Orphan questions

nigeriandwarfs · #1 02/03/11, 03:54 PM

My doe had a very hard labor (placenta detached while pushing baby 1 and baby 2 breach). Anyway she didn't make it.The twins (doe and buck) did got the first 24 hours colostrum and are now on part goat milk ( my lactating doe is at the end of her cycle and can't give enough) and part milk mixed with buttermilk and yougart. Anyway the doe (who was actually smaller at birth) is thriving but the buck is a little thinner and not quite as active. He doesn't seem to take the bottle as well either. So my first question is what can i do for him to give him an extra boost ( they are both getting nutra drench)

My second question is I want these guys to learn to be goats so I am letting them in the pen next to my herd. All my does are currently pregnant, and my buck is a lover not a fighter so I have them all together. I would like the babies to be able to hang with the herd and none of the goats seem to be bulling them but I am not sure if it is okay to leave the doeling in if the buck can go near her. She is only 1week old (and I know at 5 weeks it won't be ok) but is it okay for a couple weeks?

CaliannG · #2 02/03/11, 06:06 PM

I wouldn't. They will learn to be goats soon enough...right now, all they can learn how to be is babies...and they can learn how to be injured and killed.

Everyone might be playing nice and being sweet NOW....but that can change at any second and just one of the mature goats PLAYING with a baby, with no intention of harm, can kill either of them.

Right now, they are helpless against anything the bigger goats might do. Are you SURE you want to trust ALL of your adults not to have a grumpy moment?

julieq · #3 02/03/11, 06:48 PM

We've very successfully raised our bottle kids on regular, store bought cow's milk. We start them on fresh colostrum, move to goat milk and then replace that with the cow's milk. Never had diarrhea problem in the kids, although we did with goat milk replacer. We offer tiny amounts of hay at about a week of age. As soon as they start nibbling on it they'll begin rumen development.

I would keep the kids away from the main herd, just in case. They can settle in later when they're larger and there's less of a chance of them getting hurt.

Best of luck!

Backfourty,MI. · #4 02/03/11, 07:33 PM

I would definately not put orphaned babies in with adult goats that are not their momma.

I wouldn't put anything in there mouth after the colostrum other than whole cows milk or goats milk, no buttermilk or yogurt or nutra drench, little ones like that only need milk. I do squirt the liquid from a vitamin E capsule in their mouths the day their born but that's it.
I think a shot of Vitamin B they could have but not sure so wait till someone else chimes in on that one.

I am very sorry you lost the doe, that is always hard. Congratulations on the 2 babies! Sounds like your pretty busy but we'd Love to see baby pictures!

nigeriandwarfs · #5 02/03/11, 07:52 PM

Good to know, I'll just keep them in the pen next to the herd for their 'goat training'. Thanks

as for the mix the recipie was given to me by an experienced 'goat guy' but i would love to hear what you guys think. It is 1 gallon of milk (store bought i don't have a cow) pour out 1 1/2 cups put 1 cup of butter milk and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with active culture. I gave nutra drench at birth and was told to add a splash to the mix for the runt but I wont if you guys don't think it is needed

nehimama · #6 02/03/11, 08:20 PM

I'm so sorry you lost the doe. I have a week old orphan here, too. She is in a pen within the big goats' pen. At night, the older babies get penned with her so I can milk their mamas in the AM. She gets her "goat training" from them at this time, and will be let out amongst the general population when she's a bit older. I feed straight goat milk, or if none on hand, whole milk from the grocery. Good luck with your little ones.

Wags · #7 02/03/11, 08:28 PM

We had a little guy in our kitchen until he was 6 weeks old - and then he transitioned to the barn and did just fine with the other goats. Raised him on whole cow's milk from the store. He will be year old on the 13th of this month and is a fine looking buck now.

motdaugrnds · #8 02/03/11, 09:09 PM

I am sorry you lost your doe. I think you're doing fine with what you're giving them.

I agree with the others in not letting orphans run with the other dams and their babies; however, I would not hesitate to take some of their milk and feed it to those orphans. (Years ago I had a doe that would adopt "any" orphan. It is always nice to have a doe that will do that; and one never really knows until they are running together.)

goatkid · #9 02/04/11, 12:15 AM

Sorry you lost your doe. I agree with the others who say to feed the kids the goat milk mixed with whole cow's milk and to keep the babies separate from the big goats. Bottle babies have no problem learning to be goats. I routinely pull doelings off their dams here to raise on the bottle. They are tame that way. They grow up in the baby pen away from the adults until they are at least five months old. They instinctively learn how to eat hay and grain and otherwise behave like goats.