New kid not nursing

[Leah IL]

My doe kidded on Sunday and the baby nursed fine on the first day. Yesterday though I didn't see her nurse at all and when I would put her under mom and guide her face to the teat she wouldn't latch on or even try to. Mom is fine, very interested in baby, talking to her and everything. The baby seemed to spend a lot of time sleeping but was up a bit too jumping around and being active and alert. Should I be worried? Thanks, these are my first kids so I am a little unsure of myself!!

Leah

[Jillis]

How long did you watch them for? I have had my first kids on the farm recently that are dam raised and I am struck by how short a time they spend at the teat. They seem to run in for a few sips and then go back to playing. Spend some time just sitting and watching.
You might try separating them for about an hour or so. When I let my doe out for some time with the herd, the first thing those babies do when she gets back in the stall is go for her teats. Although at one day old, your baby may not be that aggressive or practiced.
If she really isn't nursing you might need to milk the mother out and feed her by tube, syringe or bottle and keep trying to encourage her to nurse. Give her a squirt of nutridrench if she starts to lose energy. But first be sure she really isn't nursing.
They can go fast at this age so it would be worth your while to spend the time in observation.

I am sure you will get better advice from a more experienced person soon!

[homebirtha]

Is her belly full? If she isn't nursing at all, it would be concave, kind of sucked in on the sides.

Originally Posted by Leah IL

My doe kidded on Sunday and the baby nursed fine on the first day. Yesterday though I didn't see her nurse at all and when I would put her under mom and guide her face to the teat she wouldn't latch on or even try to. Mom is fine, very interested in baby, talking to her and everything. The baby seemed to spend a lot of time sleeping but was up a bit too jumping around and being active and alert. Should I be worried? Thanks, these are my first kids so I am a little unsure of myself!!

Leah

[marvella]

check for a clogged teat.

look at her bag. is it full? it will often be lopsided, smaller on the side the kid already drank from. if it hasnt fed, it will get swollen and painful, make it difficult for the kid to nurse. to remove a clog, milk her a little and strip it out.

is the kid dehydrated? when you pinch skin does it stay "tented?" if so, you need to start working on getting some nutrition into it.

[gccrook]

We worried so much about this our first year, but soon learned that unless the kid looks like it is starving, or is not active at all, that they are fine. We did so little intervention this year, and I am very glad to have it that way. We had to help a couple of kids find the teat the first time, and I had to dry a couple of them as the mother did not seem to knwo what to do (first timer). Other than that, we have not intervened in any of the births or otherwise (13 kids so far this spring). We are bottle feeding the runt of a set of triplets, that the mother rejected.

[Leah IL]

Thanks so much everyone- the little stinker is nursing like a champ, I guess I just wasn't patient enough to notice. I stayed in with them for about an hour this morning, kept putting baby up to mom's teat but she'd have none of it- the baby I mean, mom is fine. Then all of a sudden she trots over to mom and latches on like an old pro and takes a good long drink. So all that worry for nothing Thanks so much for your help.

Leah