goat not letting baby nurse

hardworkingwoman · #1 02/21/11, 08:51 AM

Hi,

My goat had one doe this am and she is not letting her nurse. She is actually aggressive towards the baby. I am going to go get a bottle to feed her with soon. What is anyones experience with goats that won't let the baby nurse and aggression? This is her first baby. Can I just use a regular baby bottle? She did nurse while I was out there restraining the mother but that is not easy to do while you are holding the goat and trying to get the baby to latch on. Thanks!!

prairiedog · #2 02/21/11, 09:23 AM

If you can put her in a milk stand and let the baby nurse it might work. Some does just will not accept their kids. I use the black nipples on pop bottles for ouor babies. The hole needs to be enlarged for new ones. If she is aggressive toward the baby I would not leave irt out there with her unless you can be standing by

RoyalValley · #3 02/21/11, 09:28 AM

I had a doe a week ago who had twins. She loves the one baby, but won't have a thing to do with the other. We tried holding mama 6x a day so the baby could nurse, but it seems like the doe is just getting more aggressive to her. So, we just got a bottle and have started that 2 days ago.

Unfortunately, the baby now tries to nurse off anything in sight. Not sure why this happens.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 02/21/11, 10:20 AM

You will have to physically restrain the doe four or five times a day and let the kid nurse. Tie her head, use your leg and body to press her against a wall, and put the kid on a teat.

Do this for a week or until the mother gets a clue.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Slugmar · #5 02/21/11, 10:34 AM

You can actually build stand or a chute that forces the mom to stand there with her restrained with food and water holder while you try to graph the baby on to the mom I have seen it done once when a farmer had a sheep loose its baby and it took one of the tripplits off anthor mom and graphed into on to the other sheep. I'm at work ill try to find the name of what they call the stand or chute later today.

hardworkingwoman · #6 02/21/11, 03:48 PM

I have been restraining the goat and getting the baby to nurse. A real big pain in the butt because she is kind of wild and hard to catch but as long as the baby gets nurishment that is all that matters. Do I have to do this through out the night every 4 hours also? I was kind of hoping that my boer doe would adopt this baby, she has two on her now. Anyway I like the idea of the shoot but would need to see a picture of one. I just hope that there is nothing wrong with the baby and that is why she is rejecting it. I can not see anything physically wrong with it.

Alice In TX/MO · #7 02/21/11, 04:50 PM

Build your own milk stand. It takes about two hours.
http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/milkstand.html

Pony · #8 02/21/11, 05:50 PM

You can keep trying to get the doe to nurse, or just bottle feed. As Alice said, you can build your own milk stand. I put one together using shipping pallets and scrap wood (just be sure to cover/block any opening through which an inquisitive kid can stick its leg and break it).

hardworkingwoman · #9 02/21/11, 05:56 PM

Is it every 4 hours through the night that I have to feed? I will be doing something about a milk stand tomorrow. Thanks!
On my way to get them all fed.

Bearfootfarm · #10 02/21/11, 05:59 PM

I'd put them in a small pen just large enough for the goat to lie down and turn around.
Usually within 24-48 hours they will bond.

With the small pen she can't walk away, and the kid picks up a lot of her scent.

The more time the kid spends away from the doe, the more likely she is to reject it

hardworkingwoman · #11 02/21/11, 07:47 PM

I am afraid to do that because the mother is aggressive towards the baby. She kicks at her when eating and this morning she was pushing her around with her head. I am afraid she will kill her. I do have a kennel in the barn that I use for the mother and babies. Is it likely that she can kill the baby? With me holding the mother against the wall is working but it would be nice if she just accepted her own baby. The mother is acting weird, she is screaming her head off most of the day like she is looking for something and can't find it. Do you think I should try to put them together tonight? I will if you all think it is a good idea!

Oat Bucket Farm · #12 02/21/11, 08:26 PM

Is there a way you can put the baby in a kennel in the barn, that way baby can be in there with mom but mom can't hurt the baby. I wouldn't leave them alone and loose together if mom is showing signs of being agressive towards baby.

hardworkingwoman · #13 02/21/11, 08:39 PM

The stall is way to big and she doesn't even look at it. I have another doe with two babies in the same stall. The baby is sleeping with the other babies in their little house. I don't feel that the baby is in danger at this time but would if they were in close quarters. My main concern is getting enough nurishment.