Mom ignores kids

[Bret F]

I have a doe (first timer) that had a very hard delivery. The first one had a huge head and we had to pull it after an extended labor - and he was really hard to get out. She deliverd the second one fairly easily.

Now she does not want anything to do with them. Have any of you got any ideas I can try?

Thank you very much for any suggestions.

Bret

[julieq]

If she hasn't let them nurse, then milk her and get colostrum into the kids ASAP. Beyond that, just keep trying. Sometimes the first fresheners are a bit clueless...

[Heritagefarm]

I would give her a B-12 shot and some drench if you have any.

[Alice In TX/MO]

She doesn't know what to do. Restrain her and let the kids nurse several times a day. She will eventually get the hang of it, and the hormones should kick in.

[Helena]

I would also keep trying to get them to nurse if not..you have a couple of bottle babies !!

[Rockytopsis]

I had a doe like that but kept her in a stall with her kids and held her and let them nurse and after a day or so she was fine with letting them nurse.
Keeping fingers crossed.
Nancy

[fishhead]

If you haven't done it already a bucket of warm water with some molasses might perk her up some.

[Bret F]

Thank you all for the suggestions.

The doe is doing prety well now but still ignores them. I just milked her some and gave them their second bottle of the morning. The little buck that was so hard to get out isn't able to stand on his own yet, so I can't put him to the teat. Even in the stantion, the doe stomps around enough that the little doeling can't latch on either.

As a side note, Saturday my other doe gave birth (prematurely) to twins. I have been bottle feeding them at all hours. Just last night the little doeling started to latch on and feed herself but the other still needs the bottle.

[Cheribelle]

If you stick with it, the kids are pretty persistant once they get up and going. I have 2 does that have foster baies, and even other does' babies are sneaking. Time to seperate mine!

[nehimama]

Have you got BO-SE on hand, or Vitamin E capsules? Sounds like the little fellow needs either one. 1/4 - 1/2cc BO-SE, or squeeze the contents of one Vit E capsule into his mouth.

Kept in a stall or pen with the babies, does the doe try to injure them? If not, it would be worth trying to keep them with her.

Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.

[Bearfootfarm]

Confine them in a 4 X 4 pen for a few days and they will bond

[Heritagefarm]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

Confine them in a 4 X 4 pen for a few days and they will bond

That's not surefire. We had one ewe who didn't want her baby; on day 4 she sat on it and killed it.

[Alice In TX/MO]

You have to restrain her. Tie her head to a wall, hold a kid in place, using your body to press her to the wall. Talk soothingly. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

[deafgoatlady]

I do know that sometimes the doe dont wanna do anything with babies becuz they feel like the babies HURT them and they will ingore them or try to kill it.. I had one doe was trying to kill the babies. The first baby came out and it was kinda stuck and he came out and the 2nd baby came out fairly easy. But while she was pushing the 2nd baby and she was ramming the baby on the ground when I watching her and trying to help her. It was a shock for me.. I was all by myself that day!


But dont give up and keep trying and do what Alice said..

[Backfourty,MI.]

Originally Posted by nehimama

Have you got BO-SE on hand, or Vitamin E capsules? Sounds like the little fellow needs either one. 1/4 - 1/2cc BO-SE, or squeeze the contents of one Vit E capsule into his mouth.

Kept in a stall or pen with the babies, does the doe try to injure them? If not, it would be worth trying to keep them with her.

Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.

I agree & you may have to restrain the doe or tie her to the wall a few times a day while the kids nurse. She as well as the kids should get the hang of it.
The vitamin E liquid from the capsules may give those kids more sucking reflex too & help the little buckling stand.

[Bearfootfarm]

That's not surefire.

Nothing with animals is ever "surefire" , but it has the highest probablility for success over other methods, since she can't walk away from them.

[wintrrwolf]

Since the surviving kid was pulled so soon after birth Pawnee didn't get the bonding done. Same day I moved em all to our new home and set up a kidding pen in garage. Had to start out with Pawnee tied to wall while eating, me holding one of her hind legs up, and guiding Lucky to teet. Didn't take him long to figure it out, but first 2 days mom wouldn't stand still for him, funny thing is when I go out there he jumps up from his bed and runs over to mom and waits for me to feed mom some grain then he starts nursing, tonight I didn't even have to hold Pawnee. I think since it has been so cold, he stays under the heat lamps until feeding so he hasn't been all up in mom's business therefor it has given Pawnee time to adjust to having a baby at her side

[motdaugrnds]

I agree with the others, i.e. as long as she isn't trying to hurt them, place momma and kids in small pen for few days to "bond" with each other. During that time, go in with them, chain her up and "force" her to let the kids nurse. If kids too weak, give them some Bo-Se and/or Vitamine E; milk some of the colostrum out of the dam and bottle feed it to the kids several times a day. If kids to weak to suck, tube them.....all this done "inside" that small pen with mother watching.

[Bret F]

The mom has started to go to them when they call - yay! Will still have to work on nursing.
I wasn't able to get any Bo-Se or vitamin E yesterday and back to work today so will look for it at lunch time.

Again, thanks to all for the suggestions.