# Help with newborn goats



## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

My goat just had two little babies 3 hours ago. After she birth them, she isn’t cleaning them or fooling with them. The one is up all over the place and the other is laying on the ground.  Should I clean them with towel or just give her more time to clean them?


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 17, 2019)

Get those babies cleaned off now! Suction their nose/mouth with a bulb syringe if you have one.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

There nose and stuff are clear. I cleaned them off now there both trying to walk around. Should I just leave them in there with the mom? I moved them to a small pen hoping she would care for them


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 17, 2019)

If the dam a first freshener? 
Sometimes they can get overwhelmed and/or go into a bit of a shock and "forget" about the kids.
Where are you located? Kids that aren't cleaned off immediately get chilled very fast and die.

It depends, are you okay if the kids die? 
Because if the dam isn't doing anything they will.
Can you direct her to the kids?


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 17, 2019)

Clean them with a towel, make sure they are warm and dry, get them to suckling  off mom asap...you may have to hold teat to get them going....the one that is down take its temp. To see if its too cold and you need to warm it....will alert others.  @Goat Whisperer @BlessedWithGoats @frustratedearthmother. Help...


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

Goat Whisperer said:


> If the dam a first freshener?
> Sometimes they can get overwhelmed and/or go into a bit of a shock and "forget" about the kids.
> Where are you located? Kids that aren't cleaned off immediately get chilled very fast and die.
> 
> ...





Goat Whisperer said:


> If the dam a first freshener?
> Sometimes they can get overwhelmed and/or go into a bit of a shock and "forget" about the kids.
> Where are you located? Kids that aren't cleaned off immediately get chilled very fast and die.
> 
> ...


 I payed her down and she actually licked one of them. No I definitely don’t want them to die. I’m in sc.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

courtney painter said:


> I payed her down and she actually licked one of them. No I definitely don’t want them to die. I’m in sc.


It is the goats first time having babies


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 17, 2019)

If the dam is completely ignoring them you will need to bottle feed. 
It's not difficult. You will need to milk the dam and feed it to the kids. 
Check the mouth of the kids before you feed- warm is good. If cold, don't feed and take the kid's temp. Don't feed the kid if the temp is under 100*F.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Clean them with a towel, make sure they are warm and dry, get them to suckling  off mom asap...you may have to hold teat to get them going....the one that is down take its temp. To see if its too cold and you need to warm it....will alert others.  @Goat Whisperer @BlessedWithGoats @frustratedearthmother. Help...


Thank you I cleaned them and there up trying to walk. So I should make them drink from her?


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 17, 2019)

Good that she is paying attention to them. Sometimes they need a little help.

Is she a first timer? 

You should dip their umbilical cords in iodine.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

Goat Whisperer said:


> If the dam is completely ignoring them you will need to bottle feed.
> It's not difficult. You will need to milk the dam and feed it to the kids.
> Check the mouth of the kids before you feed- warm is good. If cold, don't feed and take the kid's temp. Don't feed the kid if the temp is under 100*F.


Thank you so much going back out now to care for them


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 17, 2019)

courtney painter said:


> Thank you I cleaned them and there up trying to walk. So I should make them drink from her?


As long as their mouth is warm, yes. 

Milk a few streams out of the the dam to make sure the colostrum is flowing properly. Sometimes they can have "plugs" that the kids can get out.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

Goat Whisperer said:


> As long as their mouth is warm, yes.
> 
> Milk a few streams out of the the dam to make sure the colostrum is flowing properly. Sometimes they can have "plugs" that the kids can get out.


Ok great I will try that.


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 17, 2019)

@Goat Whisperer  ...thank you 

COURTNEY....welcome to BYH.....CONGRATULATIONS  ON YOUR FIRST KIDDING !  you came to the right place for sure,


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

Thanks everyone so much! This is all so new to me! I am so happy. I got one feeding off of her and trying to get the other. They look great now that they have been dried


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 17, 2019)

They are adorable


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> They are adorable


thank you


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)




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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 17, 2019)

So happy for you  !   What sex are the kids ?


