rosti
Loving the herd life
Usually no placenta until the kids are all out.
Goat in labor for 5 days?
- Thread starter GoatieMama
- Start date
MiniSilkys
Loving the herd life
I am sorry you lost the kid. The placenta will have red things all over it where it was connected to the uterous. The placenta will come out a little at a time as it comes unconnected.
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Me too, so i have it hanging in my kidding pen as reminder and a giggle as i am going nuts waiting on them
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Darn....thought it was going to be a happy ending, so sorry about loosing the kid
- Thread starter
- #25
GoatieMama
Chillin' with the herd
Darn....thought it was going to be a happy ending, so sorry about loosing the kid
Every situation is an opportunity to learn & do better next time. Thank you all for your guidance.
MiniSilkys
Loving the herd life
Yes it is. If you haven't yet, you have got to learn about checking tail ligaments. They are such a big help. I always know when time is near now and that I need to keep a close watch. I never knew that before I joined here. Did she have anymore? Do you have anymore goats to kid?
- Thread starter
- #27
GoatieMama
Chillin' with the herd
This was all. She was rescued, so we don’t know a lot about her history. I ‘ve been reading like mad the last few days to prepare for future kidding.
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
I did the same thing, got three rescues, rehomed one to a companion home wher she will never be bred, one i had to put down as her bones were so brittle she broke her leg in several places and the other is still here, but a grumpy ol girl...lol. will now only rescue HEALTHY goats with some background and health information....and I see them first......otherwise its a set up for heartbreak for me.
Baymule
Herd Master
It is a knee jerk reaction to rescue a poor mistreated sick animal. That can bring disease to your farm, that you don't want. If you do this, be sure to quarantine! We went to a kill pen for horses and bought a bag of bones. Looking at her picture on FB, I just couldn't keep my eyes off her for 2 days before I showed her to my husband. We went the next day and brought her home. We quarantined her for 90 days, fed her, and she bloomed into a beautiful horse.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I'm so sorry the kid died. Luckily the doe survived and will be ok to breed again. In this instance I have got on here late. I would have recommended checking inside the doe if she was straining. Straining for a while, then stopping labor, then straining and stopping again usually means that the kid/lamb cannot pass through the pelvis due to dystocia. It is usually a mal presentation as in this case where the head was turned backwards. By pushing this kid back into the birth canal and pulling the head around, it could have delivered. Since this doe was doing this for several days, she was probably in labor that long. Does can stop their labor at will and do if they have a problem giving birth (It is also in the Doe Code of Honor - "Stop labor as soon as the human comes into the barn"). In 30 years raising goats and sheep and as a 4-H leader, I have had to rearrange many kids that were presenting with a back (worst), butt (second worst), or shoulder with head back (3rd worst). I have pulled a lot of kids, usually quads or very large singles. The most successful way is to be proactive and go in and check for the position of the kid. Oh yes, be sure you are pulling legs from the same kid or lamb. Multiples like to confuse you.
Unknown breeding dates are why I am so pushy about telling people about the benefits of putting breeding harnesses on bucks and rams before exposing does for breeding. In large commercial herds of 100-1000 and more, this is not done because most lambing will be on open pasture. The rancher often takes his chances with losing a lamb or kid because it is not personal like our small herds. It is too much work compared to the loss of one animal to make sure to bring that many ewes/does inside a building. In addition, the large commercial rancher culls all does/ewes that do not routinely give birth unaided to multiples by their 2nd kidding/lambing. He does not keep cute animals, only productive ones.
For the small rancher - up to 100 animals - any loss is a big $$ loss. For those of us with personal attachment to our animals, any life loss is heart wrenching. So I really recommend putting a breeding harness on your buck/ram. You change the crayon color every 2-3 weeks and check every day for butt marks. (See my avatar). The reason for changing the crayon color is that the doe/ewe cycles about every 21 days. By changing the color, if she remarks you have the new date on your calendar. Depending on the number of animals you are breeding, and the territory you may find tht the crayons only last a week or so. I like to change them more frequently, but depending on whether your ram/buck is tame, you may need a helper to catch him. The nice thing about this harness is that it unbuckles without having to readjust the straps. Although the instructions (and you tube video) show easily snapping out the crayon and replacing it without removing the harness, I find it easier to halter and tie the ram/buck then remove the harness to replace the crayon. You can replace the crayon without crawling under the animal, getting smeared with crayon, and/or ram/buck stink. Yes, rams do have an odor. The scent glands are on their heads and the back of their forelegs just like a buck. I prefer to avoid touching those areas so removing the harness works for me.
Once the does/ewes are marked and no longer remark you can remove the harness. I like to wash it in dishwashing detergent to cut the oil. Vinegar can also cut the stink. I store it in a plastic bag.) Use the gestation calendar or count days, 155 days is normal for goats and sheep. Now you have your due date and can relax. You can have the kidding/lambing stall ready and bring the does/ewes in several days to a week ahead of their due dates to get them settled in the lambing jugs. Also they are confined where you can check their ligaments, etc. Only a few days of being restricted to the ranch, constant monitoring, etc. instead of weeks of guessing.
