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Baby Goat! and some feeding concerns...
Ok, so let me start off by saying the last 24 hours have been very strange. My doe (2 1/2 year old LamanchaX, first timer) was due on the 10th. She went into labor last night. We have cameras in the barn, and I was watching her on the monitor. I've barely slept in the last week and a half, because I've been constantly watching the camera, waiting for her to go into labor.
I noticed last night she was being very vocal, and acting a bit odd, so I sent my husband out to check on her. She had goo dripping from her backside. Ok, awesome, it's time. I watched her on the camera, and we went out to check on her every 20 mins or so, as she was having contractions (visible, even on the monitor). She was pacing around, pawing the ground, and fussing a lot. Then she just kinda stopped and stood still for a solid half hour. I sent him out again to check on her, and he called me out with him. She had a red ball of goop dangling from her, and it took her a little while to pass it. She ate it. We figured it was part of the plug, and encouraged her. She passed a second similar glob about 45 mins later. She didn't eat that one. And after about another 20-30 mins, she stopped contracting. I figured something seemed....off. So, I called a local goat friend of mine that's a bit more experienced (this is my first kidding). Awesome woman, btw, she came over in below-freezing temps at 2am to check on my goat.
We showed her what Oso (the doe) had passed, and she agreed it didn't look right. It was a placenta. So...we had mucous goo, then afterbirth, and no baby. ---??
A bit earlier, my husband and I had both searched the property, because we heard what sounded like a baby goat bleating. We were in agreement, it was impossible for the baby to have gotten out of the stall, but we weren't going to ignore it, just to find a dead baby on the ground in the morning.
My goat friend agreed, the stall was pretty secure, there was no way a baby could have gotten out.
This morning, I called the vet. We went in, she did a cervical exam, and some x-rays, $300 later, she informs us Oso DID give birth. Where the baby is, who knows?
So, we rushed home, and figured we'd search the barn and surrounding areas to find a body. I heard the quiet bleating, just by chance, and found the baby under the floor in the barn. How it got down there, I have no idea. But there it was. Alive and well, and adorable.
Anyway, I know, that was a ridiculously long story. Now, today. The baby was born somewhere between 11pm-2am last night. We're fairly certain she DIDN'T get any colostrum from Oso last night, because when my friend milked her, just to see if she could get something from her, it was really hard to get her started, because she was a bit plugged up. (That's better now). So, the baby went from 11-2 last night, til 4pm today, when we found her, with no milk. She's strong, walking, even running around in the barn. A bit skinnier than I'd care for, but otherwise healthy.
The mama is interested in her. She's cleaned her, comforted her, etc. but baby wasn't showing any interest in the teat. We milked a bit from Oso for a bottle, and got her to take a little, but I doubt it was more than an ounce. That's all she's had, and it's after 7pm now. About an hour ago, she was showing an interest in the teat, but didn't seem to be able to figure out what to do with it, she just kept nuzzling it. Mama appears to be trying to encourage her.
But, with the amount of time she DIDN'T get anything, we're a bit worried. How do we make sure this baby figures out how to get the milk? I don't want to lose her now, after all this. And if I can figure out how, I'll attach a pic or two, because...baby goat.
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