BAF kidding! Fainter wait is on!

[Bucking Adoeable Fainters]

It's that time again! Time for long nights, endless pacing, wait for any whine, grunt or squeal on the monitor...wait, i am already going through that!!! That's where I've been! Having my own kid! Baby girl was born July 8th. And i haven't slept since!!! Haha.

Okay onto the herd....drumroll please!

Marilyn X Magnum due in 3 weeks.
Bambi X Thor due in 2 weeks.
Shadow X Cadillac due in 2 weeks.

We have a couple more due end of January / Beginning of Feb. But that's forrrrever away! Also have 4 new doelings set to breed for Spring, but just depends on their growth and confirmation.

Okay onto photos, since that is the best part!!!
The first is Marilyn.
Second is Shadow (chocolate) and Bambi
Third is bucks. Brown is Thor, white is Cadillac and black is Magnum. The little moonspotted buck on Thors right was bred to another doe for January babies!! Excited for those!

Feel free to make guesses in who will have what. I think Marilyn will have twins as she did in Feb, Shadow twins, i hope. She had a devistating stillborn that i had to pull, and i really think Bambi has triplets. She had twins in January. Both Bambi and Shadow had HUGE kids. Which made things difficult. Hopefully smaller this time, and maybe more?!

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Hope kidding goes well for you

 

[Bucking Adoeable Fainters]

HOLY COW!!! We have been slowly prepping for kids since everyone is due in roughly 3weeks....Shadow was laying down this a.m. breathing heavy and i thought she was just hot from having Cashmere on her. I started scraping her and noticed she had dropped and seemed bigger, also that her milk came in and her teats were pointing outwards and no ligaments!!!! I about fell over, ran and double checked my records...and retarded (and super pregnant me at the time) had bred her with Cadillac on 6/1 but didnt think she had taken and rebred her the same time as other gals....well I'm thinking she took and her due date (150) was yesterday!

Okay deep breaths for me....i am secretly extremely scared after what happened in February. I know the basics, but i need to know when i intervene so we DO NOT have what we had happen already. She is SIGNIFICANTLY bigger than last time, and i want to believe she has twins. But once you have to pull a fully developed still born out of your first freshener, i guess it's okay to be worried for her second....anyone any tips?????

 

[Pearce Pastures]

BREATHE!! It may tempt you to pull given the what happened before but she will probably be just fine. As she begins to push, it might look like she is struggling but let her push. Once the bubble presents, take a peek and look for white toes and a pink tongue . If you see that, then sit back and enjoy watching If you see some other presentation, see how she does but have handy a vet's number, paper towel, and some hot, soapy water in case you need to scrub up and do some maneuvering. Oh and again...BREATHE!

 

[Bucking Adoeable Fainters]

Lol you're so sweet thank you.
Unfortunately thats the approach i took in February, and i figured she was having some false labor (her mom fakes me out A LOT). But as i waited and waited i became concerned. Called my expert help and she said CHECK! I did a teeny check with a finger to see if there was a nose, hooves, anything....and Shadow was pushing and pushing. I felt a foot and nose. I didn't feel the kid suckle my finger, so i thought thats why there was no progress....she had one foot bent backwards. I dont know if she got stuck in the birth canal, or what. But she had been passed for a bit. Her gums were blue.. ugh awfulness.

Why I'm so concerned. Just hoping and praying for natural everything to go smoothly

 

[goats&moregoats]

No advice on this one, but wishing you and Shadow the best of luck and waiting for those pictures to start coming in.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

I totally understand. The second kid we had due here had legs backwards and was too big---he got his head out but was stuck and the umbilical cord broke. No oxygen. But that is not the norm.

If you see that there is an abnormal presentation, you might need to help. I find that gloves make it harder to work so cut your nails, scrub your hands, and gather your kidding supplies.

How you help and to what extent depends on what you are seeing and how they present. IF she is is pushing for more than 30 minutes, then it is time to assess.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/B015.php

"Just before kidding, the vulva becomes soft and flabby and the doe may sometimes lose interest in feed, appear restless, grunt or bleat, lie down and get up repeatedly. When she passes strings or clear blood-stained mucous, labor is only hours away.

Presentation
There are two types of kid presentation at birth, these are:

Front first: when the water bag (a dark round bulge) breaks and is followed by two feet and a nose. Does usually labor for 15 to 45 minutes to deliver the first kid. If all appears well leave her alone. Many owners like to be involved, but they should not upset the doe and cause unnecessary trouble.

Hind first: when two hind feet and no head follow the water bag. The soles of the feet will face up instead of down. It is generally easier for the doe to give birth to a kid in this position without the abrupt bulge of the head. The only problem is that if birth is delayed when the kid is half out, the umbilical cord can be squashed off or broken by the pelvis of the doe so that the kid tries to start breathing while its head is still in the uterus, and it suffocates.

General advice on kidding difficulties
Husbandry
Keep does handy during kidding time to allow frequent inspection, and yarding or shedding should assistance be necessary. Usually the doe will give birth unassisted, but you should be prepared for an abnormal delivery.


Keep your fingernails short during the kidding season in case an emergency requires you to assist in the birth of a kid. Short fingernails will lessen the risk of scratching or tearing the wall of the uterus.
....
In goats, as in sheep, the wall of the uterus is thin and easily torn compared to the thicker, tougher uterus of cattle. The uterus and vagina of a goat dry out quickly if assistance is prolonged. Saline douches and plenty of obstetrical lubricant are helpful. Obstetrical lubricant can be purchased or made up by shaking antiseptic and clean paraffin oil together.

