Any Advice?

[terrilhb]

Tomorrow I will have 3 weeks until my lovely goat Sara should have her baby or babies. I just had to share. I am so nervous. This is her 1st time and mine. Getting everything ready for the big event. Went Sat to TSC and bought a bottle just in case. They told me to use a lamb nipple is this correct? What else should I know and do between now and than? I have been feeling the ligs not as tight as they use to be but not real loose either. I tried to listen for the heartbeat but she would not cooperate. Did not like the stethescope. I think I heard 2 or 3 heartbeats. I know one would be hers. But do not know about the others. Her mom only has 1 baby at a time so I do not know if this means she will too.

I am trying to think of everthing but I am sure I will miss something. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for wrambling but I am so nervous I could throw up. I actually had a dream that she went 1 month early and I freaked out and did not know what to do. And could not find anyone to help me.

thanks for listening.

 

[glenolam]

Hee hee hee...just for talking like that you've got at least 4 weeks until the kids arrive!

Just kidding!

What do you already have?

The most important thing you can have is the number to someone who can help in an emergency.

 

[terrilhb]

I have the goat.

Kidding aside. I have the bottle, gloves, K-y gel, dental floss, iodine, bucket, towels, large pads to put down. That is it so far. What else do I need? I do not know anyone I can call. So I have just been reading and reading. Thanks.

 

[terrilhb]

 

[farmchick897]

My advice is to make sure the bag is off the face and around nose but let mom lick and clean them. I have found sometimes with first time moms if you clean them they are more likely to reject. Each kid comes out about 15-20 minutes apart. So mom will have time to bond. Some of my goats show no signs before they kid and some will show slight discharge. Good luck!

 

[dutchhollow]

I have never needed anything but a towell with my goats (to clean off face if mom doesn't get to it fast enough for me). I like and have only had luck with the red nipples with yellow screw caps that go on pop bottles (you have to cut the end off). Have a clean bucket handy in case you need to milk colustrum into it to put in bottle (I have good aim, so just put straight in bottle, lol). All of my multiples have come within 5/10 mins of each other, shouldn't be too cold where you are right now it will be a problem, you can dry first kid of she starts to deliever number 2.

 

[mrszlopez]

You sound like youre almost in the same boat as me. I have two pygmy girls who just got put in with our new buck today. He's only 3 months old but has been chasing them around alllll day trying to breed.
My girls are 3yrs old and havent ever been bred. So nervous !!! & Im just imagining - theyre not even preggers yet

But it sounds like you are very well prepared.

 

[glenolam]

I think I saw you over at BYH a while back...there's some really good threads there listing what you could have on hand to prepare. Some...ok MOST of the items you'll never need, but of course if you don't have them you'll need them.

I offer molasses mixed with warm water to the doe as soon as she delivers the kids - sometimes before she passes the last placenta and sometimes after. It depends on the doe. My FF was offered the water mix as soon as she delivered kid #2 because she was really tired and didn't want to get up. After a few slurps I took the bowl away and she got up to get more. After she passes the last placenta (if there's multiples she'll either have a kid, pass that placenta, have another kid and pass that placenta or she'll have all the kids then pass all the placentas) I offer a big helping of grain to distract her from the kids who are looking for their meal.

I let them try to find it as much as I can and only interveine if they truly are having a difficult time nursing. Sometimes I leave the barn for 10 - 15 minutes (mostly because I'm driving myself nuts) and by the time I return they're nursing away.

Do you have an area for her to kid in? My goat barn is relatively small and I don't have a distinct kidding pen so what I did was put some eye screws into the wall (the barn is 8x12) and secure a cattle panel across the barn with double clips. This allows the doe to see her herd, but they can't really get to her or the kids. I will suggest putting hay bales or perhaps securing chicken netting on the bottom half of the cattle panel so the kids don't crawl through the panel. I used hay bales this year, but have plans to make a more secure panel so I don't waste all that hay.

Here's two pictures of my pygmy who had just given birth back in March to get you all excited! You can see the blue bucket in the 2nd picture that has the molasses water and the red bucket I put the grain in as well as the cattle panel.

 

[mrszlopez]

Quote:
how precious !!!