# Kid Health Problems in Swedish Goat Herds: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Herd-Level Risk Factors and Preventive Practices

## TL;DR

This study examines health issues in young goats on Swedish farms and how management practices are linked to these problems.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the association between herd size, management practices, and kid health problems in Swedish goat farming.

## Key findings

- 27.63% of farms reported kid health problems, with gastrointestinal disorders being the most common.
- Larger herds were more likely to report health problems, possibly due to increased observation opportunities.
- Farms with multiple health issues more frequently used practices like early colostrum provision and selenium supplementation.

## Abstract

Young goats are particularly vulnerable to health problems during the first weeks of life, which can raise animal welfare concerns and affect farm productivity. In this study, we surveyed 684 goat farms across Sweden to describe the occurrence of kid health problems and associated management practices at the herd level. Over one quarter of farms (27.63%) reported kid health problems during the preceding three years, most commonly gastrointestinal disorders. Farms with larger herds were more likely to report such problems; however, this comparison is influenced by herd size, as larger herds have a higher probability of observing and reporting at least one case. Several management practices, including supervision at kidding, isolation of does, selenium supplementation, and early colostrum provision, were more frequently reported by farms with multiple types of kid health problems, suggesting that these measures were often adopted in response to previous disease rather than used proactively. Network analysis further showed strong co-occurrence between pregnancy-related problems in does and subsequent health problems in kids, highlighting the close link between maternal and neonatal health. Overall, this study provides descriptive baseline information on kid health in Swedish goat herds and underlines the importance of cautious interpretation of herd-level survey data.

Kid health problems are important welfare and productivity concerns in goat farming, yet herd-level patterns and management responses remain poorly described in many production systems. This cross-sectional study investigated farmer-reported kid health problems in Swedish goat herds and their associations with herd size and management practices. An online questionnaire distributed through national goat networks during 2024 yielded 684 completed responses, representing approximately one-third of Swedish goat keepers. Overall, 27.63% of farms (189/684) reported at least one kid health problem during the preceding three years, most commonly gastrointestinal disorders (22.8%), followed by joint-related (15.1%) and neurological conditions (9.0%). A subset of farms (6.0%) reported multiple concurrent types of kid health problems, indicating more complex herd health profiles. The proportion of farms reporting at least one kid health problem increased with herd size; large herds (>50 animals) were more likely to report health problems compared with small herds (RR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.08–2.10), while medium-sized herds showed modest, non-significant increases. This herd-level outcome is inherently influenced by herd size, as larger herds have a higher probability of observing at least one case. Farms reporting multiple concurrent kid health problems more frequently implemented management measures such as isolation during kidding, early colostrum provision, and selenium supplementation, likely reflecting reactive adoption following previous health challenges rather than proactive prevention. Longitudinal studies using animal-level data are needed to clarify causal relationships.