Question ..someone said and anyone for comment...

[goatlover270]

Hello. I was talking to someone today about the baby goat and how things were going. We were talking and it was brought to my attention that I should worm this baby now and not at 3-4 weeks, but as I had mentioned this baby is not a normal size baby either, as she was rather small at birth.
Anyways, I was also told that she should be treated for lice and could put the seven dust I use on the others, on her too. She said they do it to their herd. I just think that this is a bit too soon for worming and dusting.
She is nibbling at hay and feed now, and is almost 2 weeks. I have noticed that her mamas milk bag is not full and doesn't have a whole lot of milk in it. The baby goes from teat to teat back n forth while nursing. Do you think this is because she was a single birth or something else possible?? I am use to twins or more, not singles. I DID check for milk and there was what i believe to be milk and sticky since I was struggling to fight and hold her by myself. She is one that does not take to kind to a human holding her down, you woulda thought she was dying Anyways, I assume that baby is getting milk and if not getting a whole lot, with eating the hay and feed, what are your shared thoughts on this, anyone that has experienced this?? I wonder why her milk bag wouldn't be full....

[Shazza]

If the baby is tiny then her udder will adjust to her....she isnt going to produce heaps if she is only feeding one baby. Have you wormed the mother...if you have then the baby will be getting the required through the milk....I Never worm babies. What type of goats are they?

[Bearfootfarm]

Check the inside of the lower eyelids. If they are bright pink or red she doesnt need worming. I also wouldnt treat for lice unless you know the lice are a problem. I think too many people over medicate "just in case".

How old is the kid? It may take a while for the udders to fill, and some just have small ones anyway. As long as the kid is gaining weight and active I wouldnt worry about that either

[goatlover270]

I went out there this morning for routine and baby is still going from teat to teat every couple seconds. It just stikes me odd, I guess because she may be small and only a single birth? That is why I was asking LOL single births and small ones, this is a very new experience. She has gained a little but not much, in this week and half since she was born, prob now a little over 3 lbs. don't know, don't have scales here. Anyways, I have noticed her nibbling and scratching and I know that we have lice here, been treating around for it, but didn't want to do what that person told me to do and it only going to be 2 wks, on Monday. So, I guess I should go ahead and worm the mama, yea??? that will help with milk supply?? What about the nibbling grain and hay...think she is eating enough to help with nutrition there??????Do you think I should give nutri supplements??
Sorry, after this one experience I will know next time. Thanks again.

[GrannyCarol]

I'm wondering if baby is actually getting any milk? If the baby isn't staying on a teat, it could mean that the teat has little to no milk for her. I know the mother isn't that easy to handle, but maybe someone can help you so that you can find out if she is giving any milk. You may (and I am not experienced with goats, just with dogs, but that behavior catches my attention - a happy baby ought to settle down and just nurse!) want to see if she wants a bottle to fill her tummy. If so, then really look into whether the mother has milk, better to bottle feed her than for her to starve!

[goatlover270]

" You may (and I am not experienced with goats, just with dogs, but that behavior catches my attention - a happy baby ought to settle down and just nurse!) want to see if she wants a bottle to fill her tummy. If so, then really look into whether the mother has milk, better to bottle feed her than for her to starve"

GrannyCarol, I have tried to hold her this morning too to check on that and she is a tough one She sreams bloody murder and runs around in her stall like someone is going to take her away from baby, Oh Heaven forbid if I pick Baby Angel up mama says. Geeshh....
Anyway, as I did yesterday, some sticky milk came out, just not alot. I have only bottlefed once and I had milked the mama. If this mama doesn't have enough to milk out, what do i give baby for supplementing?? I could give a bottle and still let baby get what she can from mama, Is that ok as well...???
Still puzzled and all these people reading, don't any of yall have an answer, as well?? LOL

[GrannyCarol]

From what I read the first best goat milk replacer is goat milk (perhaps from another goat?), the next is whole cow's milk. Is baby fat and gaining weight? Or is the baby thin and gaining only very slowly? Baby's condition should tell you a lot.

[Janis Sauncy]

Is whole cow's milk really the next best thing to actual goat milk? I've been told otherwise. Something to do with fat and protein content. I think, if goat milk wasn't available, I would go with a powdered KID milk replacer. Sometimes that's hard to find and, from what I understand, LAMB milk replacer would be an ok alternative. I've had success with both.

[DocM]

Whole cow's milk is the next best thing to goat's milk. Replacer is an alternative I'd use only if I had no other resource available, but since every grocery store has cow's milk, I'd never be using replacer. Replacer is cow's milk and sugar. Blech.

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

I don't know much - but maybe it will help for comparison.

We have a Nigerian Dwarf buckling singleton. At two weeks he weighs 7 pounds! Mama also doesn't have a very big udder (she is a FF and I haven't been milking her yet) He does switch from teat to teat but not in just a couple of seconds, maybe more like 15 or 20 seconds. He is growing and full of vim and vigor, bouncing around etc, so I haven't worried about him at all.

