Porkchop48 kidding thread-Updated.Last one for while, did not go well.

[Mamaboid]

STIFFNESS – The stiffness of these goats relates to their myotonia congenita, which is an essential portion of the breed type. The various levels of stiffness are arbitrary, but a general guide is useful for breeders.

1. Never observed to stiffen, but other type traits are consistent as is pedigree.

2. Very rarely stiffens, never falls.

3. Stiffens only occasionally, and rarely falls.

4. Walks normally with no swivel. The rear limbs lock up readily, the forelimbs less so, and goats with this degree of stiffness rarely fall to the ground.

5. Animal walks relatively normally, although somewhat stiff in rear and with a swivel at the hip. Readily stiffens when startled or stepping over a barrier.

6. Animal always moves stiffly to some degree, and readily becomes locked up when startled or stepping over a low barrier.

Comment: The stiffness is integral to the breed and its character, but this breed is much more than stiffness. Genetic consistency and type traits other than the stiffness are equally important to the stiffness when evaluating goats for breed type. Extreme level 6 stiffness can impede a goat from using the environment well, and extreme stiffness is not necessarily desirable (that is, stiffer is not necessarily better when evaluating goats). Level 6 is stiffer than is usual in most of the breed. Levels 4 and 5 are most typical of the breed. Levels 2 and 3 are useful in purebred herds, and when these levels are combined with heavy muscling they are entirely typical. Level 1 goats are referred to as limber or limber leg, and should be scrutinized. They only rarely have a role to play in breeding programs, and should be discriminated against. Any limber leg goat that is used in breeding programs should be excellent in all other traits typical of the breed and even then should see only minimal use. Level 1 sires should not be used since they are not typical for the breed. Breeders should avoid both overly stiff and non-stiff goats. However, each of these classes will be of occasional use to some breeding programs, and therefore, if they are used at all it needs to be done with much thought and care.

This is copied from this website.
http://www.myotonicgoatregistry.net/MGRbreeddescription/MGRBreeddescription.html

Had a vet tell me recently that it is painful to a myotonic goat to 'faint', or lock up. Is there any truth to that? Just curious because we have a fainter doe we just bred to a nigerian dwarf buck. She is our only fainter, and I would rate her between a 5 and a 6 on the scale above. I don't feel real good about any animal being in pain, and sure don't like to think that I am breeding more animals that will just be in pain all their lives.

I cannot prove it of course, but, I think that is probably not true. Mine get stiff, keep right on going, and the two young bucks that I have sometimes head butt play right through a stiffening. Mine dont act like they are hurting at all. They just take it in stride. The Myotonic sites that I have visited, (and I think I have seen them all) don't mention it, or if they do they say there is no pain involved, so I am going with no pain involved.

Edited to add: If you are breeding to a ND, you will probably have no worries anyway, because they usually do not faint unless they are full blooded or very close to it. None of my crosses faint, only the full bloods.

 

[porkchop48]

Horrible cell phone pics... but they will have to do for now.

Got a text from DH around 10:30 with a pick of two kids, already up and doing good. Guess she decided to have them while it was storming out. The dog kept cocking his head and heading toward the door to the goat pens. DH went in and found one my Minime and the other out with the preggo does. He picked up the black headed one and gave it back to mom and penned them up.

I can home from work and noticed that she had NO udder. She had a tiny one this morning. I figured they drank what little milk she had. Gave her some alfalfa hay, grain and a nice fresh hanging bucket of water. I went ahead and fixed them a bottle. Both babies were active and cruising around. They both drank about 4-6 oz of colustrum that I frozen from the last kidding season. Came back inside and waited. Went ack out about an hour later and noticed any time the red headed one went to nurse she would step away and then head butt it....hmmm. She like the black one but not the red one.

They both drank more from the bottles and then settled in. Minime is now starting to get more of an udder but will not let the red one nurse. She head butts her ever time. Forcefully. So I pulled the red head when I came home from work. She is now nestled into a crate with hay bedding, a full belly of colustrum and sleeping soundly. That room of the barn she is in is well heated and stays about 65ish.

Did I do the right thing by pulling the red one? She took to the bottle really well and mom is not producing enough milk. She does have a much bigger udder now and the black one latches really well and does the little tail wag thing. Can I try and reintroduce the red headed one tomorrow is her milk production is up?

Now if I ended up having to bottle feed. - I can feed at 7-7:30 ish before work. I can come home at lunch and feed around noonish to oneish and then again when I get home around 5:30 and then at night at whatever time, will that be enough if she will not take the red headed one back?

 

[BrownSheep]

Since she wasn't receiving the red headed one well to start with. I would say she probably will not accept her now.
Sorry

 

[Fluffygal]

Sounds like you have a new bottle baby. Even if mom did change, from your description she is only producing enough milk for one. Maybe she knows this so picked the kid she liked best.
Both babies are adorable.

 

[bonbean01]

Congratulations on the beautiful babies!!!!

 

[madcow]

Real cutie pies~~@! Congrats!

 

[2goats8kids]

Congratulations, they're adorable!

 

[20kidsonhill]

With her not having very much milk, her instincts are telling her to cull out one kid. At least that is my take on it. I have seen does do this on our farm. Give all the grocieries to one kid and not bother with the other one. It assures one has a chance. Other than head shooting her and keep on trying to get her to have more milk, by allowing the 2nd kid to nurse when ever possible and giving it a bottle to keep it alive. Your only option is what you already did. Leave her with one kid and bottle feed the other one. Head shooting will work, but you have to have the right set up and it is a pain.

They are cute kids.
congrats.
I have a doe that has done that 2 years in a row and she isn't going to be on our farm much longer.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

If a goat is rejecting a kid more times than not there is a reason. Unless it's the goat's first time I would let it go.

 

[porkchop48]

If a goat is rejecting a kid more times than not there is a reason. Unless it's the goat's first time I would let it go.

Could that reason have to do with her not producing milk?

I pulled the black headed one today. With Mini me not producing hardly any milk at all she was getting cold inbetween feedings so I decided to bottle feed her as well.

When I came home from work today she was a bit lethargic and not as lively as Luna that one that I pulled on the first day. So instead of losing her with out giving her a chance I pulled her.

Luna the red head is eating great. Had nice mustard colored stool today and is urinating well. I have the black headed one now in with its sister and am warming her up. Going to go back out in about an hour and check on them.

I just dont feel I can just "let it go" yet. I am gong to give them both a chance and hope for the best.

Have not many people had success with bottle babies?

In the moms defense she should not have been bred back as soon as she was. She just had her last kid in mid july and it was an accidental breeding. Not sure if that has anything to do with her not producing much milk but last time she did awesome.