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> So happy for you  !   What sex are the kids ?


Brown one is a boy and black one is a girl


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 17, 2019)

courtney painter said:


> Brown one is a boy and black one is a girl


Perfect. ....you are going to love them sooooo much  there is lots of information in the goat section to learn if you are interested, and the people here are awesome. Welcome to the herd.


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## courtney painter (Feb 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Perfect. ....you are going to love them sooooo much  there is lots of information in the goat section to learn if you are interested, and the people here are awesome. Welcome to the herd.


Thank you so much


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## jsteph3919 (Feb 20, 2019)

I always give a little nursemat paste to eat of the kids right at birth and a bucket of warm water with electrolyte for the mother.


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## RathdrumGal (Feb 20, 2019)

courtney painter said:


> My goat just had two little babies 3 hours ago. After she birth them, she isn’t cleaning them or fooling with them. The one is up all over the place and the other is laying on the ground.  Should I clean them with towel or just give her more time to clean them?



Nursemate Lamb ASAP works well for newborn lambs and kids.  It gives them a little boost for the first few critical hours.  It is a gel and squirt 2 ccs in the side of their mouth. I have not lost a kid since I started using this 4 years ago.  I always have some commercial colostrum to give to the newborns if the mom is rejecting.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 20, 2019)

Courtney, so glad you got the kids up and eating.  First timers can be a pain.   Some automatically know what to do the others look at the kids with disbelief and disgust until they realize that those babies belong to them.  Her second kidding should be fine and she should know exactly what to do.  Now you do too, with any other new moms, thanks to Goat Whisperer!  Have fun.

*jsteph3919 & RathdrumGal:*  Where do you get Nursemate?  Does Jeffers carry it?  Sounds like a good thing to keep in the medical fridge for emergences.  I always like to have my emergency stuff before lambing/kidding season since I can't wait for the deliveries in an emergency!  LOL  Lambing season is over for me now.  I will be breeding Dorpers in  March/April now, so can order next lambing season.  What is shelf life/expiration?


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## wayneleake (Feb 20, 2019)

yes, always great to have those newborn kids.
 One of mine kidded today. I was not able to check to see if it is a boy or a girl.
 All brown, like mama.
 But this same goat kidded her first time last year, and rejected her kid, who is now bigger than she is.
 My friend started her on a bottle, and we bottle fed her till time to wean. I did get some colostrum from mama, and we mixed it with the replacer.
 Of course, we not have a super brat.
 Some of mine were brats anyway.
 My friend, who is also my neighbor, also loves goats.
 I cannot do much myself now, due to COPD and other things. But I still manage to do some things. Many at my age can't do as much as I do manage.. Turned 80 last November.
 So we have 2 kids now. would be 3, but we lost one.
 Also have 2 lambs, one ewe and one ram.
 Was going to sell the ram to a person who needs one to get his herd started, but my ram passed away all of a sudden. He was at least 10 years old, so may well have just been old age.
 Anyway, welcome to the world of kids and lambs." they are always so much fun.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 21, 2019)

I congratulate you on doing so much at 80 years young!  When I start complaining about feeling old I am going to think about you with admiration!


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## wayneleake (Feb 22, 2019)

An update on my new baby.
 HE is doing well now, and mama is letting him nurse. I held him for a little while, and he did not make a fuss or even squawk like many of them will.
 His sister, the bottle brat, is now bigger than Mama.
 I don't always get the chance lately, as I often don't feel up to much.
 But I try to do what I can.


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## Dee Mini Pigs (Feb 22, 2019)

If she is a first mum to her kids ,she must learn it, those babies will cry, for her, are they crying? And  instinct,  for her, is, it may not  happen straight away, but my experience in birthing  and looking after some  mumma animals in the first time, she will need to act on her own and  if her first ones are crappy, then you should be worried if she has no deal to her babies after 72 hours, that’s  a no. Major intervene, take them  off her and then  the human way, right, bottles and warmth. Love Dee..


