Hello all,
I have 3 little nans all due to kid in 2 - 3 weeks. It was our billy's first year old enough to mate so we're not entirely sure he 'nailed it' during his first week -- so I'm not 100% sure on the exact due date.
One of the nannies has kidded before (twins). She's pregnant with at least twins if not 3, I'm guessing, just by her size.
The other two are younger, and this will be their first kidding.
I only have an acre, so my goat and chicken area is fairly small, about a 1/4 of the acre. I have a goat shed that houses all three comfortably (sold the billy after he did his job). My question is whether or not I should separate them all as we get closer to the birth times. I'm not entirely sure how to separate, I don't have a barn, and I'm worried if I add sections to the shed, will they feel a bit claustrophobic? I read hog fencing dividers might work nicely so they can still see each other? Or is it unnecessary to section them off when they're all due around the same time?
The oldest nan, Glory is definitely the 'boss' - she likes her own daughter (Pearl), but shows our later addition (named Meg, she is the daughter's same age) that her place is at the bottom. Pearl (the daughter) and Meg get along fine when they are alone.
Meg is much, much smaller. I think she's got to only have one kid in there. Pearl has at least two. And Glory has two or three.
Thanks for any advice! Glory kidded before with her previous owners, so this is my first time!
Replies
Thanks all -- I think we'd like to separate them, but another issue is space. The goat shed I have for them is roomy enough for them to snuggle in there for the night, but when I think about dividing into thirds with the hog fencing, it'll be a lot more cramped. Especially thinking about one of us needing to get into each section to help with the births if needed.
I could pen off an unusued wooden greenhouse (plastic is off) for the older nan. I think the two little does will be fine with each other, but I probably ought to move old Bossy. I can see her beating the crud out of the youngest, or getting mad at other kids, etc. Do you think that will be too traumatic? I can't imagine her taking being moved to a totally new and different space quietly. The greenhouse is nearby, and they are currently in and out of it, eating the new weed growth, so it's not totally unfamiliar to her, but with some fencing / boards put up to pen her into it I imagine she'll be right pissed.
I am furious! Wrote ya'll one of my great long responses...cursor bounced off and I clicked trying to find it and...you guessed my response went to cyberspace! EEEEEEEW!
Short version: Yes! Pasture kept w/bucks pastured separate...pen breeding...always know due dates...almost always present with no interfering except when needed at kiddings...pasture kidding with barn access if desired...excellent top notch care. Hubby was raised on a large black angus cattle farm in MO. She has been a pediatric RN for about 40 years of her 0ver 50 year career. He has retired to the farm and she is this year. Have 2 female pyrs who were trained before shipped to them and will kill anything that does not belong in their pasture and clean any abandoned kids and watch until found by their people. If they have to bottle which is rare the pyrs keep them clean and care for them like they are theirs and only need a bottle from people! Very, Very few problems occur there.
Does your sister have her goats on pasture year-round? I'm just curious about whether they have enough room for a doe to go off on her own to give birth? My sheep are on pasture, and that's what they do. You always know when one is in labor or just lambed because you look out there and see the whole flock out grazing, but one is under a tree by herself.
Margaret Langley said:
It totally depends upon the personality of the does involved. When I got started we didn't separate them, and it worked out fine, but over the past 11 years, I've seen some does get so mean with other does that it is really scary. We had one doe that went into labor two weeks early a few years ago, and other does were beating the snot out of her as she was pushing out a kid! Pig panels do work well for separating them, if you decide to do that.
As for the number they're carrying, you might be surprised. Long-bodied does can hide a lot in there, whereas short-bodied does can look like they're having a whole litter when it's only two.
So far I have managed to get mine separated! Most of us do that. It can be difficult at times and a bit confusing to separate and not separating can cause problems too.
But in defense of not separating I have to be fair and say that many goat breeders do not separate. It seems to be a breed related thing. It seems like most dairy people do but my sister has about 70 myotonics and she has about 30 or so kid per season and does not separate hers at all. From the way she talks I would assume that this is common among her peers. And lets not forget that they even leave horns on these suckers. Apparently everything goes very smoothly.
The fact is sometimes I wonder why do we worry so much about doing this. Because we talk about raising them as natural as possible yet we do all this separating which is very unnatural for them.
First experience with two does and not typical at all with the trauma around Capri's kidding and loss of two of her babies but this is what is going on here. I had them separated already, fortunately, though it was to be for a few days until Capri kidded, leave her babies with her a few days and then move Summer into the kidding pen and after a week, put them all back together. Capri kidded, Summer the next day (not a week apart as due). Summer's triplets have done very well. Capri's surviving two are about 2-3 days behind development-wise because of their traumatic birth. Summer's kids want to be in with the others, and I let them in briefly at four days but Capri wanted none of it and started gently butting them when they came to her. It was clear that for whatever reason, she did not want them there. Last night, the camera moved and I went out there. The gate separating them where they can see each other through the chicken wire was moving - Capri was butting at them as they came against it curious as little ones are. Based on this, I would recommend sets of kids be kept separate for some time. My yearling has been a pill with both moms and is challenging them so she is separated from everyone. The moms can go outside with the yearling penned elsewhere but am keeping babies in their own pens for now. This week, I may let all the kids together in an outside pen but am not sure about it. Moms are fine with each other and Summer does not mind Capri's kids (who are her half-sisters) but Capri does *not* want Summer's ( who are her granddaughters) around her. Considering, it has been only a week since her horrible delivery, I figure I will humor her and keep Summer's kids away from her; she definitely needs no more stress added to her life. May not be typical but that is what is going on here.
I didn't get my does separated before they kidded, but I DEFINITELY recommend doing it as soon as they do.
Those little babies aren't safe with the big girls until they're at least a few days to over a week old, and adult does can be pretty aggressive toward them.
I know that being separated also made my does less stressed out.
I had two does kid within days of each other, and I tried to put them together at 3 days (for the younger set) and their mom was SUPER aggressive toward the kids that weren't hers. Separation give mom and babies a chance to bond with out the added stress of fighting off other babies that aren't theirs, and other does that are butting in. (pun intended! lol)