tips to get a wet doe to take an orphan kid

[minifarmer]

I have a meanie goat, I don't want to milk her because she is too ornery. I do, however, want her to take the buckling from another doe. The kids will be about the same age as they were all bred withing a week of each other. They haven't freshened yet, I just want to be prepared. I plan to bottle raise any doelings and let the bucklings nurse on her. Thanks

[texican]

Originally Posted by minifarmer

I have a meanie goat, I don't want to milk her because she is too ornery. I do, however, want her to take the buckling from another doe. The kids will be about the same age as they were all bred withing a week of each other. They haven't freshened yet, I just want to be prepared. I plan to bottle raise any doelings and let the bucklings nurse on her. Thanks

I wouldn't keep a mean goat. Just like I wouldn't keep a bad dog... they're too many good goats in this world... not worth fooling with a troublemaker.

[Patt]

I agree with Texican.

Does will either take a kid or they won't and most of them won't. You will most likely have to keep her seperate from the babies and then tie her to let them nurse a few times a day.

[HillsideWayCSA]

If you're lucky enough to have them born the same day birthing fluid rubbed on the orphan kid might do the trick. But I don't know. It does seem a shame to keep a doe that is bad tempered. Bad tempers get passed down to kids especially when raised together. Atleast in most animal species it tends to work that way. The last thing you want is a bad tempered buck, they're bad enough as it is without extra influence.

[Feral Nature]

Remove the lable of "meanie" and think of her as nervous or frightened instead. I figure that you will not get rid of her so just change the vibes. She will calm down if you can make peace with her and go through exactly the same routine each and every day. Every trip to the milk stand should be pleasant and fun and she should anticipate it with joy. She should only be fed on the milkstand, no grain in the pen. And then to get her to take another doe's kid later on, put her on the milkstand, a place she already enjoys going to, and allow the kid to nurse. Keep trying. You can try the afterbirth idea or can even put something under the doe's nostrils such as vick's vapor rub that will mask the odor of everything. I know that folks do that when trying to foster rabbit babies. Don't give up and good luck

[shanzone2001]

I gave my doe grain and while she stood still the buckling (not hers) went for it. She is, however, a wonderful, friendly doe who just happened to loose her baby and was in milk. I think I was just lucky, though. Good luck!

[steff bugielski]

I have done it many times. Usually because mom has too many or no milk.
Tie the doe a few times a day. While tied sit next to her with kid and let him nurse. She will protest and kick but if you are ther you can keep her from hurting him. After a few day she will smell her milk on him. When he is nursing and she bends over to smell if she does not protest then she in most cases will accept him. That is how they know who is who.
I would not pen them up together she might hurt him or push him aside and if it is cold he will suffer. I would keep them all together for the first few days. Unless you do not want the buckling nursing off it own mom. Otherwise all kids need to be together to keep warm.

[goatkid]

You might just luck out and your difficult doe will have buck kids. Around here, a doe learns to behave on the milk stand or she doesn't stay. With patience, she should learn to behave on the milk stand. If she is impossible for you to milk, it's likely she won't take another doe's kid unless they both kid at the same time. In that case, wipe the buckling off and smear him with the doe's birth fluid or afterbirth to make him smell like her.

[motdaugrnds]

I totally agree with Feral, i.e. "Remove the lable of "meanie" and think of her as nervous or frightened instead." (Your attitude will be picked up by her as most bad tempered goats are extra sensitive.)

I was given a designated "mean" goat once a few years back. She was terribly hard to milk as the holes in her teets were extra small and she gave nearly 2 gals of milk each milking (even when milked twice a day) and, no, her udder did not drag the ground. It was quite strongly in place. I figured she had suffered prior to my getting her because she had obviously had side bones broken and she stood way back from the herd, running in to grab a bite of hay and quickly running out again. I took the time to pet her, to talk with her and, when she would attempt to bite me, I kissed her on the nose. It took awhile; but she learned to trust (even love & protect me from running dogs she thought were headed in my direction). It took awhile but she started going up the pecking order and I caught her many times teaching her babies how to butt heads hard.

As for getting a doe to take another's doe's kids, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But if you force a doe who already does not like you to take another's kids, you just add flame to the fire.

[Patt]

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

But if you force a doe who already does not like you to take another's kids, you just add flame to the fire.

I totally agree!