Goat Vaccination Schedule: CD&T for Kids, Does, and Bucks
Author: Elliott Garber, DVM · Updated
A goat vaccination schedule is built around one core vaccine, CD&T, which protects against enterotoxemia (overeating disease) and tetanus. Kids from vaccinated does usually get their first CD&T shot at 6 to 8 weeks of age and a booster 3 to 4 weeks later; kids from unvaccinated does start in their first few weeks of life, and pregnant does get a booster about 2 to 4 weeks before kidding so their colostrum protects the kids. Bucks, wethers, and every other adult need a booster at least once a year. Because goats lose clostridial immunity faster than sheep, Alabama extension calls every 6 months ideal, and the Merck Veterinary Manual gives every 3 to 4 months for goats; your veterinarian picks the interval for your herd. Rabies and a few other vaccines are added only where your veterinarian sees a local need, and your veterinarian sets the actual schedule for your herd.
The chart below lays out that schedule stage by stage, with the sources behind each line. The hard part of any vaccine program is not knowing the schedule, it is making sure the second dose and the next booster actually happen, for every goat, every time. On Creatures you can log each shot as a vaccination record and enter the next due date as its follow-up date, which creates a reminder for that goat so the booster does not depend on memory.
| Core vaccine | CD&T: Clostridium perfringens types C and D plus tetanus |
|---|---|
| Kids, vaccinated doe | First shot at 6 to 8 weeks, booster 3 to 4 weeks later |
| Kids, unvaccinated doe | First few weeks of life (week 1 to about week 4), booster 3 to 4 weeks later |
| Pregnant does | Booster about 2 to 4 weeks before kidding; first-timers need 2 doses |
| Adults, bucks, wethers | At least yearly; 6 months ideal (Alabama), 3 to 4 months (Merck) |
| New or unknown history | Two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart, then onto the herd schedule |
| Other vaccines | Rabies, CL, pneumonia, sore mouth: only where your vet sees a need |
| Who decides | Your veterinarian, using the product label and your herd’s risk |
Goat vaccination schedule by age and stage
The chart follows the Auburn University Alabama Cooperative Extension goat vaccination guide, the University of Maryland small ruminant vaccination guidance, and the Merck Veterinary Manual. It is a general pattern, not a prescription. Doses, routes, and the minimum age come from the label of the product you buy, and your veterinarian adjusts the timing for your herd.
| Newborn kid, vaccinated doe | No shot yet. Colostrum in the first hours carries the doe’s antibodies, which protect for about 2 months |
|---|---|
| Kid, vaccinated doe: dose 1 | 6 to 8 weeks of age, before weaning |
| Kid, vaccinated doe: dose 2 | 3 to 4 weeks after dose 1 (some advise a third dose 4 weeks later) |
| Kid, unvaccinated doe: dose 1 | In the first few weeks of life (sources range from week 1 to about week 4), per your vet |
| Kid, unvaccinated doe: dose 2 | 3 to 4 weeks after dose 1 |
| Kid disbudded or banded before protected | Ask your vet about tetanus antitoxin at the time of the procedure |
| Doelings and new purchases | At least 2 doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart, completed before first kidding |
| Pregnant doe, previously vaccinated | 1 booster about 2 to 4 weeks before kidding (often about 30 days) |
| Pregnant doe, never vaccinated | 2 doses about 3 to 4 weeks apart in late pregnancy, the last at least 2 weeks before kidding |
| Bucks, wethers, dry does, pets | At least once a year; Alabama extension calls every 6 months ideal |
| Higher-risk herds (heavy grain, past enterotoxemia) | Merck’s 3 to 4 month interval for goats is most relevant; ask your vet |
| Adult of unknown history | 2 doses 3 to 4 weeks apart, then the herd’s booster schedule |
Put the dates into a calendar the moment you have them. For kids, count from the birth date. For pregnant does, count back from the due date: the free goat gestation calculator turns a breeding date into a due date and a kidding window, and the pre-kidding booster goes about a month before that.
Sources differ on the details, and that is normal. The Mississippi State University Extension sheet on CD&T for sheep and goats vaccinates kids of vaccinated dams at about 30 days and kids of unvaccinated dams in the first week of life. The Alabama guide says kids of unvaccinated dams should be vaccinated within the first 2 weeks. Maryland’s vaccination page suggests 1 to 3 weeks, because colostral antibodies interfere with a vaccine given too young, and its CDT page gives 3 to 4 weeks. Some goat breed associations run later: the National Pygmy Goat Association’s owner guide to goat vaccinations describes a first shot at 10 to 12 weeks for kids of immunized does, followed by two boosters. Pick one schedule with your veterinarian and apply it to every kid, rather than mixing advice from several places.
