proximity of bottle fed kids & mothers? help!

[cathleenc]

Last monday we found out one of our two does was cae+. On Wednesday, the cae- doe kidded in sub-zero weather and both kids were fine. Got both in the house, dried them off, heat-treated colustrum, all is well.

Been keeping both kids in a side porch attached to the house - gets to maybe 40-50 degrees there. Easier for bottle first and now pan feeding plus not so flipping cold. Plus dh was on the road when the kids were born and we had no where else to put them - had planned on leaving moms & babies together. The cae+ took us by surprise.

Today the kids are 5 days old and thriving! DH is home and a lovely new pen is ready for them in the barn. Their mom, Sally, had stopped bleating for them - till now. The minute we entered the barn with the kids to put them in their new pen Sally went bonkers, yelling and bleating and trying to get to them. I doubt anything is going to safely keep her out - plus it's plain old heart breaking to hear and see her want her babies. The kids were slow to respond till Sally managed to wedge her nose through the pen wall - then they started bleating back. We grabbed the kids up and back to the house they went, still bleating.

What do we do? The other doe, the cae+ is due to kid any minute now. We only have the one out building, a large and lovely very old barn. I do not want kids in the house!

hoping for some good advice to put all of our hearts at ease....
Cathy

[dkdairygoats]

The biggest thing is to keep them from possibly nursing on the positive doe. I don't see that it would hurt to have them contact the negative doe besides prolonging the noise. She will forget them eventually, especially if she is milked regularly. Even if she can see and hear them. Somehow you will have to reinforce the pen to keep her out or let her in and keep the positive doe out.

[BlueHeronFarm]

If they never nursed you can let them hang out together. The kids won't really know that milk comes from mama. Those kids think the milk comes from you, in a bottle.

We keep babies in a little pen in the yard - hog panels and a dogloo. They do fine being away from the adults...and it's easier to feed them several times a day when they are closer to the house.

[ozark_jewels]

I have had calves who hade *never* sucked on a cow(just a bottle from their first feeding), figure out that there was buffet hanging from that cow........so I wouldn't count on them not sucking if they are together.

I keep kids in anything that is snug and windproof. Doghouses, campershells(my favorite), etc with pig panels in the backyard.

[Sweet Goats]

First of all, there are lots of false positives CAE tests. I would or did you retest?

[goatkid]

I have a separate baby pen for the kids. My hubby built a littlt 4X8 goat house from 2X4's and plywood which is enclosed on 3 1/2 sides. I straw it well and the babies do just fine in it.