A lot of kidding problems this year?

HappyFarmer · #1 02/28/10, 05:53 PM

Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot of kidding problems/singles this year?

I know our area had a huge amount of rain this past summer/fall, such that we had about an 80% crop failure in the garden. My 1st 3 does to kid all had singles, by rights they should have been twins. We supplement & the does were flushed, but perhaps it was not enough with the fast growth of the pastures?

Do you think there is any correlation with the weather & # of kids born?

What about birthing issues?

I'd like to hear others thoughts on the relevance to poor weather conditions.

HF

shiandpete.1 · #2 02/28/10, 05:55 PM

So far 2 out of 2 had problems, Ellie wouldn't push, both kids were pulled. Velma delivered only a head, both legs back today, that was quite the pull and rearrangement with not much room to work and then only had a single when she always has twins and was huge. Another goat keeper in the area has lost kids left and right and had all sorts of problems. I don't know but it must be in the air!

dm9960 · #3 02/28/10, 06:04 PM

this is scary, especially for a newbie like me. I have a 2 year old that I think is getting close. I hope so much for an easy delivery. the thought of problems is so scary to me.

DairyGoatSlave · #4 02/28/10, 06:13 PM

Im sorry you all had problems this year. Its been smooth sailing so far(knock on wood) for me. I dont know if the weather has anything to do with it, its been very nasty and wet. I think nutrition and the does body has the biggest effect(im not implying that you've got bad nutrition or anything like that, trying not to step on toes)
I have noticed it seems to be a single kid year, not sure if weather has anything to do with that but i'd be interesting to find a study on that!

Natural Beauty Farm · #5 02/28/10, 06:15 PM

Get the number of another experienced goat owner before problems come.

We have not had many problems here. Knock on wood. Just way too many bucklings.

Final totals were 1 doeling for every 7 bucklings born.

Glad we are done until next fall, time for a rest.

HappyFarmer · #6 02/28/10, 06:19 PM

Thank goodness we havn't had any kidding problems to date. Just the singles which was a real surprise.
Luckily we're doing good on the ratios-about 1/2 doelings & 1/2 bucklings so far. We will be kidding until May.
HF

shiandpete.1 · #7 02/28/10, 06:22 PM

Don't worry NBF have my mentor/vet number memorized. Fortunately compb sense was to get the legs forward where they belong, this was on a nigerian doe so not much room to work...as for bucks that was us last year. So far this year it has been 2 girls one boy, but I do have 5 more to kid.

cmharris6002 · #8 02/28/10, 06:26 PM

Kansas has had the worst winter weather I have ever seen. So far I have freshend 9 does and had 25 kids born without any problems, just one rearrange. No singles here either...

Bucks: 15
Does: 10

Twins: 3
Triplets: 5
Quads: 1

yarrow · #9 02/28/10, 06:31 PM

We've not had any kidding issues yet. Carla (6 year old nubian) kidded with BIG twin bucks on the 10th.. took her 3 good pushes. Next was Bella on the 11th. She is 8 years old. Had triplets. I pulled a leg forward on the first kid, a doeling, second kid came head-first with ease..buckling was last, a breech but she just shot him out.. Edith, 6 year old, BIG triplets (2 bucks/1doe)... quick, easy labor/delivery...
we have 8 due this month. One of those doe had the hardest kidding (and closest we've come to a c-section) last year as a first freshener.. BIG, single buckling. (which is why I held off breeding any of the yearlings this year. We *NEVER* have singles except in does who kid as yearlings.... of course the horrid delivery was during the awful ice storm that hit AR/MO.. slid to the barn via ropes! no power, just flashlights.. we had to roll her on her back and hold her rear legs up & out (like a human female hospital delivery) to get her pelvic open enough wiggle him back & forth to get him out. She had a rectal prolapse that I reduced back into place. She went into shock, which I treated with baking soda, fluids, banamine & a blanket.. again.. all by flashlight. BOTH mom & baby ended up safe & sound. She has had a normal pregnancy up to this point. I will admit to be a bit leery of her going into labor.. She looks to be carrying twins.. I'm guessing triplets for 3 of the 8, twins for the others.. hopefully all 8 will have as uneventful easy deliveries as the does in Jan. did.

susie, mo ozarks

bluefish · #10 02/28/10, 06:45 PM

I haven't started kidding yet, but last year I had three does kid out with four kids, all bucklings. Two had to be 'assisted'. This year has got to be better!

dm9960 · #11 02/28/10, 06:56 PM

Susie, that must have been so stressful!
Here's to hoping we all have easy kidding from now on.
I have a couple friends now to help and a vet that I feel good about. One of my friends is Susie, the other turns out to be pretty much right around the corner from me! Found them during my recent crisis with the doeling. In fact, they are such great people that they went around to their friends last night to get meds for my girl in case things got real bad.