What CD&T protects against
CD&T is a toxoid: it trains the immune system against the toxins these bacteria make, not the bacteria themselves. That is why it takes two doses to build protection and why boosters matter.
- Enterotoxemia type D (“overeating disease,” “pulpy kidney”). Clostridium perfringens lives in the gut of healthy goats in small numbers. A sudden rush of grain, rich feed, or lush pasture lets it multiply and release toxin, and death can come quickly. South Dakota State University Extension notes that type D is the most problematic type in goats.
- Enterotoxemia type C (hemorrhagic enteritis, “bloody scours”). Mostly a disease of lambs and kids in their first weeks, often triggered by a feed change or a sudden jump in milk intake, according to the Maryland guidance. SDSU notes it is rarely reported in kids.
- Tetanus. Clostridium tetani spores live in soil and manure and enter through wounds, especially deep or closed ones. Banding for castration, disbudding, and puncture wounds are the classic entry points. Clinical tetanus is very hard to treat, so prevention is the real plan.
The vaccine lowers the risk, but feeding still matters. Merck and SDSU both treat nutrition management as part of controlling enterotoxemia, so introduce grain and rich forage gradually whatever the vaccine status. Our guide to what to feed goats covers how to make those changes safely, and the goat bloat guide covers the other emergency that grain overload can cause.
Why goats need boosters more often than sheep
Most clostridial vaccine programs were designed for sheep (our sheep CD&T vaccine guide covers the flock version), and goats do not respond the same way. The Merck Veterinary Manual says goats tend to have lower antibody levels for shorter periods after vaccination, so they need the same two-dose starting series as sheep but boosters every 3 to 4 months to hold protection against type D. The Alabama extension guide puts it in practical terms: at a minimum vaccinate goats annually, and ideally every 6 months, especially where disease pressure is high.
That is a change from the “once a year” rule many owners learned, and from the earlier version of this guide. In practice, herds settle somewhere between yearly and every few months depending on how their goats are fed, whether they have had enterotoxemia cases, and what their veterinarian advises. A herd feeding heavy grain to show or market kids, or one that has lost a goat to overeating disease, is at the frequent end. A few pet wethers on hay and browse may be fine on a yearly or twice-yearly program.
Kids: vaccinated versus unvaccinated does
Kids are not born protected. They get their first defense from colostrum, and only if the doe’s own vaccinations were current.
Kids from vaccinated does drink antibodies in the first hours of life. Maryland’s guidance says those maternal antibodies protect kids for about 2 months if they got enough colostrum. The kid’s own series starts at 6 to 8 weeks, as that protection fades, and the booster 3 to 4 weeks later is the dose that establishes lasting immunity. A kid that only ever got the first shot is not protected. If you are bottle raising, make sure every kid gets good colostrum early; our guide to bottle feeding goat kids covers timing and amounts.
Kids from unvaccinated does, or does whose history you do not know, get no clostridial antibodies from colostrum, so they are exposed from birth. That is why every source moves the first dose earlier, from the first week of life to about 3 or 4 weeks of age. Maryland’s guidance adds that antitoxins can give immediate short-term protection when dams were not vaccinated or during an outbreak. Whether to use them, and which product, is a question for your veterinarian.
Tetanus around disbudding and castration
Disbudding and banding both create a wound, and many kids are disbudded well before their CD&T series is complete. The Maryland guidance says kids whose dams were not vaccinated for tetanus should get tetanus antitoxin at the time of castrating and disbudding, especially if bands are used. Antitoxin supplies ready-made antibodies that work right away but last only a short time; the toxoid in CD&T is what builds the kid’s own long-term protection. Plan the procedure and the tetanus cover together with your veterinarian. Our guide to disbudding goat kids explains the timing of the procedure itself.
Does before kidding
The pre-kidding booster does two jobs at once: it keeps the doe protected and loads her colostrum with antibodies for the kids. Merck says one of the doe’s boosters should fall about 2 to 4 weeks before kidding, and the Alabama and Tufts guidance both describe about 30 days before.
A doe that has never been vaccinated needs two doses, not one, before her colostrum carries useful protection. The Maryland CDT guidance describes doses at about 6 and 3 weeks before kidding, with the booster at least 2 weeks before the due date. Replacement doelings and newly bought does should have their two-dose series done before their first kidding.
Timing this booster depends on knowing when each doe is due. Record the breeding date, run it through the goat gestation calculator, and count back about a month. The sister guide on goat gestation explains how long goats are pregnant and how due dates vary, and the goat kidding guide covers what to prepare once the booster is done. If you record the breeding on Creatures, the doe’s projected due date sits on her profile and on the breeding dashboard, so the booster date is easy to work out from it (see recording a breeding).
