My goat just kidding! Help

Homeschoolmom · #1 05/04/08, 12:19 PM

Ok this is my first time and I am so excited!

She had a beautiful doe that is pure white. SO cute! Ok I was wanting to leave mom and baby together for the first week or two and then separate at night after two weeks and milk in the morning. The problem is she is not letting her nurse. She has done a good job of cleaning her up and she just delivered the placenta about 15 minutes ago but every time the little doe latches on she kicks her off. Is this normal? How long do I wait before milking and giving the baby a bottle? I was so hoping she could nurse for the first couple of weeks but now I am not sure if that is going to work.

Help!

DQ · #2 05/04/08, 12:31 PM

give it some time. at first mom won't be too sure about this little critter going at her, but eventually she will realize to just stand there. in a few hours if she still won't stand still just hold her a few times while she gets the idea and that will probably be all you have to do. remember they don't need huge quantities of colostrum, just a little here and there the first few days is plenty.

dosthouhavemilk · #3 05/04/08, 12:53 PM

I will milk out a couple of ounces and bottle feed a kid even if it is going to stay on its dam. I like to be srue they got the colostrum they need. It will not hurt either of them for you to milk a little into a bottle and offer it to the kid to be sure.
First time mothers don't always get everything at first. They need some time for it to click.
Also keep in mind everytime that little one nurses it is causing the release of oxytocin and causing contractions. The dam could also be a bit swollen and nursing isn't always pleasant for the new mom.

**mygoat** · #4 05/04/08, 01:02 PM

If you want to keep up her production, start milking her 2x per day after the kid gets a couple days old, or if the udder gets tight. Don't worry about taking milk from the kids - If she's a dairy doe, she'll produce WAY too much milk for her kid anyways. If you don't milk her 2x per day starting early, than she'll lower her production to accommodate her single kid and you won't get as much milk.

Congrats on the new baby! She sounds cute! (where are the pics? LOL)

Homeschoolmom · #5 05/04/08, 09:22 PM

Thank you all so much for your help! She never did let her nurse and after letting a friend of mine who has a lot of goats freak me out by telling me if I didn't separate that I would get no milk at all

I finally milked her and gave the little girl a bottle. She took the bottle wonderfully. The milking however was a different story. I had a terrible time getting her on the stand (hubby is out of town but some friends of ours stopped in after church and helped me get her on) and she had to have both legs held for me to milk. Not a huge deal except when I went to milk her tonight I had no help and she refused the stand and refused to be milked (ugh!). I am currently pregnant and I couldn't not pick her up to get her on the stand. SO I gave the baby another bottle tonight and put them back together hoping maybe she will nurse sometime tonight. I am really worried that I wasn't able to milk her out this evening. Will she get mastitis because of it? Hubby and older children will be home tomorrow so I will have help again. I just hope everything will be ok until then.

Thanks again for your help! Oh and pictures will have to wait until hubby goes back to work. We have dial up here at home and it takes forever (lol)

southerngurl · #6 05/04/08, 09:31 PM

Just keep on milking her while she dances. Let the milk fly. She'll learn throwing a fit won't work.

tmfinley · #7 05/04/08, 10:12 PM

My doe is 5 days fresh. While she did let her kids nurse, she came down with mastitis and wouldn't let them nurse on that side. I have to put her on the milk stand twice a day and massage her udder and milk it out. The first day I thought I broke my hand fighting with her to get her in the stand. Days 2 and 3 my hubby helped. Day 4, I wrestled with her for a bit and she finally got up. Today, a miracle happened, she jumped up on the milk stand all on her own!!!! Twice!! I was so excited! She still kicks and jumps and acts like a fool while up there. We are still working on that.

Are you feeding her grain only on the milk stand? If not, only feed her grain on the milk stand. It won't take long for her to realize it is worth it. While she is eating maybe she won't act as crazy either. Unfortunately, they are fast eaters and act crazy after they are done.

Hope it gets better for you.

Tiffany

Feathers-N-Fur · #8 05/04/08, 11:25 PM

I use a horse curb chain for hobbles. I just bought new ones so I can tell you mine was only $6.50. One end on each goat ankle and a piece of bailing twine, or whatever, tying it to one leg of the stanchion. This way they can't kick or put a foot in the milk. Last year we only had to use the hobbles for about a month, then everyone had settled down enough that we didn't need them. Milking just started here this weekend, so everyone is feisty on the stand again.