I know that when one vaccinates for CD-T the kids should be a month old. When we had him dehorned, the vet gave him antitoxin which would have negated any vaccine anyway. I've NOT wormed or treated for coccidiosis, but will do so in a couple of weeks.

Sounds like a good suggestion to worm mama instead. Take the baby inside and weigh her on your bathroom scales with you holding her, then just weigh you so you will know what she weighs. Then you can weigh every two or three days to see if she's gaining. Is she lively? Bouncing around, jumping up on mama, (our little buck already jumps up his mom's back, but then she is a dwarf so not very tall)

Good luck - you might try getting some probiotics into mom and baby, as that never hurts anything.

[goatlover270]

hey thanks Hip_shot_hanna....
that is good to know that someone else is going through or has been through this, that is what i was looking for, someone who could compare, so I could at least watch for signs or changes.

How old is your bucking?? How old will he be when you worm and all????????

Anyways, I posted another thread about the milk and progress if that is what ya wanna call it LOL she still does switching...(see other post) thanks again

[mygoat]

Mom should've been wormed after kidding. Then wormed again (10 days later, yes?) to kill off any stragglers/recently hatched eggs that survived first worming.

I've used the cow milk/buttermilk/evaporated milk mixture to feed kids, and was VERY pleased with it. I reccomend it to you. I'd say giving baby a bottle 2x a day couldn't hurt, especially if it's as little as you say. I had one born, a miniature, that was about the size of a guinea pig this year. I brought her in immediately and bottled her from birth till 3 months of age. I just couldn't sell her, so she's still here. She was VERY weak at birth and hung on by a thread for at least 4 days. Sounds like your kid is stronger, but probably still delicate.

good luck! (wheres the pictures of 'em? LOL)

[goatlover70]

awww thanks for asking about pictures. I am working on getting the pictures of the baby and others as well. I guess when i go to put a post up I click on the "insert image"?? to add a photo right? I am new still and also while i am at it I was wondering how do you put a picture up next to your name??? I see people have a name and next to it you see a picture of their goats, etc...
Ok I am going to check on them at bedtime checking ,to make sure all is still going well. Will keep posted. thanks and i will get pics soon as i can. I wanna show off my babies too

[full sun]

I have a single who nursed like that. It drove me nuts! But he's 7 months old now and nearly as big as his mom. I have had a kid who wasn't getting enough milk and the signs are pretty obvious: He had no zip heck he was downright weak. I say if she's energetic, pooping and peeing, then she's alright. HTH

Jennifer

[oberhaslikid]

If the baby has lice treat mom with Sevin to rid her of them.Then you can use Cat flea powder on the little one.Its made for kittens too.This is what I have used.

[Shazza]

Originally Posted by oberhaslikid

If the baby has lice treat mom with Sevin to rid her of them.Then you can use Cat flea powder on the little one.Its made for kittens too.This is what I have used.

....or you could buy some Sulphur Powder (yellow) and run a teaspoon through their grain everyday till the lice is gone...should only take a week.
That way you havent used chemicals.

[goatlover270]

Good evening on this rainy night! I will be glad when it stops, our yard is just standing in it and my neighbor almost didn't get out of their driveway today..ugh!
Anyways, about that sulphur powder, where can you buy it? I have asked and nobody knows what it is or where to get it. Also, about the flea powder, I was wondering since I use the Frontline flea/tick spray that also kills biting lice, hmmmmmm got me thinking since it is for kittens and puppies and adults, i might could use that, whata ya think?????
Still wonder about anyone using that sulphur powder and how effective it will be I mean can it be toxic if given too much and can the baby eat that, as she is nibbling at the food now.
I have come in from checking on everyone and all are well and bored cuz they can't get out and run around from the rainy day. They hate it! I have some wood in a stall that they run free of and they have turned it into a playground LOL!!!
Baby Angel and her mom Molly are in their stall watching and she was trying to nurse at that time, doing same old stuff from nipple to nipple. If she seems to get to the point where she doesn't seem like she is doing good tomorrow with that I am going to offer her a bottle of whole cows milk. I think she will start eating feed and hay regularly next week, will be 2 and half weeks by this time next week.
ok now it is time for me to get some rest LOL Another day at getting stalls cleaned and treated for bugs, etc.. Worming mamas and oh yea by the way
someone had said earlier that mama should have already been wormed, well that was something that was another whole story itself, something to do with the wormer... anyway it is worked out now and will be done. Thanks for concern though.
Ok good nite all see ya tomorrow. God Bless!

[Shazza]

Hi...where do you buy your minerals? I am sure they would be able to get you some sulphur powder....lots of goat people add copper to their goats food so they must be able to buy it somewhere. The same place that has Dolomite Mag/calcium will have other minerals like copper and sulphur oh and seaweed meal.