# Need Advice:  Should I pull the runt?



## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

One of our does had triplets and they all thrived in Momma's care, the next doe had twins and they are doing great also.  Third and Last doe had triplets and she is a good mother, she is nursing them all and is taking care of them.  These babies are 5 days old now and the smallest is just not really growing. She allows all the babies to nurse but I am really worried the little one is not getting enough.  Should I pull her and bottle feed her to ensure the other two are getting enough?

Momma is eating goat pellets, alfalfa pellets and a good quality hay with lots of clean fresh water.

Editted to add: When the bigger two are playing, the little one gets knocked over alot but always get back up.  She is just not as strong, she was the last baby born.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 11, 2011)

You could always just supplement her but let her stay on mom too.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> You could always just supplement her but let her stay on mom too.


That was another one of my ideas but would that allow the other two babies enough milk to drink?


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## Livinwright Farm (Mar 11, 2011)

Shootingstars said:
			
		

> One of our does had triplets and they all thrived in Momma's care, the next doe had twins and they are doing great also.  Third and Last doe had triplets and she is a good mother, she is nursing them all and is taking care of them.  These babies are 5 days old now and the smallest is just not really growing. She allows all the babies to nurse but I am really worried the little one is not getting enough.  Should I pull her and bottle feed her to ensure the other two are getting enough?
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> Momma is eating goat pellets, alfalfa pellets and a good quality hay with lots of clean fresh water.
> 
> Editted to add: When the bigger two are playing, the little one gets knocked over alot but always get back up.  She is just not as strong, she was the last baby born.


you _could_ pull the littlest one.... but I would suggest decreasing the amount of grain(or removing it all together) giving her primarily alfalfa hay, free choice loose *goat* mineral, BOSS (*B*lack *O*il *S*unflower *S*eed), and free choice water. Alfalfa is higher in protein that the regular hay, and the sunflower will boost her butterfat content. Doing this should get those babies back on track bulk-wise.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

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I can try to change the doe's diet however the other mommas are doing wonderful on what I am feeding but I have no problem changing the diet on them.  All my goats have 24 hour access to loose goat mineral also.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 11, 2011)

She still needs energy to produce enough milk for trips and keep her BCS up.  IMO, leave her on the current diet. She should still produce enough for all three if you supplement the runt, but if you think the other 2 are getting weak or not gaining, then you could totally pull the runt.  She should increase her production though as the kids demand more.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> She still needs energy to produce enough milk for trips and keep her BCS up.  IMO, leave her on the current diet. She should still produce enough for all three if you supplement the runt, but if you think the other 2 are getting weak or not gaining, then you could totally pull the runt.  She should increase her production though as the kids demand more.


Thanks!  The other two are slowly growing but not as fast as the first set of triplets did.  Bottlefeeding is not my first choice so I will try supplementing and see how that goes.


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## helmstead (Mar 11, 2011)

Back when I was dam raising, I always pulled extra kids over twins.  They just grow better when they're not competing for the milk.  So, yes, if it were me, I would supplement the baby or pull it altogether.  Really in your situation, I would supplement so you don't have a single bottle baby.  If it's truely hungry, it won't be hard to get it on a bottle.  Try a Pritchard nipple first.


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## 20kidsonhill (Mar 11, 2011)

I didn't take time to read all the suggestions, but in my experience if you have a set of uneven triplets you are better off to pull the runt, I have tried offering the runt a bottle while still on mom and at first they seem to do okay, but then they will start refussing the bottle, know you are in trouble, because it is really hard to get them back on the bottle, they can get quit the attitude about it.  

I often leave triplets on if mom is experienced, and the kids are evenly sized, but a runt half the size of the other two, or a small doelig nursing with two bigger bucks, needs to come off.


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## Livinwright Farm (Mar 11, 2011)

Shootingstars said:
			
		

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Realistically, I am not suggesting a massive change to her diet. If anything I am primarily suggesting beefing up her diet for optimal nutrition for her and her new little ones. the only thing to really necessary to replace/remove is the regular hay. Where you are already giving her the alfalfa, it would just be a matter of increasing her to free choice instead of limited.  and adding the BOSS is something that has come highly reccommended to me, all my does LOVE  it, and their milk production increased last year as soon as I added it.
I did forget to mention that, if you can get some, *Manna Pro* will also inrease their milk production. Do a search on here for it. I know there is a thread where one of the people talked about how when they removed this from their doe's diet the milk production went down over night, and when they added it back into their diet, the doe went right back to having a nice full udder.
It has anise in it, which all goats LOVE, and it has all sorts of good vitamins & minerals added for optimal reproductive health.
It is up to you whether you pull the kid for bottle feeding or not. I hjave nothing against bottle feeding a kid. I had to do it with my Pup last year. He had been rejected.
If you DO choose to bottle feed:
I suggest getting milk from one of the other does that has more than enough for her kids... that is, if she will let you.  I don't suggest using the Kid Milk Replacer in the blue bag that TSC carries(i believe it's Dumor)! I got that last year for Pup and discovered half way through the bag that it had bugs!! NASTY!!!  Land o' Lakes is decent and has many rave reviews on here for it's healthy bulking ability.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

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Thanks!  I had some Land O' Lakes kid replacer in the freezer from when I had the baby lambs and I mixed some up and she happily drank a little.  I am going out to see if she is half the size of the other two and if she is I am going to pull her.  I will be picking up some BOSS though as soon as I go to town and see if I can get a bale of alfalfa also. I do appreciate your opinion as this is my first kidding season and I seem to be on here all the time asking opinions when I truly have been researching all of this for months.  It is when it currently happening that I question what to do.


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## ksalvagno (Mar 11, 2011)

I would watch with the milk replacer. Some kids get diarrhea. Just some whole milk from the store will work fine. Also make sure that the powder is thoroughly dissolved.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 11, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I would watch with the milk replacer. Some kids get diarrhea. Just some whole milk from the store will work fine. Also make sure that the powder is thoroughly dissolved.


Thanks, dh is at the small local market now getting whole milk, I just read this on a different thread.  She is about half the size so in the house she comes.


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## ohiogoatgirl (Mar 12, 2011)

we've always pulled the smallest from triplets. adopt them to a doe with only one kid or bottle feed right off.


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## Shootingstars (Mar 12, 2011)

ohiogoatgirl said:
			
		

> we've always pulled the smallest from triplets. adopt them to a doe with only one kid or bottle feed right off.


I pulled her yesterday and yesterday she slept almost all day and had a horrible time with the nipple.  Today is a different story, she gobbled the milk right down and her brother and sister are also doing much better with the momma.  They are jumping all over the place in the barn and their tummies look nice and round.


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## helmstead (Mar 12, 2011)

FWIW, when I pull babies to the bottle, I always wait 12 hours before I try to feed them that first bottle.  **unless I'm pulling them at birth, obviously**


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## ksalvagno (Mar 12, 2011)

Sounds like pulling will work out best for everyone. Good job.


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## Livinwright Farm (Mar 12, 2011)

Glad that momma and all kids are doing better!


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