Weak kid

I have a kid who was born yesterday and I’m trying to determine if she is just tiny and weak or if there is something else going on like a selenium issue or other problem. Her front legs are perfectly strong and normal but her back legs are very weak. She seems to walk on her knees. She tries to stand but the back legs always buckle. Now again she was born yesterday, so this may just take time but I want to get ahead of it. She was one of quads, she was the smallest (under 1lb) and the last to be born after a long labor with a large breech boy holding up the train in front of her. She’s eating and pooping but she needs help to nurse from mom cause she can’t stand so I’m holding her and also syringe feeding her right now. I’ve pulled her and she’s living inside now. 

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  • Please keep us posted on her progress!

  • Thanks guys! Yeah she is the smallest kid i have ever seen. I didnt expect her to live through the night but she did. Yes I am mostly syringe feeding her but she is able to nurse from mom if i hold her up. However with her mostly inside and mom having other kids to attend to I know that she probably wont let her come around to nurse for much longer. She seems to be gaining some strength today but its slow going for sure. I'm actually relieved to hear that its normal for it to take a few days to see real improvement. I'm cautiously optimistic at this point.

  • Oh wow! That is SUPER tiny! I had a 1 pounder a couple years ago. She literally fit in my outstretched hand. I fed her around the clock every 2-3 hours with a syringe for about 3 or 4 days until she was strong enough to actually suckle. My concern was that the tiny feeding amounts that she was able to consume at one time, wouldn't be enough to keep her blood sugar up for a normal time span between feedings, like a larger kid can tolerate. I'm trying to remember, but it seems like she got strength in her legs about the same time that her suck strength and suck-swallow coordination improved. She is a happy healthy girl now.

    Here is an article that Deborah wrote about bottle feeding that has a nifty calculation for amount of milk they should consume, based on kid weight =)

    https://thriftyhomesteader.com/bottle-feeding-goat-kids/

  • If she is under a pound, I'm surprised she's alive! Wow! The smallest kid I've eveer had survive was somewhere around 1 pound and 4 ounces, and she couldn't stand at all for two or three days. She would have starved to death if we hadn't been there. I would NOT expect your little girl to be able to nurse effectively. I'd be bottle feeding her. 

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