We have used marking harnesses over the past 25 years and they really work well. No guessing or wondering if she is bred, or when she will surprise you, and if your flock needs to produce to pay its way, you can cull unproductive or barren animals. It is also a good way to check on your buck/ram's usefulness too. If your does/ewes are continually remarking or not producing from a particular stud, you can cull him. This is not just for those of us interested in production, but knowing when the doe is due you are able to interpret signs and intervene before losing a kid or even worse, the doe.
I have used various brands of marking harnesses over the years. After giving all mine away when my children graduated from 4-h I had to repurchase. The newer ones are mostly garbage. The straps are narrow and the buckles don't hold properly. They fall off or break. After trying several, we found Matingmark to be the best, and most like the old ones we had with the wide straps and clip buckles. They stay in place. The crayons are different, since they clip in with a push button instead of the normal pin design. I now have about 6 crayons I cannot use (if anyone wants them) but since the harnesses that hold them are unusable, I would have purchased new Matingmark crayons in several colors. Matingmark crayons also come in 3 types - Hot, Medium, and Cold weather. I purchased the Hot weather and Medium weather crayons since all reviews of the Cold weather crayons said that they did not mark properly.
This may sound like I have stock in this company but I do not! LOL This is just the only marking harness I have been able to find that did not either:
1. Have the buckles immediately break
2. Have the straps loosen so it falls off or gets rubbed off the ram
3. Shift position so the crayon does not mark on the ewe but on other stuff
Anyway, I am ordering another one today for my second ram since I am getting ready to separate the ewes into 2 breeding flocks. Try using a breeding harness, and you will really be happy with knowing exactly when to expect kids/lambs. I think it is worth the money not to stress so much.
Unknown breeding dates are why I am so pushy about telling people about the benefits of putting breeding harnesses on bucks and rams before exposing does for breeding. In large commercial herds of 100-1000 and more, this is not done because most lambing will be on open pasture. The rancher often takes his chances with losing a lamb or kid because it is not personal like our small herds. It is too much work compared to the loss of one animal to make sure to bring that many ewes/does inside a building. In addition, the large commercial rancher culls all does/ewes that do not routinely give birth unaided to multiples by their 2nd kidding/lambing. He does not keep cute animals, only productive ones.
For the small rancher - up to 100 animals - any loss is a big $$ loss. For those of us with personal attachment to our animals, any life loss is heart wrenching. So I really recommend putting a breeding harness on your buck/ram. You change the crayon color every 2-3 weeks and check every day for butt marks. (See my avatar). The reason for changing the crayon color is that the doe/ewe cycles about every 21 days. By changing the color, if she remarks you have the new date on your calendar. Depending on the number of animals you are breeding, and the territory you may find tht the crayons only last a week or so. I like to change them more frequently, but depending on whether your ram/buck is tame, you may need a helper to catch him. The nice thing about this harness is that it unbuckles without having to readjust the straps. Although the instructions (and you tube video) show easily snapping out the crayon and replacing it without removing the harness, I find it easier to halter and tie the ram/buck then remove the harness to replace the crayon. You can replace the crayon without crawling under the animal, getting smeared with crayon, and/or ram/buck stink. Yes, rams do have an odor. The scent glands are on their heads and the back of their forelegs just like a buck. I prefer to avoid touching those areas so removing the harness works for me.
Once the does/ewes are marked and no longer remark you can remove the harness. I like to wash it in dishwashing detergent to cut the oil. Vinegar can also cut the stink. I store it in a plastic bag.) Use the gestation calendar or count days, 155 days is normal for goats and sheep. Now you have your due date and can relax. You can have the kidding/lambing stall ready and bring the does/ewes in several days to a week ahead of their due dates to get them settled in the lambing jugs. Also they are confined where you can check their ligaments, etc. Only a few days of being restricted to the ranch, constant monitoring, etc. instead of weeks of guessing.
We have used marking harnesses over the past 25 years and they really work well. No guessing or wondering if she is bred, or when she will surprise you, and if your flock needs to produce to pay its way, you can cull unproductive or barren animals. It is also a good way to check on your buck/ram's usefulness too. If your does/ewes are continually remarking or not producing from a particular stud, you can cull him. This is not just for those of us interested in production, but knowing when the doe is due you are able to interpret signs and intervene before losing a kid or even worse, the doe.
I have used various brands of marking harnesses over the years. After giving all mine away when my children graduated from 4-h I had to repurchase. The newer ones are mostly garbage. The straps are narrow and the buckles don't hold properly. They fall off or break. After trying several, we found Matingmark to be the best, and most like the old ones we had with the wide straps and clip buckles. They stay in place. The crayons are different, since they clip in with a push button instead of the normal pin design. I now have about 6 crayons I cannot use (if anyone wants them) but since the harnesses that hold them are unusable, I would have purchased new Matingmark crayons in several colors. Matingmark crayons also come in 3 types - Hot, Medium, and Cold weather. I purchased the Hot weather and Medium weather crayons since all reviews of the Cold weather crayons said that they did not mark properly.
This may sound like I have stock in this company but I do not! LOL This is just the only marking harness I have been able to find that did not either:
1. Have the buckles immediately break
2. Have the straps loosen so it falls off or gets rubbed off the ram
3. Shift position so the crayon does not mark on the ewe but on other stuff
Anyway, I am ordering another one today for my second ram since I am getting ready to separate the ewes into 2 breeding flocks. Try using a breeding harness, and you will really be happy with knowing exactly when to expect kids/lambs. I think it is worth the money not to stress so much.
