Doe adopts newborn days before she is due

  Hi

   I have a doe due to freshen any day now. About 2 days ago she adopted a new born that her mother rejected. All seems to be going well with the 2. My question is any ideas of what to expect when this doe freshens with her own. She looks like she may only have one. This is her 2nd freshening . Also wondering if adopted doeling has depleted all colostrum. Or does the colostrum come in at parturition. And one last thing udder is getting fairly full  ,what are thoughts of milking out a bit to ease pressure. Thank you for any ideas

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  • Congratulations! If you have a scale that weighs in ounces, it would be a good idea to keep track of their weight. They should average around 4 ounces a day each over the course of several days. In other words, some days may be 2-3 ounces while others are 5-6 ounces, but they should average out to 4 ounces per day. Being a second freshener, hopefully she can produce enough for three.

  • Thanks for the info. Today is day 3 with all doing pretty well on the doe. She is definitely most bonded to the adopted girl. But the 2 boys get in there and nurse and are growing. This is a small doe and I never would have guessed she would have 2 kids . They are tiny. Fully formed and robust just tiny. Am keeping an eagle on them and her milk supply. So far so good.

  • You'll have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she can feed all of them, provided she keeps caring for them all.  Not that this will be likely to happen again, but if it had been me trying this, and I'd felt she could feed all three, I would have put the older kid right in with the new ones.  Maybe even gotten some birth fluids on it.  That way she would have been licking and bonding further with that kid too.

    If she keeps letting the older kid nurse, you'll have to really watch because that kid is likely to be stiff competition for those new little ones.  It will likely always get a teat when mom lets them nurse, especially after a few days when she becomes less patient and less willing to let them nurse all the time.

    Best wishes for all! :)

  • Ok , just got in from the kidding. She had 2 bucklings. They presented perfectly. All are licked off and nursing. Her 3 day old adopted kid is sound asleep through it all. So will be interested to see if the mom keeps all three. She is definitely interested in the two she had. Now , I can leavve the milking to the three for a while .Thank you for replays.

  • I haven't read any research on this in goats, but I know with humans doing tandem nursing, there is no worry about the toddler consuming all of the colostrum. Its production is a function of what is happening in the mom's body -- giving birth -- and how that triggers various hormones.

    Not sure what to say about milking out any of the colostrum. I probably wouldn't, but if you do, freeze it in 2 ounce increments. You never know when you'll need it.

  • I wish I had some answers for you about what to expect.  I really don't know for sure, but I suspect that the doe will make colostrum for her kids, and I think you should let her fill up and not milk her.  Her getting full is hopefully a sign that she's going to kid soon.

    I'll be watching to see how it goes.  Please let us know. :)

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