it happened!!!
 

dh and i were out having a cigarette and we heard an odd whining sound. we had a hunch and went to the goat shed. to find two little alpine/nubian/toggenburg kids! we tied off the umbilical cords, dried them off real well, and surrounded them with extra straw. its pretty warm in there so i'm not worried about that. i will check on them again in the morning. how can i tell if they've eaten? they're pretty small, but their lungs are definitely working. also, no obvious placenta yet, but a string of red stuff that looks like cord. birdie only seems interested in eating right now. sorry for choppy sentences but i am so stinking excited right now! can't tell on genders but i will get a better look tomorrow.

Congratulations on the new babies, it's very exciting!
I always watch & make sure they get some good sucks so I know they've figured it out & that my doe is being a good momma. Also their umbilical cords need to be dipped or sprayed with iodine as a precaution from Naval Ill & also don't forget to worm momma in the morning as the worm loads explode when they give birth.

When it's cold like this if I have newborns I always put a hot water bottle under an old towel for the babies to snuggle on, they always seem to learn real fast where to lay & love the warm spot.

Awwww! Congrats. I can't wait to see pictures, hint, hint.

My new moms like a bowl of warm water with molasses in it. They suck it down. If you have molasses I highly recommend it.

Congratulations!! Of course, you know it didn't really happen until there are pics. :)

Exactly!!!!!

Congratulations! I am jealous!:bowtie:

How exciting!!! Can't wait to see the pics!! :)

Its funny, the buck that sired them (his name was Sire), the people were getting rid of him cause his coloring was too dominant. I guess every kid he ever had was the same color as him. and sure enough, thats the color of both of these kids, but they have floppy ears. The pictures aren't the best cause they were taken by flashlight, and the kids weren't really cooperating all that well.

http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...01876363_n.jpg

So even though sire is gone now (RIP.) his legacy lives on. :)

Question. I haven't seen the kids stand yet. They try, but I haven't seen them succeed. Does this mean they haven't eaten? How long do I keep giving them before I milk Birdie and bottle feed? We are going to isolate her with her kids later today. (Haven't had the time to make the move yet.) We doused the umbilical cords. Also, the placenta still seems to be hanging out of Birdie... She doesn't seem to care.
Also, it seems her instincts are correct, because when DH was handling the kids, a kid said something (MOOOOOOOOM!!!) and Birdie turned real quick and threatened him. Just a head down "You better watch yourself" look. Then she went back to eating.

They should be standing and eating by now. If you stand them up do they fall over?

They should have been up almost immediately and they should have eaten before they were an hour old. You need to bottle feed them some COLOSTRUM NOW to get them started and then keep trying to get them to nurse if that's your plan of action. They NEED to eat now. Take their temps. If they are not above 100* DON'T feed them milk.

Toward the bottom of this link is an article on assisting weak newborns...
http://www.dillsalittlegoatfarm.com/generalcare.htm

Do check body temp. Feeding milk to a weak kid with a low temp will kill them. I hope this helps.

Yes. They are a bit wobbly. But one of them really was making a good effort that I had time to see. He (I don't know if it really is a he) had his back end up and front feet folded, like an adult would.
Btw, they are rather small. maybe 5 lbs? They sure are loud.

Oh goodness. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, as I'm sure my husband will be. He is home with our 9 week old (human baby) and can't really go outside for long...

And thanks for the site, but it seems the weak kid instructions are for kids that are a little less responsive. Will using a syringe to feed them work? Or a human baby bottle? Haven't taken a temp, but they aren't cold by any means. Inside of the mouth and around eyes is a nice pink color too. Maybe I am missing their great acts? Trying to be optimistic.

If I were him..I would call a friend to help. If no help available I would make an area in the house for them that is warm...laundry basket or something like that. dash out there the first moment I get and quick milk out the doe, grab the kids and the milk and get back in the house. He will be able to take temps and bottle feed and keep an eye on them better if they are closer. I'm sure he is feeling overwhelmed but it is critical that they get colostrum and food. I'm wondering if they need a shot of BoSe to get them stronger.
Oh I wish I was closer!! I would help in a heartbeat!

If they are eating their tummies will feel round and full in your hand

Human baby bottle will work but you might have to make the hole bigger.

What is Bose? The only thing we have is some High B complex.

