What Should I do???

[ajharris]

My Saanen is preggo and is starting to make a bag. I have a 1month old boer cross that is still nursing mom. He has decided that he is gonna start nursing Milky . Should I separate them? I know that Milky's babies are gonna need the milk. I really dont have a place to put her to get her away from the baby. Please give me suggestions.


Amanda.

[full sun]

How about teat tape?

[ajharris]

What is Teat Tape and how do you use it?

[Carrie C]

I've used 1st aid tape, you know, the fabric tape that you're supposed to put around wounds covered in gauze to keep the gauze on. Anyway, I used it for 2 months, I wouldn't use it for that long again, but it worked and nothing bad happened.
You might try spraying the teats with teat dip or bitter apple. The bad tase might deter your "thief" goat.
~Carrie C.

[bumpus]

Originally Posted by ajharris

My Saanen is preggo and is starting to make a bag. I have a 1month old boer cross that is still nursing mom. He has decided that he is gonna start nursing Milky . Should I separate them? I know that Milky's babies are gonna need the milk. I really dont have a place to put her to get her away from the baby. Please give me suggestions.


Amanda.

You need to save the colostrum ( first milk ) for the new babies.

[goatkid]

The little Boer baby must not be allowed to nurse the Saanen. She needs the colostrum for her own kids or you'll lose them. If the kid has already sucked out all her colostrum, you need to either 1. Find some other goat colostrum 2. Find some cow colostrum or 3. purchase something called Just Like Mom which is a powdered formula made from cow colostrum. My friend has used this product on a few kids and it worked. She got it at a feed store.
Best thing to do is put the pregnant doe in her own pen. Next best thing is teat tape.

[chamoisee]

Is she allowing him to nurse her? If he is just trying to take a nip now and then and she walks off or butts him, I wouldnt worry too much. Otherwise...something should be done.

[bumpus]

.
If he is robbing the milk now and she lets him, then the new ones that are born will not have any milk because he will steel it all.

bumpus
.

[crowinghen]

My vet said the majority of colostrum is produced in the last week or so before kidding. So i think you'll be ok as long as youre not in that time frame.
but, yes, you need to get that kid off if she's allowing him to nurse.

Good luck,
Susie

Ps i know because i went through this with a steer drinking milk from my heifer. we ended up butchering him earlier than planned, and the calf did fine ( enough colostrum left)

[mary,tx]

I'd just put a bandaid over each teat. It works for me at weaning time.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by mary,tx

I'd just put a bandaid over each teat. It works for me at weaning time.

Wow, you must have nice kids if all it takes is a band-aid to deter them.....if only mine would do the same!

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by goatkid

If the kid has already sucked out all her colostrum, you need to either 1. Find some other goat colostrum 2. Find some cow colostrum or 3. purchase something called Just Like Mom which is a powdered formula made from cow colostrum.

Unless she is within a couple weeks of kidding, she should make plenty of colostrum between now and then for her new kids. Most of the colostrum is made within the last few days of pregnancy. But the kid certainly does need removed from her area if he is sucking that doe. Her maternal instincts may be kicking in and she may let him suck just because he is a kid. I had a doe who let her yearling daughter start sucking again when she began bagging up to deliver her kids this spring!!