New Mom Questions

rabbitpatch · #1 06/09/11, 09:08 AM

Sorry for my newbie questions....I know most of you had the same questions when you became first-time goat parents! I have several questions so I thought I would just combine them all into one thread. Here goes--

Molly's buckling is only nursing from one side (not surprising). Should I tape that teat until he learns to use both, or milk out the side he isn't using? If I should tape, does anybody have a link that explains and maybe shows a picture of how to do that properly? If I should milk out that side, what should I do with the milk/colostrum? Try to bottle feed it to him or freeze it for later use? How long will it keep if I freeze it?

At 24 hours old, he is still a tad bit wobbly on his feet. He's not so wobbly that he falls - he's actually pretty good at keeping his balance. He's just wobbly when he walks and he has to stand there and think about it before he makes a big step (like into and out of the stall). Since I haven't had newborns before, I don't know if that's normal? I'm used to seeing older kids bouncing off the walls LOL. How soon should I expect him to be bouncing all over creation?

I intend to wether him but I don't have an elastrator. Is it possible to do it without one? I don't know that I can justify buying one for just one buckling. Any other suggestions? Or just leave him a buckling?

That's all I can think of for now, but I may have other questions later.....please be patient with me!!

Rechellef · #2 06/09/11, 10:46 AM

Have you given him a shot of BoSe? That will help his muscles develop properly and prevent a weak kid sickly kid. For now, I would milk out the other side until the kid is nursing well and when he is about 2 weeks old, I would start taping one teat if he doesn't start using them both. I tape the teats of my does who nurse singletons anyway. This way I assure a more even teat and I get the milk from one and the kid gets the other.

As far as wethering - see if a local rancher (people with goats, cows and sheep use the same thing) have an elastorator you can borrow. They aren't that expensive - about $10 and a baggie of rubber bands are bout another $5. I wethered my guy at 3 weeks of age (my lambs too) and there weren't any outstanding issues except my caprine boy was a little uncomfortable for about 1-1/2 days and then fine. With my lambs, you would have never known they were banded.

rabbitpatch · #3 06/09/11, 10:48 AM

I don't have any BoSe. I have the Selenium-E gel from Jeffers and I gave him a dose of that this morning.

Back Acre Farm · #4 06/09/11, 12:07 PM

This is my 4th year with kids so I'll share with you what I've learned so far. Every year I learn more. Your little guy sounds quite normal to me. Give him a week and he'll be bouncing all over the place! This year I gave all my newborns a dose of Nutri-drench and Selenium-E gel and they seemed overall stronger than kids in previous years. Again, learning every year.

You can freeze the milk/colostrum. I've heard it can be kept frozen up to a year, but mine has never lasted that long. I learned to freeze it in ice cube trays then once frozen place into a zip-bag so you only defrost as much as needed.

As far as castration, I'm sure others would agree that at first it's an intimidating task but it gets better with time and practice. If you leave him a buckling, those hormones will start to rage, he'll go into rut and get all stinky as he "perfumes" himself. Not so pleasant to be around. He will get mom pregnant, too, if not separated. I personally use an elastrator and have had only one complication in the 20 or so males in 4 years of kidding.

If you don't have anyone nearby to borrow one from or to help you the first time, search the web for castrating if you haven't done so already. You'll find various methods and points of view concerning those methods. The least expensive method utilizing the least specialized tool is to castrate with just a sharp knife or a disposable scalpel, but I haven't done it that way. Hopefully you'll find a method you are comfortable with.

Best of luck to you!

rabbitpatch · #5 06/09/11, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Back Acre Farm

This year I gave all my newborns a dose of Nutri-drench and Selenium-E gel and they seemed overall stronger than kids in previous years.

I have the Selenium-E gel and I gave him that this morning. The tube says 2ml for a newborn so that's what he got. I can't remember if I have any Nutri-drench left but I will look. I'm going to try and get him to take a bottle for some things just to make giving meds later an easier process. My very first doe a few years ago was 3 or 4 years old when I got her and would still drink from a baby bottle like it was candy. Made it super simple to give her oral meds when she needed them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Back Acre Farm

You can freeze the milk/colostrum. I've heard it can be kept frozen up to a year, but mine has never lasted that long. I learned to freeze it in ice cube trays then once frozen place into a zip-bag so you only defrost as much as needed.

