Questions

[Wonderland]

I recently posted a thread about a doe who was having trouble kidding and ended up with a c-section and lost both babies. The problem was that one of the babies was big and her pelvis was so tiny that thhe vet couldn't even get her hand in. I appreciate all the advice given to me on that thread, and my questions are related to that problem.

1. Is there a way to estimate pelvis size from the outside of a doe? Would that be the width of her rump?

2. Are small pelvises a common problem in Nigerians/not as common in standard breeds?

And 3. I think I might have overfed as well. I've been feeding my late pregnant does and does nursing babies 1 cup each of oats and BOSS along with alfalfa pellets, hay, minerals, etc. Is that too much?

Thank you so much for your input! You guys are awesome.

[Alice In TX/MO]

You may have overdone the BOSS. Nigerian Dwarf goats don't need much feed *at all*, and one cup of BOSS is more than I give my full grown does.

What was the doe bred to?

[Wonderland]

That's what I was afraid of. I will start cutting back.

She was bred to my Nigerian buck. He's not much bigger than her at all, and the does he was bred to last year all did fine and had normal sized kids. The vet said that the kid that I didn't see was much bigger than the one that almost made it. That one was tiny, as small as the triplets born last year! I guess the bigger one was getting more of the nutrients?

ETA: This would have been her second kidding.