Nannies Had Milk Before, But Not Now Help

MandersGoaters · #1 11/14/07, 08:40 AM

Our nannies had pleanty of milk before when then they kidded, but not now...they didn't even look like they were going to kid yet then POOF there's a baby, and absolutely no milk, #1 what causes that (they are about 5yrs old, and very healthy, minerals kept out all the time) and #2 will they come to their milk if i give them something(any suggestions) warm water, shot of hormones anything? I mean there is NOTHING in their bags! the kids are healthy, just hungry, i have taken some milk from the other mothers and given it to them, and i have some powderd milk for goats.

HazyDay · #2 11/14/07, 08:43 AM

call vet.

Janis Sauncy · #3 11/14/07, 08:46 AM

Milk fever?

Janis

Alice In TX/MO · #4 11/14/07, 11:53 AM

What have they been eating?

Are the insides of their eyelids dark pink? or pale?

MandersGoaters · #5 11/14/07, 01:14 PM

Their eyelids are nice and pink, they are eating Brome hay, pasture, and I am feeding a mix of oats, barley, BOSS, and alfalfa (only feeding grain 2x a day and each nanny gets 2 lbs a day) they are very healthy nice shiny coats, healthy gums and eyelids nice and pink, poops are shiny marbles, and they a re boer goats forgot to mention that. I don't think it's milk fever, they are eating, walking, and acting normal, and i called the vet and all he could say is that "that sometimes happens" great help huh

Alice In TX/MO · #6 11/14/07, 02:09 PM

Are you letting the babies suck even though there's no milk? That might stimulate production.

DQ · #7 11/14/07, 04:14 PM

I have heard tales of boers with poor milk production. maybe someone with more experience with them will correct me though. FYI cows milk to supplement the babies do not use powdered formula (its not powdered milk) unless you want dead babies. fenugreek is rumored to stimulate milk production in humans, and it is an ingredient in calf manna. just an idea. good luck.

needstoknowmore · #8 11/14/07, 05:12 PM

try giving them some regular salt. Same stuff you put on your food. It can also be bought in big bags at some feed stores. It takes a lot of salt to produce milk. Encourage them to drink water. Other than what you are doing those are the only things I can think of.
If you need to feed them and can't get enough milk from other does. Use whole cows milk. I do have a recipe that was given to me by a breeder that uses powdered milk. But don't use milk replacer!!
Mine are all boer crosses and I have had good milk production.

chamoisee · #9 11/14/07, 05:32 PM

When did the doe kid?

My guess is that they probably kidded in the spring since the does probably ran with a buck loose and got bred at the earliest opportunity, as happens with most nannies.

I think it is entirely possible that the does have not been milked by a person a twice daily basis, and that as the kids grew and nursed less, their milk dried up, as it will do if there is not a constant, regular demand for it.

Or they could be brush goats without serious milk production in their bloodlines, that produce just enough to raise their kids and then dry up. Nearly all goats do that, including some of dairy breed descent.

armeda · #10 11/15/07, 01:44 AM

Here is the recipe for bottle feeding babies. It is an anti scour recipe.
I got it when I got Buckwheat from Donna (Caprice Acres) We raised him just fine on it. I do hope your nannies produce milk soon. The amounts to feed are for pygmy goats. Yours would get more.

1 gallon of whole cow?s milk from the grocery store (I used vitamin D milk), 1 can evaporated milk, 1-cup buttermilk. (Not the low fat kind, if possible). Pour off 4 cups of whole milk. Add buttermilk and the whole can of evaporated milk. Add back as much whole milk as will fit, shake, pour in bottle and serve warm. For the first few days you can add colostrum powder. I add the powder for at least 5 days, every feeding.

My bottle feeding is as follows, and I got this off of www.fiascofarm.com but I modified it to my liking and the smaller miniature size. Try to make the feedings as regular as possible, with the same amount of time between each feeding. Don't make kids go through out the night without a feeding just because you're lazy. This is especially important the younger they are.

Day one- 3 oz. (per feeding) colostrum, every 4 hours. (6 times)

Day two- 4 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day

Day three- 5 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day

Day four- 5-7 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day.

For the next week- 5-7oz. (per feeding) 4 times a day.

For the next 2 months-8-9 oz. (per feeding) 3 times a day.

For the next 1 month- 8-9 oz. (per feeding) 2 times a day.

8-9 oz. (per feeding) once a day for two weeks.

Armeda

mpillow · #11 11/15/07, 06:22 AM

I had a dairy doe freshen w/o milk....even with herbal wormer..she had a high worm load. Had vet do a fecal. Day 1 I wormed her with Ivermec and then again at day 10 ....6 weeks later she came into milk and her production was typical for her from then on. Follow up fecal was good.

Trey · #12 11/15/07, 06:38 AM

She stated in the first post both of these does milked normally on previous kids.
Were the kids born early? A shot of oxytocin will bring the milk down, and letting the kids try to nurse. Unless you had a doe with colostrum or had some stored to give them, it is probably too late but I would give them some powered colostrum mix.

chamoisee · #13 11/15/07, 11:54 AM

It's really hard to determine much of anything without adequate information such as when the does kidded, what their body condition is, worming schedule, feed, etc. I don't know if the kids were born on the day of the post or 3 months ago.

MandersGoaters · #14 11/15/07, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trey

She stated in the first post both of these does milked normally on previous kids.
Were the kids born early? A shot of oxytocin will bring the milk down, and letting the kids try to nurse. Unless you had a doe with colostrum or had some stored to give them, it is probably too late but I would give them some powered colostrum mix.

yes they did both milk fine in the spring, and i do think the kids were born early,I gave them colostrum from another nanny and fed a colostrum mix, they are doing fine(the kids) nannies still have no milk, and i gave them oxyticin inj. from the vet, (the day they kidded NOV 14th 8ish in the AM) nannies got a clean bill of health from the vet, and no the kids aren't nursing the nannies, the vet told me that if the Inj. didn't help that wouldn't either, just as long as the kids are fine and the nannies are too i'm happy, THANK YOU ALL for all the suggestions and help, I do appreciate it.