My 17 month old first freshener Oreo had triplets yesterday. They are little bitty, but all healthy and lively, even though 2 of them came out backwards. Her udder is huge, and she's got milk. But is there anything I need to do to make sure multiples all get enough to eat since there are only two faucets?
Eventually I would like to milk Oreo. How old should the babies be before I start that? (I'm in no hurry.)
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In most cases, the runts catch up to their siblings fairly quickly. It's a good idea to weigh them and track their weight if you're concerned about how much they're gaining (or not). They should double their birthweight by two weeks. However, when you have multiple kids, the smallest one often stays the smallest and doesn't gain weight as fast as the others because the others are pushing him out of the way to nurse.
Well, everything seems to be going great. All 3 babies are growing and active. When we pen them up each night with Oreo, we have been holding the two big ones and letting the little boy drink his fill. He has gained weight. And we haven't yet had to supplement with a bottle. They all have full tummies and they all hog in there to nurse.
They are still not all the same size. Should they be? Buffy was the biggest at birth, and is growing the fastest. Cookie is smaller, but still looking good. The little boy is smallest, quite small compared to Buffy, but he has filled out from what he was. Is it normal for littermates to be different sizes this young? Will they eventually even out somewhat?
Whew. Good. I don't think it gets below zero very often around here. I don't know if we've ever had it as low as you have. Yikes.
The babies should be fine at this point in terms of frostbite. We had -17 the other night, so maybe the heat lamp kept the kids close to 0, but they were all fine. If it gets below -20, I think you have to start worrying.
I wondered if that was the case, even though her first kid turned out to be the smallest.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
I gave her some oatmeal with molasses in it, since it was cold the day after she kidded. She gobbled it like a dinosaur.
And thank you...I really feel like such a newbie still. It's a good thing my goats seem to be pretty adaptable and don't drop over dead every time I have an 'oops' moment.
Also...today the wind chill is 13, with ice and sleet, and it may not get above freezing at all. Mom and babies are in a pen under my front porch, the only place I can keep them separate from the other goats. Oreo is doing fine, to all appearances. She eats, and she loves it when I bring out a fresh bucket of hot water.
The babies have been up and moving, and later huddled up in a little puppy pile. They haven't seemed to be shivering excessively. If they do, should I bring them in the house for a bit or something? I'm just glad they are already 4 days old instead of being born this morning...yeesh. I hope their little ears don't get frostbite.
Glenna Rose said:
Right after kidding, I always give my girls warm water with a bit of molasses in it - they drink the water right down, love it, so it keeps them hydrated at a critical time. Usually by the third offer, they don't bother with it anymore (and drink their water straight) so I interpret that as they know when they really need it (the water with that bit of extra boost).
(And, for the record, I totally agree with Rachel W. (and I bet everyone else does as well) that there are no stupid questions!)
Rachel Griebenow said:
[snip]
First, thank you, and no, Rachel, this all happened this past spring. Capri was bred Christmas so I don't yet know if she settled though I think she did. She had been bred two heats before that and had pneumonia immediately after the first breeding so didn't settle even if it was a good breeding and I let her skip her next heat. The Christmas breeding probably settled as she did not come in heat in three weeks (and she is *quite* vocal), but she may have miscarried weekend before last and would have been one month pregnant. When my goat person was here, she did a blood draw for Summer but since Capri was just a month along, we didn't draw hers. Also, if I had, I still wouldn't know because even if it were positive, that wouldn't mean she is still pregnant and, that early, a negative wouldn't have meant she wasn't.
Wish me luck that Summer is, indeed, expecting; she was bred to the same buck as the first time. I should get test results at the end of this week. Expecting and an easy kidding, as easy as hers was this past year, is the ideal goat world for me.
Rachel Griebenow said:
There aren't any stupid questions!!
Breech is tougher for your does for sure. Feet first, nose second is the best way for a kid to present, but breech is possible.
It's common for a doe's stools to get soft after a kidding, but as long as they go back to being berries within a day or so, you're fine. I think the stress of labor messes with their system a bit. At least that seems to be the case with my does.
Rachel Griebenow said:
When a kid is born breech, is it more difficult for the mom to get it out, just because of the shape of the kid? (Sorry if that sounds stupid.) I ask because with Oreo, the firstborn came out backwards and took about 20 minutes of hard work. He was not in the birthing sack when he popped out. He is also the smallest of the three. The 2nd born, the biggest, shot out like she was greased, frontwards, in the sack. The 3rd born shot out right on her heels, in the sack and I believe she was backwards. But she fell out so fast I literally couldn't tell till she plopped on the ground.
Is there anything I should watch for with Oreo to make sure she recovers properly? As she was pushing the first baby out (slowly), her poor little backside was in my husband's words, "stretched out like bubble gum". Then the second two came out with incredible ease. Oreo's backside is still somewhat out of shape, but wouldn't that be normal? She is doing fine, eats, drinks, moves around, and is being a great mama. I've seen all 3 kids nurse, she stands still for them, and their little tummies are full. They seem to be quite active.
The morning after her kidding, I found quite a bit of mushy poo in her pen, sort of like dog poo consistency. It was hers, not the babies'. But I have since seen it go back to normal little marbles.
I am keeping lots of alfalfa and water in front of her. Other than that, is there anything I can or should do?
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