# UPDATE: Doe's Teats too Big for Kids



## klcardella (Mar 6, 2018)

Hi everyone.  I am brand new to dairy goats.  I have sheep, and have plenty of experience with lambing, but have never had this problem with a ewe.  Night before last, my first Nubian gave birth to two lovely little bucklings.  The problem is that her teats are HUGE!  I have large hands, and each one fills my entire palm.  They did not look like that prior to kidding.  Her bag is also very low, so the babies are having real difficulty nursing.

I read a few threads, and milked her out completely the first morning, and that helped a bit, but they cannot come close to getting the entire teat in their mouth.  I tried bending their knees so they could reach better, but they won't stay in that position.  I have been supplementing them several times a day with what milk I get from her, but they don't really eat too much. 

One has gained a little weight, and one has lost a couple of ounces, so I upped the bottles today.

Will this get better as they get bigger, or am I going to have to bottle feed them?  I don't really want to, and she is VERY patient with them, but they just cannot get a good hold (even after milking), even though they try and try.  I have put the teat in their mouth, squirted milk in, but they just cannot latch on.

I have never had this problem with sheep (not dairy), or had an animal with so much milk that cannot feed her babies.

Any advice?  

Here is a picture of one of the bucklings at nearly 48 hours old.


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## Latestarter (Mar 6, 2018)

First question is did they get the colostrum after birth from mom? I hope you milked it out to bottle it to them if they couldn't get it themselves. 

I had this identical problem with my doe and her kid last season. She has "sausage" teats and the kid just couldn't/wouldn't latch on. I know it's not what you want to hear, but mine ended up being a bottle baby. I milked twice a day and then fed it back to the kid. Any extra I used and continued to use after weaning. Very hendsome boy. Thanks for the pic. Is that a teat I see right beside her hind leg or is it a trick of the light/shadow?


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## klcardella (Mar 6, 2018)

Thank you for the reply, and I am starting to suspect that's what is going to happen.  Not really what I want in the middle of lambing 30 ewes!  lol.  But, we all do what we must.  At least I don't have to buy expensive formula 

Yes, I fed what I milked out back to them.  She had them about midnight, and we were able to get a little in them before she got engorged.  I noticed one was shivering a bit the next AM, and his temp was at 101.4, so I milked her completely out and fed it back to them.   They are now both warm, and I have only been supplementing them a few ounces 2-3 time per day, so they must be getting a little bit.

Yes, that is her teat you see in the photo.

Is it possible that as they grown, they will be able to latch on, or will they get too used to a bottle?


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## Latestarter (Mar 6, 2018)

Good question.... I tried to get mine to dam raise but it wasn't to be... By the time she was old enough to want to try, mom was having none of that funny business... I know there are goat folks out here that co-parent, but I can't speak on that as I have no experience. What breed sheep are you lambing?


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## babsbag (Mar 6, 2018)

If you leave them with her and she continues to allow them to try and nurse they will figure it out as they get bigger. I have a low rider doe and the kids had a really hard time getting under her but I kept her milked out and they helped and now at a month into this they are nursing fine. If you keep them a little hungry that will help, but that is a fine line to walk, but if you keep weighing them you will know if they are doing ok.


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## klcardella (Mar 6, 2018)

Latestarter said:


> Good question.... I tried to get mine to dam raise but it wasn't to be... By the time she was old enough to want to try, mom was having none of that funny business... I know there are goat folks out here that co-parent, but I can't speak on that as I have no experience. What breed sheep are you lambing?



Thanks Latestarter. I have Katahdins. I raise registered breeding stock and for meat.  The Nubians are a joint venture with my sister.  We started with 4 really nice does and 2 billies.  She keeps the billies, and I keep the does at my place since i have more room.  This is our first kidding.  I should have bred them a little later so I would be through with lambing.  36 lambs so far, and we are only half way through with another group in late April.  It's a little busy right now, that's why I was hoping not to add bottle feeding to my daily chores. 



babsbag said:


> If you leave them with her and she continues to allow them to try and nurse they will figure it out as they get bigger. I have a low rider doe and the kids had a really hard time getting under her but I kept her milked out and they helped and now at a month into this they are nursing fine. If you keep them a little hungry that will help, but that is a fine line to walk, but if you keep weighing them you will know if they are doing ok.



I hope you are right babsbag!  Good advice about keeping them a little hungry.  I just got in from the barn, and they were hopping about.  They took about 4 oz each from the bottle, and were trying to nurse her in between.  As I said, she is being very patient (she is 4 years old), so I am hoping they will get the hang of it.  I am taking temps, and they are hanging steady at about 102.5, so I know they are getting something, since I have only fed them about 12 oz total today.  

Lambs are very cute, but baby goats are to die for!  They are much friendlier than lambs, and jump all over you from the start.  It's very endearing, I have to say!

I will keep taking weights and hope for the best.  One has gained 4 oz since night before last.


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## babsbag (Mar 7, 2018)

My bottle kids will molest me while I try to feed their siblings, cute and annoying and I bet they are getting more from mom than you realize. Kids usually only nurse for a few seconds (seriously) at a time but very frequently. If they are gaining weight then something is working.


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## klcardella (Mar 7, 2018)

babsbag said:


> My bottle kids will molest me while I try to feed their siblings, cute and annoying and I bet they are getting more from mom than you realize. Kids usually only nurse for a few seconds (seriously) at a time but very frequently. If they are gaining weight then something is working.



I think you are right.  I weighed them this AM, and each had gained a couple of ounces.  I fed them both about 6 oz, and milked mom out.  They were both really going after her, so I think they are getting a little, and hopefully that will improve as they get bigger.  She did not want them to nurse until I had milked her, so she was uncomfortable, and they are not keeping up enough to keep her soft.  After I milked her, she let them try and nurse.

I will keep working at it.  They are both up and around, so they are obviously getting enough for now.

Thanks for your advice and insight.  I appreciate it.


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## RoahT (Mar 7, 2018)

I don't have any experience with this problem, but I have to say that the baby is so stinkin' cute!!


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## klcardella (Mar 7, 2018)

Thank you Roah!  I think so too, and his brother looks just like him!


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## klcardella (Mar 8, 2018)

Well, they finally got the hang of it!  They have pretty much been draining mom since yesterday, and both are gaining well.

Thanks for all the advice.


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## Latestarter (Mar 8, 2018)




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## RoahT (Mar 8, 2018)

So glad to hear that!


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## babsbag (Mar 9, 2018)

That is great news, glad that they have it figured out.


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