Khaleesi's Kidding Thread - Babies Born!!!

[thailand]

Aargh....so annoying yeah!

Well, I think my plan will be this:

Khaleesi
Fenbendazole 10%, and then 10 days later Ivomec-F.

Also looking at blousing her and giving her CDT. Previous owner warned me that I should vaccinate her against foot & mouth disease also as we have a lot of cows in properties backing ours. Not sure what I need for that, will have to make enquiries at feedstore.

Kids
CDT 2cc nowish and then at 4-5 weeks old.
also at 3 weeks old start cocci prevention.

Does that sound ok? CDT is injected in both doe and kids yes?

Do I need to vaccinate for foot & mouth disease for kids too?

Here's a video and some photos taken recently of the kids

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IxT6HR9S3E8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[sadieml]

Thanks for the pics and video! They are sooo beautiful. I am so impatient, I really want babies.

 

[norseofcourse]

The kids are looking great!

Weren't you going to be milking her? From some posts here and what I've read elsewhere, the Ivomec-F looks to have a long milk withdrawal time, like nearly two months. Maybe you could get a fecal test done a week after the fenbendazole, to see how effective it was?

 

[thailand]

Yes, totally agree with you about getting a fecal test done. Unfortunately, the vets here are not at a western standard and don't appear to know what a fecal test is! (Tried getting one done already and paid through the nose for nothing!!!).

And yes, we are wanting to milk her. I figure let the kids have her for 3 weeks and then we'll start getting our share.

Ive been reading elsewhere that dairy goats really need alfalfa high and the calcium it provides to be good producers of milk. The only alfalfa I can get here is in little packets in the pet shops. Are there any really good alternatives to alfalfa hay?

And - I was told by the previous owner of Khaleesi that she is half Thai goat and half Alpine. Question - Aaliyah, does she look Alpine to you? (Thinking this side of her breeding is showing). Her dad is a Saanen. I'm wondering if she looks for Toggenburg? Would love to hear other's opinions on this.

 

[thailand]

Hey guys, I noticed something today. Don't know if this is normal or not?

Khaleesi absolutely WILL NOT let me touch her udder. Not under any circumstances. Also, she occasionally is not letting her kids suck either. Is this trouble brewing? How am I meant to eventually start milking her if she's doin backflips to get away from me touching her? My 'loving, mommie's baby' goat has become very unaffectionate!

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks for the pics and the video. They are just adorable! I can't address your other questions.

 

[babsbag]

Aaliyah looks very Alpine to me and I have many many Alpines. She is adorable BTW; they both are. Love me some baby goats.

As far as her not letting the kids nurse that is pretty normal. She will let them nurse and then kick them off, I see it all of the time in my herd. As long as it isn't happening all of the time I wouldn't be too worried.

Now you milking her, that is entirely another story. If she hasn't been milked before you have a tough road ahead of you. All you can do is tie her to the milk stand and get some hobbles for those back legs. Not fun at all but doable if you have the patience of a saint. Giving them grain on the milk stand helps. But if you are worried that she might have a problem like mastitis then you need to get her tied up and milked out and make sure it looks normal.

I think that your Pangola hay is almost as good as alfalfa. She is getting the higher protein grain too so I think you should be fine.

I have seen some sites that give a really low milk withdrawal time for the Ivermectin Plus, like 48 hours. And then I see others that say longer but the truth is that no withdrawal time has been established in goats or cattle so we are on our own. When I am using a product for my own use I don't worry about it too much, as long as the wormer is not toxic to people.

 

[norseofcourse]

Hey guys, I noticed something today. Don't know if this is normal or not?

Khaleesi absolutely WILL NOT let me touch her udder. Not under any circumstances. Also, she occasionally is not letting her kids suck either. Is this trouble brewing? How am I meant to eventually start milking her if she's doin backflips to get away from me touching her? My 'loving, mommie's baby' goat has become very unaffectionate!

I agree with babsbag to make sure it's not mastitis.

I have sheep, but I'll tell you my experiences. I've had some ewes that would stand there all day and let their lambs nurse. I also have Rose. Rose would let her twins last year nurse - but not anytime they wanted. And when she did let them nurse, I could almost time it. They'd get from 8 to 10 seconds, and that was it, till the next time Rose let them. Her lambs were the biggest, too - I think they learned to drink *really fast* since it was never for long!

As far as milking, some have been easier than others. I kept the first ewe lamb born here, Brosa. I was there for her birth, and handled her before she was even dry. She is very friendly to me, loves being petted, and I could touch her anywhere. I figured she would be easy to milk when the time came. Boy did I figure wrong!

Getting her on the milk stand wasn't hard, but once I tried touching that udder - kick! stomp! kick! stomp! My sweet little Brosa had turned into a wild sheep! That milk was meant for her lamb, and danged if she was going to let me have any of it! I have a milking thread somewhere where I wrote about it. I got good advice, stuck to it, and eventually they all settled down for milking, more or less. I am looking forward to it again this year.

You can do it too! Hopefully she doesn't have mastitis and it's just a matter of working with her. Good luck!

 

[thailand]

Thanks Babsbag for the confirmation. So it's correct then about the Alpine breeding Hopefully she will eventually be a good milker for me.

I don't have a milk stand yet....so many projects on the go at the moment. But, I have tried giving her grain while trying to touch her udder. She tries to bite me! I know the previous owner would take all the newborn kids away (think the day they were born), don't know if that history is interferring in some way? But, she would be milked as normal, so she should be used to it. I'll have to find some hobbles on ebay and get them sent over.

The kids seem ok. No one is crying because they're hungry. Maybe they've learnt to eat fast too.

The Pangola hay is very brown and it's entirely stalks, no leaves etc. Will this still be ok you think?

Norseofcourse, thanks for your post. It's helpful to hear what others have experienced. I'll keep a check on Khaleesi that she doesn't have mastitis starting. And, I'll have to find your thread about Brosa and get some good tips.

 

[Goatgirl47]

Clover lets her kids nurse for maybe 10, 20, or 30 seconds at a time. But they nurse frequently. Aaliyah's coloring is beautiful! I love their wattles, too. They are both so cute.

That's strange that Khaleesi won't let you touch her udder since her previous owner milked her.

Some of our cows we have bought from different dairy farms, and their previous calves were always taken away either right when they were born, or when they were 1-3 days old. When they (the new cows) would have their calves soon after we purchased them (we have bought three cows so far from three different dairy's, and all three had been bred before we bought 'em) they would let us touch their udder, teats, and milk them with machine or hand. And we always let our cows raise their calves for a year.