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## Daxigait (Feb 22, 2019)

Congratulations! In addition to the warm molasses or electrolyte water.  I drench 50-60 cc's of mfo solution to the dam for the first 3 days. It helps replace some of the things they have lost including calcium to help prevent milk fever.


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## courtney painter (Feb 22, 2019)

RathdrumGal said:


> Nursemate Lamb ASAP works well for newborn lambs and kids.  It gives them a little boost for the first few critical hours.  It is a gel and squirt 2 ccs in the side of their mouth. I have not lost a kid since I started using this 4 years ago.  I always have some commercial colostrum to give to the newborns if the mom is rejecting.


Thank you so much


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## courtney painter (Feb 22, 2019)

Daxigait said:


> Congratulations! In addition to the warm molasses or electrolyte water.  I drench 50-60 cc's of mfo solution to the dam for the first 3 days. It helps replace some of the things they have lost including calcium to help prevent milk fever.


Thank you so much! I love all the advice!


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## courtney painter (Feb 22, 2019)

Dee Mini Pigs said:


> If she is a first mum to her kids ,she must learn it, those babies will cry, for her, are they crying? And  instinct,  for her, is, it may not  happen straight away, but my experience in birthing  and looking after some  mumma animals in the first time, she will need to act on her own and  if her first ones are crappy, then you should be worried if she has no deal to her babies after 72 hours, that’s  a no. Major intervene, take them  off her and then  the human way, right, bottles and warmth. Love Dee..


Hey she lets them eat when she is eating now. I have kinda got her use to it. I go out everyday to make sure. She licks them now and only runs away sometimes now. Thank you


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## MiniSilkys (Mar 7, 2019)

Ridgetop said:


> Courtney, so glad you got the kids up and eating.  First timers can be a pain.   Some automatically know what to do the others look at the kids with disbelief and disgust until they realize that those babies belong to them.  Her second kidding should be fine and she should know exactly what to do.  Now you do too, with any other new moms, thanks to Goat Whisperer!  Have fun.
> 
> *jsteph3919 & RathdrumGal:*  Where do you get Nursemate?  Does Jeffers carry it?  Sounds like a good thing to keep in the medical fridge for emergences.  I always like to have my emergency stuff before lambing/kidding season since I can't wait for the deliveries in an emergency!  LOL  Lambing season is over for me now.  I will be breeding Dorpers in  March/April now, so can order next lambing season.  What is shelf life/expiration?


@Ridgetop, have you ever tried Jumpstart Plus? It works the same way and you can get it at Tractor supply.


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## courtney painter (Mar 7, 2019)

Thank you.i am having too much fun with them. She still acts a little strange towards the babies but they jump right on to her. I love dressing them up .


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## MiniSilkys (Mar 8, 2019)

They are adorable.


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## wayneleake (Mar 8, 2019)

courtney painter said:


> Thank you.i am having too much fun with them. She still acts a little strange towards the babies but they jump right on to her. I love dressing them up .


  My youngest babies barely let me get in a pet once in a while.
 I picked one up yesterday, and he screamed and kicked like I was trying to kill him or something.
 I get variations in who will get friendly and who will not. That is, except when they are older and sure want those treats.
 I admit they can look cute dressed up, but it tends to be warm enough here, Imperial Texas, that they seldom need it, and they sleep in groups anyway.
 I've been raising em for 12 years (I think) and they all vary so much.
 Keep up the good work.
 My Bottle baby from ;last year is a real pest. She thinks my neighbor/Friend who fed her is her mama, and evidently I am her daddy.
 I do love to read about the adventures and misadventures of sheep and goats. Mine are Boer and BoerX, and Barbado/Blackbelly sheep.


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