shiandpete.1 · #12 02/28/10, 07:12 PM

I have 3 to kid in March, and 2 in May. I am hoping for some uneventful kiddings! It would be a lot less stressful! After loosing a doe last year I have been a bit on edge.

dosthouhavemilk · #13 02/28/10, 10:56 PM

We've had 62 kids hit the ground since Christmas Day. One born dead (the first one), and only three lost after birth (one to a neuological issue, one to a freak at birth accident and the last to Floppy kid). Considering the harsher than normal winter we have had and the fact the majority of the does decided kidding the weeks we never got above freezing, we have done well not to lose any kids to getting chilled or finding kidsicles.
I've assisted a couple of deliveries. Had quite a few present with just one front leg forward, not both.
Had one doe (had not carried to term the past two years) try and deliver all three kids in breech position. Had a doe who didn't stand the last three days of her pregnancy try to deliver the first kid head only. The worse so far was Liliana, an 8th freshener with a history of eas, missed kiddings who tried to deliver both buck kids at once, one on top of the other, with two heads and only one front foot tucked back some on the lower kid.
We have yet to accomplish a 200% kidding rate in our herd, so the numbers aren't that abnormal. I was a bit surprised to see my singletons out of does I expected twins and triplets from. When my 2nd Fresheners (a couple just two years old) dropping triplets. Admittedly, a number of those does who kidded the end of January/beginning of February were does I had planned on holding off on breeding. Four of the bucks breaking into the main doe herd on three different days changed my plans though.
Does outnumber the bucks by 2 right now. I wish it were 2 bucks for every doe born, or more.

Natural Beauty Farm · #14 02/28/10, 11:17 PM

Where do I send the bucks lol

ntjpm · #15 02/28/10, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dm9960

this is scary, especially for a newbie like me. I have a 2 year old that I think is getting close. I hope so much for an easy delivery. the thought of problems is so scary to me.

Please post you general area (you don't have to be specific) and hopefully someone her can pm you with their number. Then you can call if you have any problems.

Never mind that will teach me to read a thread all the way through before I respond LOL Great job dm9960 and Good Luck with your girls.

Tracy in WA

Goat Servant · #16 02/28/10, 11:53 PM

dm9960 please dont let it scare you. We generally dont go braggin about the easy kiddings.
Its the trouble ones we hear about.
This yr only had one to assist & had to call vet for help. Ive had a few yrs with no farm calls.

Backfourty,MI. · #17 03/01/10, 05:26 AM

I don't think weather has anything to do with kidding, I think we hear about the bad kidding more because folks are here looking for help. Not sure about the singles & if weather would play a part in that or not but I would lean toward the NOT in that either.

Never had any problems or had to assist a birth yet so I hope I'm wrong about the weather thing & all goes smoothly this year. Our kidding doesn't start till the first week of April.

issylthesthlia · #18 03/01/10, 10:58 AM

I have to admit that I am very nervous, looking ahead to kidding. If my two older girls are bred (they were with a buck) then they are due in July. If not, they are going this summer to go visit a buck at their breeder's. Until I know if they are bred I'll be reading all I can about rough kiddings so I know what to do in a worst case scenario. I think I feel more pressure because I only have the three girls

LomahAcres · #19 03/01/10, 12:10 PM

I think weather can effect kiddings. If you're having nasty snow and ice or rain and mud, the does are more likely to stay in = less exercise. When they get out and stretch legs and bellies it allows kids to better position themselves naturally.

We have yet to start our kidding season, but everyone is due in March, so it won't be long now.

thaiblue12 · #20 03/01/10, 12:29 PM

Normally my goats kid in the Spring, this year I had surprise Jan babies. I do not like it at all. Here in Colorado it is cold and we had snow on the ground, the same snow from Dec till Saturday when it finally melted so we could get a light dusting on Sunday

I refuse to use a heat lamp in the barn so the kids had to wear little goat coats, snuggle together and bed down in straw and waste hay.

I agree with Backfourty, people come here looking for help, so it seems like alot of problems. We do post happy kidding pictures too.

My first kid of this year was born double breech but he got out just fine with some help

I did fall asleep while waiting for a kidding in below zero temps and two froze to death and I saved the third one with hot towels and a blow dryer. One little buckling did lose the tips of his ears to frostbite, thankfully none of the others have it.

No singles from my unproven escape artist young buckling, all kidded twins (including the FFs) and triplets.
Thankfully 8 doelings and 4 bucklings

I still have three to go and one of them looks like she should have given birth a month ago!