A friend of mine here locally suggested freezing it too and she said hers will keep for 1 year. You say yours doesn't last that long. Can you tell when it is spoiled if it is still frozen or can you not tell until it is thawed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Back Acre Farm

As far as castration, I'm sure others would agree that at first it's an intimidating task but it gets better with time and practice. If you leave him a buckling, those hormones will start to rage, he'll go into rut and get all stinky as he "perfumes" himself. Not so pleasant to be around. He will get mom pregnant, too, if not separated. I personally use an elastrator and have had only one complication in the 20 or so males in 4 years of kidding.

If you don't have anyone nearby to borrow one from or to help you the first time, search the web for castrating if you haven't done so already. You'll find various methods and points of view concerning those methods. The least expensive method utilizing the least specialized tool is to castrate with just a sharp knife or a disposable scalpel, but I haven't done it that way. Hopefully you'll find a method you are comfortable with.
Best of luck to you!

I'm hoping to find an elastrator to borrow. There may be one near me, through a friend of a friend, but that remains to be seen so far. They are suggesting I wait until he is at least 2 weeks old before doing it.

If all else fails and I do have to go the knife method, I'm okay with that on a personal level (meaning, the idea doesn't make me queasy or anything like that) but having never seen it done, I'm a bit nervous about going it alone. I've read a couple of goat medicine books that give a really good description of how to do it properly but reading and doing are rarely the same thing.

Backfourty,MI. · #6 06/09/11, 05:06 PM

He sounds like a normal baby goat to me. It usually takes my nigies about 2-3 days before they decide they can jump although they try before that. Now the little nubian/half mini nubian babies that were born Tuesday are still a little unsteady on their feet but again their only 2 days old & are running a little & trying to bounce around already.

If you just want your little buckling for a pet I would definately band him. The first year we had to do it we had a dairy farmer friend that came over with the bands, elastrator & he actually showed me & did the first one. After that I did the 2nd one, all the while my hands were shaking like a leaf.

I would see if their is someone you could borrow an elastrator from although for the price it's nice to have your own, even though you may only need it once this year you may need it 4 times next year.

Backfourty,MI. · #7 06/09/11, 05:09 PM

I forgot to add that I usually band my nigies at about 4 weeks of age. I did 3 this year & 1 was awfully tiny still at that age so he didn't get banded till almost 7 weeks. At 7 weeks he wasn't any bigger than the 1st 2 I did this year. So kinda go by size of the testicles too, not too big but not tiny either or the band won't be tight enough.
I do think 2 weeks is too young to band though but that's just my opinion.

Back Acre Farm · #8 07/04/11, 08:36 PM

Hey Rabbitpatch,

I hope your castrating adventure turned out well. Sorry I haven't replied to your question til now. June has been busy.

Quote:

You say yours doesn't last that long. Can you tell when it is spoiled if it is still frozen or can you not tell until it is thawed?

My apologies in not being clear here. The milk/colostrum I froze didn't spoil or had gone bad in any way. Mine has never been in the freezer a year as I have needed it and used it up within a few months of freezing it. I'm sure it will be good frozen for up to a year without problems.

rabbitpatch · #9 07/05/11, 10:02 AM

I just got him castrated this past weekend and so far all is going well with that. He tried to make his momma think he was dying but now he's back up and bouncing around just like before. A friend of mine introduced me to someone else nearby that raises dairy goats and he banded the buckling for me.
The "economy" elastrator I found is almost $20 - which I would be fine with if I had more than 1 buckling. It just seemed kind of silly for just one. I will eventually buy one I'm sure, but for now the "problem" is taken care of

I'm only milking once a day right now. I separate them in the morning, milk at night, and then put them back together so the baby can nurse all night. Seems to be working out just fine that way. He plays with my other doe during the day and he's growing like a weed.

I'm getting a half gallon+ each day from just the one milking. I don't know if that is considered a decent amount for milking a FF once a day but I'm happy with it so far.

Back Acre Farm · #10 07/05/11, 10:32 PM

Good to hear all is going well. As far as the milking, I would have been happy getting a half gallon from my FF while ALSO feeding their kids. If you are getting what you need and are happy with it, then I would definitely say you are getting a decent amount.