Doe had 5 babies can she raise all?

Cheribelle · #21 04/18/11, 10:46 AM

Beautiful little family! How are they doing?

Backfourty,MI. · #22 04/18/11, 11:33 AM

Very pretty little babies! Hope mom & babies are doing well. It does look like the 2 on the far left are bigger than the other 3, they mst be making sure they both get their share first.

Kshobbit · #23 04/18/11, 01:00 PM

I had one big big Nubian raise 4 kids. But, she had lots and lots of milk. Boers do not usually have the milk production of a dairy goat even with 4 good teats. I would watch them and pull one or two as they get bigger and the milk production stays the same. I would probably start offering the smaller ones a bottle in the next few days. You will be able to tell when they need help as they will take the bottle with great enthusiasm.

Birch Hill Farm · #24 04/18/11, 08:14 PM

Thanks for all the replys! So far she is able to keep up with the milk supply and all the babies seem full and content. We are going to start weighing them weekly to make sure they are gaining properly. Any estimates on how much they should gain per week? The only stats we have on her last kid, which was a single doe was .69lbs per day. This was over the 30 day period between 1-2 month.

Birch Hill Farm · #25 04/26/11, 07:58 AM

We checked the weight on all the babies last night all 5 gained from 2-2.5 lbs over the course of 7 days. They all weight right at 12lbs. The weight gain was comparable to the gain on a set of triplets that are with in a couple weeks of their age. Some of the kids that are twins or singles gained over 4 lbs for this period. So, we ranged from .28lb a day to .64lbs per day. The group of five being on the low end of .28 to .35lb per day.

Alice In TX/MO · #26 04/26/11, 08:02 AM

Sounds like they may need a little extra milk.

chamoisee · #27 04/26/11, 12:36 PM

I wonder if it is possible to get them to where they will nurse on the doe and on a lambar on a supplemental basis.

farmmaid · #28 04/27/11, 09:42 PM

LOTS and LOTS of fresh water with goat loose minerals available 24/7.

southerngurl · #29 04/27/11, 10:34 PM

Wow that's quite the litter. When the saw the title I figured this was a dwarf goat.

I would probably pull one, since she has four teats. Beware they may do well for the first couple of weeks and then problems start to arise. Someone getting booted out or mom rejecting some because it's too much for her. Large groups of kids like this aren't all really meant to live. It would normally be survival of the fittest.

Birch Hill Farm · #30 04/29/11, 10:47 AM

thanks for the replys! Planning on starting a couple of them on a bottle next week. Right now the mother is getting 4lbs grain, all the alfalfa and minerals she wants and drinking about 5 gallons of water a day and she is definetly not putting on any weight.

Birch Hill Farm · #31 04/29/11, 11:14 AM

Here they are 2 1/2 weeks later They weighted 12 lbs each on 4/18
Doe had 5 babies can she raise all? - Goats

Their father out with some of last April kids
Doe had 5 babies can she raise all? - Goats

nigeriandwarfs · #32 04/29/11, 12:33 PM

soo cute

cjb · #33 04/29/11, 04:36 PM

Wow, 5! Cute little fellers. I hate those "mostly buck" years, though!

ne prairiemama · #34 04/29/11, 07:29 PM

Awww! I don't have any advice but they are so sweet!! What a good mama

beccachow · #35 04/29/11, 08:02 PM

*thud.

where I want to · #36 04/29/11, 10:43 PM

She looks good in the picture so you must be doing a good job keeping her fed.
My troubles with more than three kids started when they were about a month old or so. They started getting really aggressive with the udder and causing sores on the teats.
I'm really interested in knowing if the kids use all four teats or not.

southerngurl · #37 04/29/11, 10:53 PM

They look super and so does mom!

Birch Hill Farm · #38 04/30/11, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

She looks good in the picture so you must be doing a good job keeping her fed.
My troubles with more than three kids started when they were about a month old or so. They started getting really aggressive with the udder and causing sores on the teats.
I'm really interested in knowing if the kids use all four teats or not.

thanks for all the replys. Yes, they use all four its quite a site with 4 latched on and the 5th pushing and shoveing for a spot.

cjb · #39 05/01/11, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

I'm really interested in knowing if the kids use all four teats or not.

I can guarantee that they won't. I know these things.

Heehee (they're all bucks)

Heritagefarm · #40 05/02/11, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birch Hill Farm

When I went down to the barn this morning I was quite suprised to find one of our boar does had given birth to 5 babies!. She was pretty big, so I was thinking tripplets but 5? I was really hoping to grow the heard this year but all 5 are bucks, that makes are baby count so far at 2 does and 11 bucks. My question is has any one had a doe to raise 5 babies without problems with milk supply? This doe has a very large udder for a boar and has 4 functional well spaced teats. Is it possible or are we going to need to suppliment?
thanks-jon

Your goat has 4 functional quarters?? Man, why won't ADGA let that happen??

Can you post a picture? And 5 bucklings? Whew, I thought 5 sets of triplet bucklings was enough. At least they are boer!