Bucks, wethers, and pet goats
The goats most likely to fall off a vaccine schedule are the ones not being bred: bucks kept in a separate pen, wethers kept as pets or brush clearers, and dry does. Maryland’s guidance says bucks should be boostered annually, and the Alabama guide specifically reminds owners not to forget bucks and replacements with unknown status. Under the more frequent goat schedule above, they are on the same once or twice yearly cycle as the rest of the herd.
Wethers deserve particular attention because they are often fed as pets rather than as livestock. A pet wether that gets into the grain or is suddenly moved to lush pasture is exactly the goat enterotoxemia finds. Boer and other meat goats being pushed on feed for market or show also sit in the higher-risk group, and fairs and shows often set their own health requirements, so check the rules for any event you enter. Our guide to goat shows covers what to prepare for the ring.
For meat goats, also follow the preslaughter withdrawal time on the vaccine label. SDSU’s guidance calls out a 21-day slaughter withdrawal for clostridial vaccines, but check the label of the exact product you use.
New goats and goats with unknown history
Every seller should be able to tell you which vaccine was given and when. If they cannot, treat the goat as unvaccinated. The Maryland guidance says to vaccinate any animal whose vaccination status is unknown, and SDSU’s guidance is at least two doses for naive animals 2 weeks or older, followed by the regular boosters. Give the two-dose series, usually 3 to 4 weeks apart, then move the goat onto your herd’s booster schedule. Keep new goats separate for a quarantine period before they join the herd, and ask your veterinarian which disease tests to run. Our guide on where to buy a goat lists the disease tests worth asking a seller about, and the Creatures goat species page covers the breeds if you are still choosing one.
When you are the seller, handing over a clean vaccination record is part of selling a healthy goat. A buyer’s veterinarian needs to know the product and dates to fit the next dose into the right window.
Other goat vaccines: when they are added
CD&T is the one vaccine nearly every goat should get. The rest are used farm by farm. The Maryland guidance describes CD&T as probably the only universally recommended vaccine for sheep and goats, and the Arkansas extension small ruminant vaccination schedule lists sore mouth, respiratory, CL, and bluetongue vaccines as optional.
- Rabies. No rabies vaccine is licensed for goats in the US, so any use is extralabel and given by a veterinarian. The national Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control says livestock with frequent human contact, such as at petting zoos, fairs, and other public exhibitions, should be vaccinated against rabies, including species with no licensed vaccine, and that consideration should also be given to vaccinating particularly valuable livestock. Tufts University’s Cummings School treats rabies as a core small ruminant vaccine in New England, where the disease is endemic, and notes that some states require it for animals shown at fairs.
- Caseous lymphadenitis (CL). A vaccine labeled for sheep has been used in goats. The Alabama guide warns that a combination product with CD&T plus CL antigens causes strong reactions in goats and is not recommended for them, and that CL vaccination interferes with blood testing, so plan it with your veterinarian.
- Pneumonia (pasteurellosis). Available vaccines target cattle strains, and the Alabama guide says none has proven fully effective in goats. Use is extralabel and prescribed by a veterinarian.
- Sore mouth (orf). A live vaccine that gives the animal a controlled case of the disease. Maryland’s guidance says herds free of sore mouth should probably not vaccinate, because the vaccine introduces the virus to the farm, and it spreads to people, so gloves are a must.
- Abortion diseases. Vaccines for some causes, such as vibriosis, are given before breeding. These are chosen only after a veterinarian has diagnosed the cause.
How CD&T is given and handled
CD&T is given under the skin (subcutaneously). The Mississippi State sheet describes the tent method: pinch up a fold of loose skin and slide the needle into its base. The Alabama guide shows the sites most people use, the triangle of skin in front of the shoulder or the armpit area, and Maryland adds the ribs. Using the same site every time makes a reaction easy to find later.
A few handling points make the difference between a vaccine that works and one that does not. Keep the bottle refrigerated, including in a cooler while you work in the barn, as SDSU advises. Do not use expired product, follow the label for dose and route, and vaccinate only healthy goats. A small firm lump at the injection site is common and usually shrinks on its own; have your veterinarian look at any lump that grows, turns hot or painful, drains, or does not go away, since that can be an abscess.
If you are unsure about giving injections yourself, ask your veterinarian to show you at the first herd visit. Dose amounts, product choice, and anything involving a sick goat are the veterinarian’s call.
Keep goat vaccination records that make boosters happen
A goat vaccination record is a simple list for each animal: the product, the date given, who gave it, and the date the next dose is due. It answers the buyer, the show secretary, and the veterinarian, and it is the only reliable way to catch the kid that missed its second shot or the buck nobody remembered. Our goat record keeping guide covers the full set of records worth keeping; here is how the vaccination part works on Creatures.
