My second and final doe kidded on Monday and I thought you all might like to here the horror story of delivery. Just let me say that I do have a healthy bouncing baby boy and mom seams to be doing well. I will post a couple of pics of him when I transfer them to my computer.
This was the first birth I have ever been present for, and Monday was day 145. At noon I noticed some contractions so I pulled up a milk crate and made myself comfortable. By 1:30 mom was laying down and crying with contractions. By 2:30 There was nothing new happening so I called my breeder. She suggested that I go in and try to see if I could feel anything coming down the birth canal. So after about 20 minutes of some serious self discussions and giving myself a good pep talk I called by breeder back and lubed up. I felt a bubble which I popped and then a leg, and a little further back a head. Since it didn’t seam to be progressing my breeder told me I needed to pull the baby. Trying to work with her contractions I pulled out a baby boy. He did great right from the start. Mom cleaned him up and they bonded well.
Mom started having contractions again about 5 minutes later and I went back in to feel around. There was a small bubble and I could feel a hard body at the tips of my fingers and maybe a tail bud but no feet or head. I got mom up and walked her around a bit in the hope that the baby would change position. By 4:30-5:00 I new we had a problem. I called my vet. When she arrived about an hour later mom wasn’t doing well. Very tiered and had started shaking. I am still shocked at seeing her go “in” up to her elbow. She was ”in” feeling around for about 20 minutes and I could tell something wasn’t going right. She said she needed to make sure all the body parts belonged to the 1 baby before she tried to take it out. After a few attempts to pull the baby with no success she had to use a chain to pull the baby out. That was the only baby left and when she got it out and we got a look at it it was dead and deformed. It had no front legs just shoulder blades. It was fully developed and weighed about 4lbs. What I was feeling wasn’t a tail but the nub of where a front leg should have been. So it was trying to come out shoulder first with its head folded back.
Mom perked up about 20 minutes later after a little banamine and antibiotics. Today (2 days later) her back hips are still very bowed and she has a hard time keeping them from splitting. But everyday is better and she and the new baby seam happy and are bonding well. I am still in a bit of shock after my first attempt at delivering babies. But as every day passes it feels more and more like a bad memory. I’m hopping that in the future things go a bit more smoothly and maybe I can experience a few “normal” births before I have to deal with any more catastrophes. WOW
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Your birth was nearly as bad as ours with my senior doe, her third litter. I am sorry for your poor little kid who didn't make it, so very sad. Yes, it has been a bad year for kidding. Honest, this is not the norm. If it were, mine would be up for sale, losing three of the quads was too much; fortunately my younger doe had triplets the day after just as it should be, less than an hour start to finish and healthy as they can be; everyone was up and running around within 15 minutes of their birth. A month old now, they are typical kids and so much fun.
Thanks guys, everyone is still doing great. Baby boy got disbudded yesterday and mom is over protective and very attentive. She is a great milker so of coarse as any goat owner I cant see much beyond my new milk pail right now. very happy
I hope your doe and her little boy continue to do well!
Wow, that's crazy!! I'm glad mom and baby are doing good!
A farm from my fb page just posted a precious one with only one front leg! She was actually called for assistance during the birth and couched them through over the phone when he was born. They ended up giving him to her and she is going to get him a cart and train him for a therapy animal! He is beautiful and very healthy looking!
Wow, indeed! Luckily those things are few and far between, so you shouldn't see anything else like that for a few years! A few years ago on Facebook, someone posted a pic of a kid that was born alive with five legs.
WOW! is right Jess! You poor things. It sounds like you ans mom both had a rough time of it! I am sorry about your poor little baby. buck/doe? I am also very glad that you have a healthy little one left. I hope he and mom both do great. Can't wait to see his pic.