Mama goat that is not wanting to feed her baby's! help please

[TAH]

Our doe Naomi just kidded this morning at 5:13 . She is a super good mom but she wont feed them. What is the best thing to do? How long can a baby goat go without eating colostrum? We need to get her baby's fed soon. They are getting weak so we need help. Thank you.

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Welcome to BYH, and congratulations on the kids!!
Have you tried tying her to the milk stand, if you have one, or tying her somewhere else, and helping the babies nurse? If she absolutely won't feed them, you may need to end up milking her, and then bottle feeding the babies...
Tagging some others who may be able to help! @OneFineAcre @Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @goatgurl @babsbag
Again, !

 

[klarie curole]

Can you milk her n feed baby with a bottle r hold her n let baby nurse baby needs to eat soon r u will loose it

 

[Hens and Roos]

Sorry to hear that your doe isn't allowing her kids to eat. Has she successful allowed her kids to nurse in previous kiddings? Are you able to milk the doe and feed the kids with a bottle?

 

[Southern by choice]

For right now you will have to hold kids up to her - tie her if need be or put her in stanchion, and let the kids nurse.
They have 12 hours to get 10% of their body weight in colostrum.

If she continues to be obstinate than your best bet is to milk her out 3x day for the first 4-6 days and give kids the milk via bottle.

You will want pritchard nipples to start with.

Look over the doe... why does she not want them on her?
Is she running a fever? or low temp?
What does the udder look like?
Is it hot? red?

MOST importantly - check her teats NOW! You want to squirt out some colostrum... you are making sure the colostrum is coming out. Occasionally the colostrum can be so thick the kids cannot get it out. After a few milkings the colostrum will thin. Don't just squirt til you see milk squirt it out.

Has this doe been tested for CAE?

Give the doe a bucket of warm water with molasses in it.
You can give "jump- start" to kids... it is vitamins mostly.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Has she passed the afterbirth? I have one stubborn old doe who absolutely will NOT allow her babies to nurse until she passes it. For her - I always milk some colostrum to give to the babies because just the act of milking (or nursing) will help the doe pass that afterbirth. And, like SBC says - you have a window of opportunity where those babies MUST receive colostrum.

 

[TAH]

Thank you for your help. We went ahead and stuck her in the stanchion. Her baby's have full belly's knowOne is a doe and the other is buck. If she still wont let them eat should we put in the stanchion regularly so that they can eat?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Congrats! I would definitely keep trying the stanchion until she realizes that she loves her babies, lol. Hopefully she'll settle down for you quickly.

 

[TAH]

She just passed it a little while ago. She is a very good mom. She has had baby's 1 batch of baby's before and she did the same thing she waited till she passed the afterbirth to feed her baby's so that is very likely.

 

[TAH]

Will post picks soon!