Unexpected kidding - help please! With PICS!

[KellyHM]

I posted this on BYH, but there's not much going on there, so I figured I'd try it here.

So, the Nubian who is SUPPOSE to be kidding any day now is still hanging on, but the one that JUST started bagging up last week dropped a doeling tonight! She barely even looked pregnant and her bag wasn't that large, so I wasn't expecting for another few weeks. Last year she was HUGE and so was her bag before she dropped twin boys.

So, here's where the help is needed. She was 1 of my first Nubians (bought when I was very naive) and tested CAE Positive last spring. I yanked the doeling as soon as I saw her and her cord was still very meaty and bloody, she was mostly dry except her legs, and she was TRYING to nurse, but still very unstable. I'm really really hoping she didn't get any of her mother's colostrum. I was expecting the other doe to kid first (who's CAE neg) and was just going to save colostrum from her. Since it didn't work out that way I pulled some frozen colostrum from Feb out of the freezer and am trying to feed her that, although she's not super interested. I've gotten a little bit down her, but not a lot.

Also, she's a little on the cold side (feet and ears feel cold, shivering), although her body is nice and warm. She's currently on a heating pad in the bathroom and hot towels are warming up in the dryer. Of course this one wasn't in the kidding pen b/c I didn't think she was that close.

She stands on her own and takes small steps, but seems a little weak and almost like she has a head tilt? Maybe it's b/c she's so new and doesn't have her balance yet?

Anyways, any suggestions on how to get her started eating and warm her up better would be greatly appreciated.

 

[redhen]

Heating pad and hot towels will work the best... body heat too.
Usually once they warm up they start to want to eat...
Not sure about her having low sugar? They wont eat if they have low sugar...
I've given a drop of honey on the tongue of critters that i wanted to perk up enough to eat... usually worked some.
But you have to be careful with that too... can cause scours...etc..
I'd gether warm first and see how she does from there?.
Can you coat the nipple in milk.. so she can taste that instead of just nipple?? That may help?

 

[Lifesong Farm]

You can pasturize the colostrum from momma and feed it to the little doeling. Pasturizing kills the cae so it would be safe. I can try and do a quick search but I don't remember the tmps and times for colostrum. It is more sesitive to heating than milk. Sounds like you are doing ok in getting her warmed up. Not sure about the head tilting though. It could be she is still a little weak.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
Same here, and I've never had just a drop or two give them the scours. Hope it turns out ok

 

[Lifesong Farm]

http://www.goats4h.com/CAE.html

About half way down in the bullet points it has the time and temps for pasteurizing colostrum.

Hope it helps

 

[arabianequine]

They make a powdered colostrum at the feed store it won't help tonight but maybe get some tomorrow so you have it on hand. It is usually in a green smaller plastic bag. See if the baby likes it better then what you had in the freezer. Keep the baby warm and keep trying....you can use a heat lamp too inside just secure it safely.

 

[KellyHM]

Thanks guys! I just took her temp and it's 101.2, so not too bad. She also just ate a little (suckled for about 10 seconds), so hopefully she's coming around. Now she's just sleeping. I don't have any honey (we don't eat it - I know, weird), so maybe I can melt a little sugar in water and give her a drop or 2 of that?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

That would probably work, but I've never tried it. We only used honey or corn syrup, and then only a couple of drops. Most of our bottle raising was with deer also, seldom needed to help the sheep or goats. Sorry I'm not more help.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

That's good. Being a newborn she won't eat very much at a time. I remember my first ones last year. I swore they weren't getting enough. But they are now 8 and 9 month old brats.

Keep trak of how much she eats and how often. That way you can track her intake.

 

[KellyHM]

Ok, how often do I need to feed her tonight?

I much prefer to let my does raise their kids, but since I was naive enough to purchase my first 2 girls before I knew about CAE I suppose this is what I get.

I'd really like to

their breeder since she KNEW their dam had the disease, but still let her raise her kids, then didn't disclose it. Stupid dishonest people.