Bose It's something people give for strength in selenium deficient areas. I'm not in a defient area so I don't know much about it. :(
I posted a new thread to bring more people here to help. Hang in there.

They might be having trouble finding traction. We use rubber floor mats or even a welcome mat will work too. Try helping them get onto their mom. It might take a few people, one to hold her and another to get the kids on there. Make sure they are warm.

I think Bo-se is a selenium/Vit E injection (someone correct me if I'm wrong), availalbel by vet Rx. I'd give a dose of Vit E, just poke a gel cap open and squirt it in the mouth. You can buy these in any vitamin isle.

And do what the others said to make sure these babies are eating. It can take up to 24 hours for mama to pass the placenta. Keep an eye on it. She may need a shot of pitocin if it takes longer-get that from the vet too.

Good luck and enjoy your babies!

Can Dh get some help? I can't imagine having a new human baby along with baby goats that are not up and about by now :(

Are they nursing off of mom? If not, her teats may be engorged making it hard to latch on. If you think that could be the problem try milking her out quite a bit then helping the babies latch on. Is mom a first freshener? If not she may need to be restrained until everyone figures it out. Are you planning on dam raising or bottle feeding?

Get their weights today too. You should see gain when you check again in a few days.

Also, mine aren't super playful for the first few days especially in winter. They like to just hunker down and keep warm.

WAIT! One is standing and one had milk on its face. maybe we did miss it! *HOPE* this is so hard to do by text.

This is from Caliann
Vitamin E gel caps if that is all she has. Bo-Se shots if she can get them. Drench until they can nurse. Did she milk out colostrum? If the babies haven't had it, she either needs to milk it out and drench them, or buy it at the feed store. They need it within the next 8 hours.

Dam raising. This is her second kidding.

Oh no :( I'm sorry. Hopefully he can save the other one.

One is dead. but it got stepped on by mom last night. The other one is standing now and looks like it has milk on its face.

Have him feel it's tummy and make sure it feels full

I would still do the Vit E capsule in the mouth.

I'm sorry about the one. It's good that the other is nursing though.

Sorry that happened, but glad the other is catching on!

I am so sorry about the one that got stepped on :( Glad to hear the other one appears to be doing better. The milk on his face is a great sign! I agree with everyone who said give the baby a vit E capsule. We did that when the quints were born and it really helped perk them up. We gave them a capsule daily for the first few days until they were bouncing around and clearly didn't need it. The BoSe shot would be even better, but since Vit E helps with Selenium absorbtion, the Vit E capsule helps them to better utilize however much selenium they are getting from mom's colostrum. At least, I think that's the reason it works. Also, make sure you have a nice hot water bottle in there so he or she is not wasting any energy on staying nice and warm.

Good luck, we are all pulling for this little kid! Any chance to check boy/girl yet? You probably already know this, but if you lift the tail up, one hole = boy, two holes = girl. :)

Most all of Michigan is selenium deficient, I would look into getting some Bose or selenium/vitamin E gel for them (mom and baby). Sounds like you may have a bit of floppy kid syndrome going on and if mom its not passing afterbirth that is another sign of possible selenium deficiency.

Sorry the one didn't make it :( I am not close enough to come over but would if I could. I would be happy to help over the phone, if you would like pm me for the number.

I'd have mom and baby in the house if hubby can't leave the house.

I'm not shooting down the idea lol, but I couldn't imagine bringing a full size goat into our house. Our house is teeny! And birdie is no little thing by any means. If you would pm me your number that would be great. Just in case.

Bathroom,it's a good place for moms or babys that need help.

I think I have had them in just about every room in my house! :p

My weak kid miracle kit includes bo-se as well as a tube feeding syringe.

Good luck with your survivor.

I have doubts that a 2nd freshner stepped on her kid and that is why it died. Unless she is a bad mom, then it is possible but it may have died due to other reasons.

Bo-Se dose is 1/2 a cc and it works on slow to start kids, kids with weak legs etc. I am not in a deficient area but I always had it on hand and have used it when needed.

I would keep a close eye on the remaining kid, make sure you see it nurse. If it keeps crying and not getting around well I would milk out some colostrum from the mom and make sure the kid eats.
If it is really cold out you can put a sweater on the kid. They have trouble regulating their body temp the first week.

Good Luck

So sorry you lost one. :( But I'm glad it appears the other is up an nursing.