It always seems like the misery around here comes in clusters. It also comes way too frequently. The harder I work to make everything go right and get better, the more undermined I feel.
Saturdays happiness has now turned into disappointment. Yesterday morning the triplets born Saturday all looked fine, bouncing around and lively. I take off to a self reliance meet up and when I come home, 2 babies are dead and the third is hanging on by a wing and a prayer. In the house we go and spend all night trying to get milk replacer in the baby to no avail. This morning, it's about more of the same depressing thing with a small amount of success. I have managed to get more milk replacer in this little thing and Ted the cat is proving to be both a help and a pain in the hind end. Seems Ted is jealous and in trying to keep herself between me and the goat, she's giving the goat comfort, rubbing on it and licking on it. Well, when she isn't doing random drive bys on it, LOL
So, that part is looking like we might end up with a live baby goat. But, there's more bad news. The nanny isn't looking too good. She's just laying in the straw, slobbering and will not stand up. Her milk bag is empty. Not looking good for the nanny. I haven't a clue what the problem is, she's always been such a good mother and healthy.
Eh, sometimes it seems like all I do around here is bury animals. Kind of depressing......
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Hypocalcaemia might be something. Uh that stinks.Hopefully everything turns out ok. So does this make it the third year in a row that you ended up with a goat in the house? :)
ReplyDeleteI am sorry... I was thinking maybe ketosis? Have you changed her grain or could she have gotten into grain and ate too much? Try giving the doe some warm water with molasses in it to see if that may perk her up. Did she have an udder when the kids were born?
ReplyDeleteColey, yep, this is the third year. I'm ready to give up on goats.
ReplyDeleteMammaBear, nothing has changed for her lately and she did fill a bag but is not milking. I tried to coax milk from her to no avail. After 12 hours, her bag was no more full than it first was. Something is amiss here and I haven't a clue. She's lethargic now, probably won't live thru the night.
I'd treat it like milk fever, ketosis or Hypocalcaemia. Prop her up with a bale of hay (on her breast bone) to keep her rumen fluid out of the lungs. Feed her 20 or 30 cc's in a syringe of molasses and corn syrup every couple of hours. If it is any of the things that is mentioned it may save her life.
DeleteI have a friend who told me goats were born looking for a way to die. I believe this is true. I have lost 2 due to trying to guess what was wrong and no vet available at the time and then again I get it right and have saved them on several occasions.
I pray things will get better for you.
MammaBear, I dont doubt it, they do try to die almost constantly. The nanny didn't make it 48 hours, she's dead. Maybe she tore inside or something like that. It wasn't milk fever, her bag was not full enough for that.
ReplyDeletewell crap...I was hoping for a little better luck on your part. Get a good nights sleep and you will better deal with things tomorrow.
Deletei send you my deepest and most sincere condolences.....sometimes it does seem like everything we touch turns to dust and then there are those rare times when all we do right...caryn/n.e.ms
ReplyDeleteOh no! Dead? Too bad. Even if you had been there the whole time, you might not have been able to save them. Maybe Ted will sleep with the baby and help her live. It is hard to have an animal die. I am so sorry.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry. we lost beautiful twin babies last year. hope the little one makes it.I agree little kitty may have the gift of helping you bring it thru.
ReplyDeleteMmm, my moma goat delivers , babies trying their best to suck we are on day four, lost one twin yesterday but I only gave one bottle replacement. Thinking they might need alittle extra, I should have just brought him in:(so wiith the other little fellow not looking so good I brought him in this morning, it turned cold here and we are expected a lot of rain. question the moms bag is so over full but I can hardly get any out , any suggestions? This is my first time at bringing one in. praying I get this right I would love to save him. I got 5 other moms due in these two weeks can I get milk from them to help this guy if he makes it??
ReplyDeleteSmithgang, it's been my experience that if a bag is full and you can't get any milk out, it's mastitis.
ReplyDeleteYou can feed that baby with a regular baby bottle and nipple, just cross cut the end of it so they can nurse easier. Just snip it with sciccors. I feed mine universal all animal milk replacer for a couple of weeks then switch them a little at a time to cows milk. Store bough cows milk works fine. I keep feed readily available so they can experiment and start eating as they choose.
Ty, so far he seems better. can anything be done to help mom
ReplyDeleteSmithgang, antibiotics(expensive) or apple cider vinegar according to my pal Sabrina who milks a bunch of animals. I would imagine you must syringe the cider vinegar into the goats mouth. I would say at least a half cup worth twice a day. Warm soapy water to wash the bag and encourage milk drop and try to milk her best you can. It will probably be thick and a bit bloody, and it will take a few days. I have used the antibiotics in the past but have not had the opportunity to try the vinegar but Sab swears by it.
ReplyDeletethat sounds like a good challenge to try atleast.I tried milking her yesterday , none from one teet and Maybe 6-8 squirts from other. She is a skiddish mom so I could only milk her when boys come home from school and only once a day cider , my back problems will not let me do too much by myself. But so far baby is doing ok. he has started gritting his teeth alittle that's from a belly ache I read so ima get him some yogart but he is pooping good and peeing plenty. wish I'd stepped in earlier and helped the other more :( I'm thinking this mom needs to go she abandoned twins in the early fall and no milk then so this is my 2 nd bad rodeo with her and I am trying my best to get my herd going.
ReplyDeletehow's your homebound baby goats doing?
Thanks for all the help:)
Smithgang, i can relate to the back thing ;) Yep, sounds like a down the road goat for sure. Once is bad but twice is a no go. LOL, I'll do a whole post on those evil house goats!
ReplyDelete