Premie triplets

[Idahoe]

My boer cross doe had triplets this morning. The doeling (of course ) was born with a giant two-lobed growth right under her chin (goiter?) and died within an hour or so. The bucklings are more vigorous but tiny, and neither have erupted teeth. One has a couple of teeth broken through, but neither suckle very well.

I milked the mama and gave them each a 10cc tube feeding. Of course, Mama goat and sons are in my kitchen in front of the heater as it is nasty wet and cold.

I've heard of goiter in boer goats, but in newborns?

How often should I tube the baby boys and how much? I've read they won't suckle well until their teeth break through. Poor little guys

[KimM]

Do they have any suckle reflex? Are they rooting around as if looking for the teat? Sometimes if you touch the bridge of their nose, they'll root up toward it. In that case, they should be able to nurse.

[julieq]

So sorry for your loss. Hope the boys make it though. I thought we were the only ones to bring critters into the house...

[Idahoe]

Not much of a rooting or suckle reflex. I haven't tried for a while but I think they were still pretty cold at the time. They are warming up now, but their feet are still cold. They smacked their lips a bit and when I stuck my finger in their mouths both made attempts to suckle but it wasn't well coordinated or vigorous.

They can't stand, though one little fella sure is trying

Heck I live in a converted garage, so it's like a huge studio with a loft. I purposely have little furniture etc and kept the old linoleum floor because I end up bringing animals in my house about every couple of months for some reason.

I sent my daughters out to get Pritchard nipples and I'll just keep tubing them every couple of hours or so? I think they're a week or less early.

[nehimama]

BO-SE (1/4 - 1/2cc each) would help. If not available, a Vitamin E capsule each. Poke a hole in the end, and squirt the contents into the mouth.

I'm sorry for your troubles, and hope it will work out well for all.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

What Nehimama said.

[Idahoe]

Will do I finally have a fantastic goat vet after all these years, he knows I needed it but not this soon (I hate how last minute I am sometimes).

Good news, the little boys ARE suckling, they were pretty cold, and the prior tube feed must have perked them up a bit. Still waiting for daughters to get back with the pritchard nipples so they think a teat is a long hard pointy syringe held by a human.

Both boys have smaller, softer bulges under their neck. The hay I've giving them all is local, we must have a pretty bad iodine deficiency up here. Too bad it affected the little doeling so badly.

It's quite a feat of finger intelligence to milk a four teated boer cross (two nipples together on each side). Can't wait for my full Nubians to freshen.

NOBODY else better freshen before the 20th, that's all I have to say.

I think the new little boys will be able to suckle a bottle and hopefully Mom by the end of today.

Also, it ain't easy on the back to hold a baby goat's butt up for Mom to lick. I don't usually do this kind of work for the boer crosses, just the Nubes