Another goat kidding question

[FarmerChick]

one thing I learned from 10 years of breeding Boer goats....when a newborn is sick for any reason, the momma will ignore it. believe me she knows it won't make it. I would have twins or trips or quads born and every now and then the doe would NOT let one eat...even if it tried. Most times there was something wrong with it, a funny head tilt, circling head, very slow to rise and suck, etc. etc. The doe knows instinctually who is healthy and who isn't when it comes to newborns. Very strange but very natural also.

So don't feel too sad about the baby kid. Sometimes they just can't make it no matter how hard we try...and the whole time they look fine ya know. It is just mother nature doing her thing.

sorry for the loss though cause it always is so sad when little kids don't make it. I know.

 

[lilfarmgirl]

I know the mommas know, looking back on it I do have to wonder. I am new to the goat breeding, I have bottled fed calves that the mommas won't feed with great success. She took care of her and cleaned her off, and all looked good. My daughter is so upset, I felt so helpless. I hate feeling that way. Now she does not want to ever do this again. She just wants to buy her goat for fair. She is blaming her doe saying she has sick babies. I tried to explain it has nothing to do with her doe, the male is fine. It was a combination of being the smaller of the two and very cold out. I hope she doesn't throw in the towel, I think she will like it when the outcome is good and learn to deal with the bad. I told her this happens when you kid in the winter and kidding season is during the winter months. I also told her we would make some big changes if she wants to try again next year. It doesn't help that she has been recovering from her surgery and feels bad as it is.

 

[FarmerChick]

oh she is recovering and probably doesn't feel up to par and then the little kid passes on her.....yea it is upsetting.

honestly when I started it just tore me up I lost kids. But eventually knowing "this was part of farming livestock" I had to handle it....of course being an adult helped alot also. It is hard on children, no doubt about that!

Tell her you and she will read up on having babies...kinda make it a project to throw the best babies she can...that is all you can do truly...after that mother nature is the name of the game. Maybe if she learns about feeding the doe, taking care of her etc. it might give her confidence to try again...and produce healthy kids.

hang in there...children are resilient and that is a wonder thing in this life!

 

[abluechipstock]

get some heat lamps ready, just watch you don't burn the barn down, i learned to be prepared the first kidding i had, she had trips and 2 died, it was cold that night and i wasn't as prepared as i thought, get a reliable blow dryer to help dry them off, puppy pads work well also because they are so absorbant,

 

[sandyj]

lilshadow,
Nice meeting you today at the meet and greet! Good luck with the goats. It's all very exciting! If you forgot the website, its thegoatspot.com. Very informative and people who only do goats.
sandyj

 

[lilfarmgirl]

I guess I made my daughter sound little, she is 16 and is new to the whole breeding part of farming. She thinks the calves are cute but that was it. Her brother was more interested and she started looking into it a couple of years ago. She had a good friend die in a car wreck last year and since then she has taken death very hard. She will be okay, and is going to head out tomorrow to look at the male, which she named Milo. She refused to name the female until she knew she was going to be okay. She does not eat meat from our farm, will eat the eggs but that is it. I am sure once she is off her pain meds and is feeling better things will start to look up.

 

[lilshadow]

Quote:
Nice to have met you also. It was fun today. I will check that web out. Hope to meet again.
Veronica