Question

[Tamar]

Hi all

I was wondering if Emah's background could have to do with what I am noticing with her triplets.

Emah was rescued from a place that sold goat milk. They would let each kid born drink colostrum..and then make bottle babies out of them. As they wanted the milk to sell.

I have been watching Emah and the kids since 7:30 am.

The kids come to her...nuzzle her looking for milk...she doesn't encourage them, rather walks away looking for something to graze/nibble on. She has never done what our sheep and cow and dogs and cat do....help keep their butts clean or incite them to poop.

I got a warm rag and began cleaning their little bottoms...and it was like I pulled a plug...they all went and went and went, my nice white shirt lol..its a nice yellow one now!

She has never raised babies before, and I think its at least the fifth or sixth time for her to kid..from what I gathered from the lady I got her from.

I keep trying to encourage the kids to latch on to her...but other than a suck or two they give up.

I really rather they take turns nursing...are their any hints out there to get them to do this?

I used the milk I just milked her at 2pm to feed to them..the bucklings gulped down 5 oz each..the doeling showed no interest and has not nursed at all today..I got about 3 oz into her.

Thanks for your patience with me.. I put a pic of them in the thread looking for Sonja from Plain Vision.
blessings,
Tamar

[QueenB04]

Tamar: I high doubt her b/g is the cause to this one. First time mothers are prone to taking their time, and mothers of more then one as well, especially of triplets (wow I couldn't imagine that myself) can be hesitant and confused about what to do. Sometimes mothers just do not take their offspring well either, they honestly just ignore them. Best thing you can do is bottle them, and care for them as best you can, but keep them with mom to see if she will eventually take them on once she adjusts. She may, she may not, you may have three bottle babies, she may take one, or two as well. Sometimes it's they way it goes. Usually goats in my experience are good attentive mothers, but we were called many many times to administer fluids and prescribe collostrum when momma wasn't interested in playing that role. You're doing the right things, hope you don't get stuck with all of them at one time, if you need help give me a yell it's been a while since we've had any new ones on the bottle around here :-)

[QueenB04]

Tamar: Okay I had a chance to sneak over and take a peak at your other thread. Her udder is huge, very nicely formed too! However being that she only has one good teat I would put them on the bottle. You can most definitely continue what you are doing using her milk to do it. It's best for them to have momma's nourishment when possible. But I think you will probably be having bottle babies for a while :-) With her history of not having much to do with young un's I'd say it's a given.

[Idahoe]

Sounds like it'll be less work to just bottle them (believe it or not!) if you count in the time observing and worrying!

[Tamar]

Hi again,
I've been bottling them..is four times in six hours enough?
I can't seem to get more than 18 ounces out of her one side yet. Hoping milk will come in as she was a milker from what we were told.

I must say..after reading this site...I am at a loss!
Is this really what one should feed a new born??? I never gave my baby goats that last year.

http://www.wikihow.com/Bottlefeed-Goat-Kids
to quote them:

"Prepare two empty, 20-oz. bottles to be filled by putting a funnel at the top.
Offer one bottle to each kid, holding it at the level at which the doe's teats would be available.

The kid is likely to take breaks from suckling about every 20 seconds or so, probably to release the suction in the bottle.

You can feed the kids a specified amount (around 1-2 bottles each) or until they are full and lose interest.
Bottlefeed your kids 2 to 3 times a day, at even intervals"

Thanks for all your input,
Tamar

[Tamar]

Update:

This AM all three are up and dancing and prancing. The poo is suuuuuuuuper thick and seems to just cling to them, so I am trying to wipe it off, or grab it with a leaf and pull it off them as it seems to just collect there.

my early morning milking..still only 18 ounces. Bucklings had 7 ounces each..wanted more..the doeling with encouragement took 4 ounces, with no interest for any more.


How much do they need...how many times a day?
Anything to encourage more milk?
I heard the first three days of life, feed four times a day..then go to three..
But I would rather hear from those who have done this on this board.

Going to weigh them later this am. They are all nubian/alpine cross. The biggest buck really feels twice as heavy as the doeling, but...I'll find out soon

Blessings to all and thanks to all with help!
Tamar

[Tamar]

Hi all..

Still waiting on someone experienced to say how much they all need to be drinking.

I milked Emah at 12 noon...she gave 19 ounces this time..gave it all to the kids, they all sucked it down looking for more!

The cow is milking white now instead of the super thick colostrum...How many ounces of cow can I add to the goat?

If you read my thread above I am confused how much they need.

Thank you...wanting answers asap as I really want the best for them all!

blessings,
Tamar

[QueenB04]

If they are doing well I would say one bottle every 3 hours. In a week you can step that down to every 4 then to every six, if they are doing well. I would not be too concerned about the poop. It sounds good to me, keep monitoring it and wipe if you have to that's fine, it's what mom would do. Let them drink as much as they will take for one feeding providing it is not excessive, they will probably not drink as much in the day as they will morning and night, so don't fret if they are not consuming as much as the previous feeding as long as they are still eating and acting normal, and pick up next time around. It's not about measuring the milk, it's about letting these guys eat as much as they want within reasoning. If they want more let them have it just make sure they get a break inbetween suckling every 15-20 seconds or so if they are guzzling. This is a way to encourage them to keep eating as well, let them nurse, pull the bottle away for a minute or two and back to it.
On commercial dairys kids will be seperated put in a pen with other kids, and learn to suckle from a bucket with multipe teats openings, so don't worry about being too precise. Just keep monitoring them as you are, you're doing a great job so far.