclimatic conditions, served as ancillary housing for the HRKN group, while the control group was housed intensively without HRKN. Given the lack of independent replicates in each treatment group (n = 1 per treatment), the results are summarized descriptively. The preference of kids for the HRKN was evident early in life, with decreased hiding observed as they matured. As age increased, suckling duration decreased, but HRKN kids had higher summed duration and frequencies of suckling, with less rejection. Additionally, HRKN kids showed increased frequencies of play behaviors including locomotor play, jumping, head pressing, head movement, and mounting. HRKN thus emerged as an effective management tool for pre-weaned suckling goat kids during winter for improving their welfare.