Stocking the Kidding Kit: Cornell's Essentials List

The essentials, per Cornell

Cornell's Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops team lists these essentials for a lambing or kidding kit:

• Your vet's phone number - ideally a vet you already have a working relationship with, because a faster conversation can mean a faster outcome.
• Mild dish soap, for cleaning equipment, hands, and a dirty udder.
• Sterile lubricant and single-use OB or exam gloves - gloves protect both you and the animal.
• A navel dip to protect against infection (Cornell's list includes an iodine tincture; ask your vet which product they prefer for your herd).
• Clean towels, rags, or newspaper for drying kids.
• Clean, non-porous buckets - stainless steel or solid plastic - for water, warming colostrum, or mixing replacer.
• A digital rectal thermometer for checking dam and newborn temperatures.
• Frozen colostrum saved from other does, or an in-date colostrum replacer powder, plus a bottle with a nipple sized for small ruminants.
• Flashlights or headlamps with fresh batteries.
• Access to warm water.

About the "advanced essentials"

Cornell's second tier - items like stomach tubes, prescription antibiotics, and injectable solutions - exists for producers trained to use them. The list itself ties these to your veterinarian: antibiotics "recommended and prescribed by your veterinarian." If you're not there yet, that's fine. The essentials plus a vet who answers the phone is a legitimate kit.

One tote, one habit

Cornell recommends keeping it all in a clear plastic tote so supplies stay findable and clean. Add one habit: after every season, restock and replace anything expired before the tote goes back on the shelf.

Keep each doe's birth notes in PawLine

Notes from every birth belong with each doe. In the PawLine app you can keep them as dated health notes on her profile, so her history is in your pocket at 2 a.m. when it matters. The kit checklist itself - restocks and replacements - may still need a separate list, and no kit-checklist, restock-tick or due-window feature is claimed here. You can find the notes features in the PawLine app.

Questions about this guide

Does having the equipment mean I should assist a difficult birth myself?

No. Cornell separates basic supplies from advanced equipment and ties prescription medicines to your veterinarian. Training, an established veterinary relationship and a plan for calling for help matter more than owning the equipment.

What should I check before storing the kit for next season?

Replace used or expired supplies, check lights and batteries, and keep the kit clean and easy to find. Ask your veterinarian which products and emergency arrangements are appropriate for your herd.