My doe, Leah, had quads two days ago. They are all doing fine and I have been checking them a lot to make sure they are eating etc. This afternoon I went into the stall to check on everyone and make sure that Leah is doing okay and the runt was trying to nurse and Leah kept headbutting her. She did this several times not too rough but I was surprised. Then the little doeling tried again to get close to Leah and Leah head butted her so hard that she threw the little doeling across the stall about a yard. I have brought the little doeling into the house. I have put Leah on the milkstand right after the incident and several hours later and let the doeling nurse.
Should I keep trying to see if Leah might accept her and if she doesnt and I have to bottle feed during the night how often and how much should I feed her? Thanks so much for any advice.
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Melissa Johnson said:
it comes in from behind - when she is busy with the other two. She will smell his rear - and I expect her to walk off - but she does let it nurse, but when she is done - she is done.
yes, what was with the bags? part of what the babies were encased in?
yes Margaret - thank you. I have seen that 2x with my other doe - no doubt. large flat - gooey tissue material with rubbery cord attached - there was alot of mucousy stuff - it had alot of fluid with it.
Margaret Langley said:
thanks Deborah, wouldnt you know - the one she nudges away after they have all nursed - wont take a bottle. The little doe goes to mama and then to me..... she takes the bottle.
"3 bags hanging out of her" at once sounds odd. But after that was out of the way you are sure you saw the afterbirth? Not just bags?
I'm wondering if I gave her too much grain (increase) - 2 c. from 1 c. before she kidded.... I think I increase that too much too fast. She ate an apple, some carrots today like she was starving. She has alfalfa in front of her - orchard grass and some rougher field hay. Sweetlix meatmaker minerals - and given warm water morning and night.
She passed the afterbirth no problem - she had some bloody gooey stuff like any other doe after birthing - but she looks really clean after 4 days. no more goo.
She ate some rough hay today and some alfalfa - and slept nicely today in the sun while the kids were asleep. I gave her a dose of Probios this a.m. She came out into the section of the barn today where I keep all the hay - she picked at bales while she was wandering around.
I felt her udder and it doesnt feel hot or anything - she lets the kids nurse (the one she keeps pushing away - slips in from the rear while she is licking the other two) then after a few minutes she gets away from them. She is a FF -
when they sleep she will start hollering for them - but if they comes after they nurse some - she doesnt want them to keep nursing - the pushed out one - does his from the rear thing to nurse - and then when she notices it is him - she gets away from him and pushes him away.
She had the kids btwn 4:30 and 6:50 - I checked her at 4:30 and nothing - she was not doing any pushing - just laying like the last time I checked her - then when I went out again - 3 kids on the ground mostly dry and 3 bags hanging out of her.
Melissa, are you using their mothers milk for them? To keep from being repetitive here, did you read this whole discussion? I am a little worried about rather or not momma is ok. Do you know for sure if she passed the afterbirth. Did anything abnormal happen during the delivery? It sounds tome like she may not be well. Are you saying that she is not eating her food? If not, then that is a major sign of something being wrong. Goats do not go OFF FEED for no reason.
Melissa, I am so new to Nigerians that I couldnt begin to offer advice but I will say that I kept a real good watch and took Bella down to her mom often to nurse the first week. Leah kept butting her and would not allow her to nurse. I had to get Leah to go on the milkstand and secure her before I could let Bella eat. After two weeks of this I just decided to completely bottle feed her.
She is much smaller than all the other babies but is growing real well. I take her down to socialize as much as possible. She seems like an outcast and I am hesitant to leave her all day and all night because she is so small. Every day I take her down and sit there like mama goat to observe and am leaving her by herself for longer periods of time. My hope is that in the next week or so I will be leaving her there all day long and then when I wean all the babies I will let her stay in their pen.
As long as your doe is feeding the buckling plenty I wouldnt worry. It's much better to let momma take care of them. Leah wouldnt let Bella nurse at all. If I hadnt intervened she probably wouldnt have made it. She is now 3 1/2 weeks old now and spoiled rotten.
There are a lot of people on here much more knowledgable than myself. They really have helped me so much!
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