| Author | Message | ||
     Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 564 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.216.141  Rating: N/A |
I feed newborns (up to a week 10 days) 4 to 5 times a day, pretty much all they want. After that if you can manage 4 times a day great, if not they can do on 3 times again pretty much all they want until 5 to 6 weeks old, then start cutting back some to leave them a bit hungry to encourage eating hay and some grain. I wean at 12 to 16 weeks by cutting out a feeding and going to twice a day (by then they are not getting all they want, leave them a bit hungry). Then after a week of that to once a day then for a week or so, then just stop. It is not the milk they crave but the bottle. Once they see they are not going to get a bottle but are going to get fed (I feed young kids separately from the piggy older goats) they stop wanting or expecting a bottle. Do not add water to the formula, do not feed water from the bottle. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Amy Maxwell New member Username: amyqmaxwell Post Number: 10 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 70.57.15.71 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, Once again - THANK YOU! You're a true Saint in helping me and everyone else on this website. We are all blessed to have you! As far as bottle feeding the babies after the colostrum how often and how much do they need fed each day and when to add more to their feedings etc. I work so it's going to be tough to do all this unfortunately but we'll figure out a way. Good idea on milking the other doe once a day and using that to feed the babies from the down doe. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 543 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.216.141 Rating: N/A |
You disbud as soon as you can determine that the kids actually have horns, when you can feel little bumps. The earlier you can do this the cleaner the job turns out with much less scurring (partial regrowth). Most does KNOW their own kids and if the healthy one kids first she will dang well KNOW how many kids are hers and who they are. She may produce extra milk though if you milk her once a day, and this could be used to help bottle raise the others. Milk the colostrum from the down doe when she kids and feed this to the kids. DO NOT try to heat colostrum in the microwave, it turns ot pudding and the antibodies are destroyed. If the kids won't take it from a bottle because it is too cold give it by stomach tube an ounce at the time, 1 ounce per pound of body weight within the first 4 to 6 hours of life. There are very good instruction son using a stomach tube on the articles page, it is MUCH safer than dribbling milk or colostrum in the mouth hoping the kid will swallow it without getting it onto their lungs when they protest your efforts to feed them. It is VERY hard to get the tube in the wrong place on a conscious kid if you carefully follow the instructions and fully insert the tube. It is a very valuable skill and you can save alot of kids this way. You can also save some of the colostrum from the healthy doe, milk the extra out when her kids are 12 to 18 hours old. This is better than any colstrum supplement you can buy, most store bought colostrum replacers don't have adequate antibodies (I don't care what the package says) and they aren't specific to your farm or your goats. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Amy Maxwell New member Username: amyqmaxwell Post Number: 9 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 70.57.15.71 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, Thank you so much for you response and help. I really really appreciate it. We've gone through a lot with this little Nubian doe, and bless her heart she's been just a trouper! I have talked to our vet and he is on stand by. I'm not positive of her due date the buck was in with both does for a week and a half. He was given to us and we ended up taking him to my sister in Nebraska over Thanksgiving. He was aprx. 6 months old and his first time in with the does and it was also their first time being bred. I'm guessing she's due around April 14th. I've been reading a lot of the postings so am getting familiar with what to look for as far as when she's getting close to delivery. Just keep your fingers crossed for us. I'm also wondering that if our other doe delivers before this one if she'll let these babies nurse as well as her own or if it would be too much on her......???? She's a Saanen. I will get prepared with colostrum and milk replacer as well. When should I debud the babies??? | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 539 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.216.141 Rating: N/A |
Very little chance of babies that are more than 3 to 4 days early making it, and they require intensive treatment to have even that chance. Many premies never reach their full growth potential either. You could just wait to see if she can deliver on her own with the vet on standby just in case. Do you know her breeding date? Some goats don't fill until they are very close to delivering, some goats don't fill until just after they deliver. The down doe's udder may look fuller than it is because she is laying on it, it isn't hanging. Be prepared with colostrum and milk replacer (there's a great recipe on the articles page). You very likely will be bottle raising any kids. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Amy Maxwell New member Username: amyqmaxwell Post Number: 8 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 70.57.15.71 Rating: N/A |
We already tried the Menegeal worm route. It's not something we have in our area but we went ahead and treat for that particular parasite anyway. She would have already died if it was that parasite. Thanks for the suggestion though. We're hoping she can atleast be functional on three legs. It's sad as she's my sons 4-H show goat that he won grand champion with this past fair. What about the babies being born (c-section) a week or two early? Is there a chance they'll make it? Our other goats udder isn't as full yet so I wondering if she's close. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 538 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.216.141 Rating: N/A |
If you know the date of breeding I would schedule a c section. It is very unlikely this doe will ever be able to walk again. She may have a spinal parasite called a meningeal worm and if that is the case then the paralysis could be permanent. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Amy Maxwell New member Username: amyqmaxwell Post Number: 7 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 70.57.15.71 Rating: N/A |
I posted a message a couple months ago about a doe that started with a limp in the rear left leg and eventually ended up not being able to get up at all. She hasn't walked for three months and obviously has lost all the muscle in that leg from being down as well as possibily the other rear leg. I didn't have much luck with help on Goat 911 as the two people that did answer thought maybe it was a pinched nerve or soemthing to do with her toes....?? We've had her x-rayed thinking her pelvic bone was broken but it wasn't the issue, we've done Chiropractic on a regular basis (it is the sternum that is the problem but are not having much luck with getting it re-aligned or the adjustment sticking), we've also done acupuncture - once) and I've had an animal communicator work on her as she also does physical theraphy and energy work. My question though for anyone out there is that her udder is very full compared to three days ago and she's just huge! Do I wait for her to deliver naturally or schedule a c-section??? She is at the point of being kind of uncomfortable but is in good health. We bought a special sling to get her up on her feet but it's too hard to try and get her in it being pregnant and very stressful on her so we opt to wait until after the babies are born then we'll use it and really try to get her walking again with physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic. She has become our million dollar goat but is such a baby and a part of our family that we're willing to try about anything. Is there anybody out there that has had to deal with a goat in this type of situation - delivering when not able to walk. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also this is are first pregnancy and delivery of baby goats we've ever had and I'm not sure how to tell when she getting close to going into labor. help??? |