The examination commences by seeing or feeling if the neck of the uterus has opened, what part or parts of the kid or kids are coming first, and why or if it is stuck. The hand should be slightly cupped, the thumb tucked in between the fingers and inserted through the vulva to feel and assist the kid.

Supplies and drugs
Supplies to have on hand include a couple of snares (strong cord, about 600mm long and with a noose on each end), penicillin injection to be given after assisting, or antibiotic uterine pessaries. These will help eliminate infection that is likely to be introduces when manipulation and assistance is given.

Assistance at kidding
When pulling kids, time your pulling to coordinate with the doe's straining and labor contractions. Once the kid is coming out always pull in a downward direction, that is towards the udder of the doe. Don't yank or pull suddenly and abruptly on the kid, ease it out from side to side, or up and down slightly, to gradually get it out. Rub lubricant around the kid if it becomes dry.

The most common decision which has to be made is whether to feel inside for another kid when the first has been delivered. This presents the danger of introducing infection, and it would be very wise to wash hands and arms again before doing this. If the doe does not continue to strain and the after-birth comes away easily, no further investigation should be needed. If your hand as already been in the uterus, provided your hand and arm are clean, you can check to see that all kids have been removed.

After birth, place the kid near the doe's nose to reinforce mothering instinct, especially if the doe is tired. She will usually lick the kid to get it dry and stimulate better breathing.

If the kid has had a difficult birth and there is "rattling" breathing, hang it upside down to drain, wipe the mucus out of its mouth and give a few gentle taps on the sides. In dirty surroundings, disinfection of the navel with iodine is advised.

Cold is the main killer of weak kids. Artificial heat such as a well-covered hot water bottle in a suitable box, or even a heater or warm oven in the house, may be necessary to get a weak kid going in cold conditions.

Kidding - abnormal
There are a number of abnormal kid positions. Suggested remedies are as follows:

Large head and shoulders - tight delivery
Peel the vulva back over the head while easing the head forward, either using a snare around the back of the head (not the neck) and tightening the mouth, or by grasping the head using a thumb and forefingers in the front of the sockets of the eyes. Pull one leg at a time to make more room. If the kid is much too big or the pelvis too small to make any progress, seek assistance.

Front half out, hips stuck
Gently pull the kid, swinging it from side to side to make it slip out. If this doesn't work, try rotating the kid a quarter turn while pulling.

Head first with one or both legs back
Quite often gentle pulling will assist birth to a small to normal size kid in this position. If no progress is made, check that the legs and head belong to the same kid.

You may have to push the head back to get space to slip the legs up. Shield the uterus from being torn by the hoof by cupping your hand over it as you draw it up over the brim of the pelvis. When the head and two front legs are in position pull the head out. It often helps to attach snares to the head and one or two legs before they are pushed back.

With a large kid often only the swollen head is out, and the kid is dead. The head may have to be cut off the kid before it is pushed back so the front legs can be found and pulled out.

Both legs out, head turned back or down
Identify the front legs (soles facing downwards) slip a noose over each and push them back to allow access to the head.

Pull the head forward with your hand or a noose around the back of the head and tightening inside the mouth. Then pull the front legs out (by means of the attached cords) and ease the kid out in the correct position.

Breech first is an "impossible birth"
The tail may be hanging out but the hind legs are pointed away from the pelvis opening with the kid coming backwards. Push the buttocks forward and ease one hind leg at a time up over the brim of the pelvis in a flexed position, being careful not to tear the uterus with the hoof. Then pull the kid out in a hind-first position.

Crossways with legs pointing away or through the pelvic opening
This will take a bit of figuring out, but again push the kid away and rotate it to allow delivery. If the hind legs are as convenient as the front, chose the hind legs and you won’t have to reposition the head.

Twins coming out together
There are many possibilities. The most common is the hind legs of the second twin coming with the front legs and/or head of the first twin. One twin, usually the one coming backwards, is pushed back allowing the other twin to move ahead. However, the primary rule is to deliver the one which requires the least manoeuvring first. Take your time and work carefully and slowly, so that you know what you are doing.

Abnormal births that require veterinary help
In complicated births, where you don’t feel competent, work for no longer than 15 minutes before you seek assistance. Such situations may include large kids (requiring a caesarean), dead kids which may be swollen (requiring some dismembering), twisting of the uterus, uterine inertia (labor contractions are weak) and monstrosities or deformed kids.

When to call for assistance
Remember that a doe needs assistance if she can't deliver her kids after half an hour's serious effort. Once it is obvious that assistance is necessary, try to size up the situations quickly and decide whether you can cope or not. If a vet is needed, call him early - don't expect him to rush out and perform miracles after you and the doe are thoroughly exhausted."

 

[Pearce Pastures]

http://www.jrcnboergoats.net/goat-health.html

 

[Bucking Adoeable Fainters]

Thank you so much Pearce Pastures! I have similar print outs in my birthing kit from our Fainting Goat Guild website. Its always good to have visual aids in the heat of the moment if needed!
After reading a few different birthing info sheets, i am SO thankful i didnt have to dismember the kid. Ugh awful.

Hopefully I'll be posting happy successful photos this evening or early morning!! Doelings would be SUPER fabulous as we only had bucklings last season!