New Kids...new problem.

[ONThorsegirl]

Well she kidded.....

I have a Nubian Doe that kidded yesterday evening with triplets 2 bucks, and a doe. WE are going through the same situation as last year...the kids seem kind of dumb, they don't want to seem to grab the does udder. It doesn't help that my doe is fidgety with her udder being touch, I was able to milk out a bottle of colostrum last night, we gave the bottle to the 3 kids, to start them off.

It doesn't help that I have to leave at 6 am in the mornings for work so I made up a bottle of milk replacer and gave it to the 3 kids this morning, because I didn't have time to fight with my doe. When I get home this afternoon, I will milk her out some and save it in bottle's and then try to get the kids to suck the teats.

Problems:
Kids don't seem to try hard enough to grab the teat and stay on, kids are active and jumping around and healthy.
Doe is a good mom but is nervous of her udder, last year we had to hold her tight along a wall and get the kids latched on for the first couple of days, after that they seemed to all get it....Pain in the butt!

Any advice? Anyone else have a problem like this?

We also don't milk, but last year I didn milk her out once a day because her milk load was so high, she got really easy at milking, it just took a bit of time at each milking to get her to stand still but after that she was fine. I'm thinking she needs more udder touching lessons...Right?



Melissa

[Sweet Goats]

Melissa, Wat I have learned from experience. Those new mom's have very TENDER bags and they hurt when they are being pulled on. i have one doe that I hold just until the babies get a good feeding and then the pressure is less and they are fine.
Those mom's are very engorged and very tender. Now I am not saying that is 100% the trouble but it does sound like it if she is fine in a day or so.

Good Luck and Congratulations on the new babies. Keep us posted

[ONThorsegirl]

I'm currently still at work, but my Grandma went and checked on my goats for me and the kids were nursing so I guess thats all it takes is some pressure released and maybe she just doesn't like to be watch while they are nursing who knows!!

Melissa

[RiverPines]

For the first couple of hours kids often don't latch on for heck. They slime the teat, loose it, cant find it, etc.

I just leave them alone and later in the day they are all fine. I have never had a mom that didnt nurse a kid.

Both mom and kids need a little practice at first.

IMO, giving bottles to help actually makes it worse and confuses the kid. That hunger gets the kid working for teat.

Only if something was wrong with a kid would I give a bottle.

Birth is hard, waiting for a few hours for a kid to get it together wont hurt and probably will help.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'm really bad about sticking around in the barn and sticking the teat in the kids mouth.