- Give each goat a profile. Add your goats to Creatures with a birth date, so kid schedules can be counted from the right day. You can start without an account, and a free account keeps the profiles.
- Log each shot as a Vaccination record. On the goat’s Records tab, choose Add Record, then Vaccination, and enter the product name and date. You can attach a photo of the label or the vet’s invoice. See adding a record.
- Enter the follow-up date. Put in the date the next dose is due (the kid booster in 3 to 4 weeks, or the next herd booster), and saving the record creates a linked reminder for that goat. The health and medical records guide walks through the form.
- Set repeating reminders for herd boosters. A reminder can repeat on the interval your veterinarian chose, such as every 6 months, and can notify you a set number of days ahead. Due items show on the goat’s care schedule and on the Today board. See reminders and upcoming care.
- Record a whole group in one go. When you vaccinate the whole kid crop or the whole herd on the same day, apply the record to a group instead of entering it goat by goat.
- Hand over the history. The record packet PDF (when offered) puts a goat’s paperwork in one file for a veterinarian or a show, and an ownership transfer moves the profile and its records to the buyer when you sell.
The Add Record sheet opens for any visitor so you can see the form, and saving a record needs a free account.
Goat vaccination FAQ
What vaccines do goats need?
CD&T is the core vaccine for goats, recommended for essentially every goat. Rabies is added where your veterinarian sees a risk or where shows or fairs require it, and vaccines for CL, pneumonia, sore mouth, and abortion diseases are used only on farms with a specific need.
Is the schedule different for Boer, Pygmy, or Nigerian Dwarf goats?
The disease risk and the basic schedule are the same across breeds. What changes is management: meat goats pushed on feed and heavy-milking dairy does are at higher enterotoxemia risk, which may argue for more frequent boosters. Some breed associations publish their own owner schedules, like the National Pygmy Goat Association’s later 10 to 12 week start. Follow the product label and your veterinarian, not the breed.
How often do adult goats need CD&T?
At least once a year. Because goats hold clostridial immunity for a shorter time than sheep, the Alabama extension guide advises every 6 months as the ideal, and Merck describes boosters every 3 to 4 months for type D protection. Your veterinarian will pick an interval that fits your feeding and your herd’s history.
My goat’s CD&T is overdue. Do I start over?
Ask your veterinarian. A goat that finished its two-dose series and is a little late may simply get the booster, while a goat with no proof of an earlier series is treated as unvaccinated and given two doses, as the Maryland and SDSU guidance describe. Either way, record what was given so the next due date is clear.
Can I give goat vaccines myself?
Many goat owners give CD&T themselves, since it is a subcutaneous injection bought over the counter in many areas. Rabies is different: it is extralabel in goats and given by a veterinarian. For your first time, a sick goat, or any doubt about product or dose, involve your veterinarian.
Why is there a lump where my goat was vaccinated?
A small firm lump is a common reaction to a subcutaneous vaccine and usually fades. Have it checked if it grows, becomes hot or painful, drains, or lasts, since that can be an abscess.
Is the cattle schedule the same?
No. Cattle vaccine programs cover different diseases and intervals. See the sister guide to the cattle vaccination schedule.
Do this next on Creatures
Whether you are raising this year’s kids, getting does ready to kid, or buying your first goats, Creatures keeps the vaccination records, the reminders, and the search for your next goat in one place. More about goats is on the Creatures goat species page.
Add your goats. Create a free profile for each goat with its birth date, so every kid’s shots count from the right day. No account needed to start; the walkthrough is in adding an animal to Creatures.
Log every shot. Add a vaccination record with the next due date as its follow-up, and it becomes a reminder. The record sheet opens for any visitor, and a free account saves what you enter. See health and medical records and reminders and upcoming care.
Time the pre-kidding booster. Get each doe’s due date from the free goat gestation calculator, then read recording a breeding so due dates stay on her profile.
Buying goats? Browse goats on the marketplace and find trusted farms in the Creatures breeder directory, and ask every seller for the vaccination record.
Get alerted. Goat listings are still few, so set a free goat listing alert and we will email you when one is posted. No account needed to start. See saving searches and using your watchlist.
Raise goats to sell? Add your farm’s profile, no account needed to start, then get listed in the breeder directory so buyers can find you and see how you keep your herd.
This guide summarizes published extension and veterinary guidance for general information. It is not a substitute for your veterinarian, who sets your goats’ actual vaccination schedule based on their health, your feeding and management, local disease risk, and the product label.
