# Mom abandoned 1 baby but not the other.



## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

This is her second set of twins and the second time she has favored one baby over the other. 
She will feed 1 baby all he wants but the other baby barley gets enough to survive. 
She did this last year I finally just bottle fed the second baby. Any suggestions on how to get her to feed them both? Or ideas why she does this?


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

She will feed the light peach color baby. But not the dark orange baby she kicks him off any time he tries to drink. But throws a fit if I take him away.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Are you supplementing him at this time? He will need his colostrum and plenty to drink. I'm sorry she's not accepting him


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Does she have enough milk for both? Sometimes in nature if there is not enough for both she will pick one over another...if she cries when you remove him...keep him with her but supplement him with a bottle...


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I had a doe that would do the same thing. She would take care of the first one that was born but not the second. In her case I took both of them away for a little while and then reintroduced them to her butt first. For whatever reason to accepted them both. With mine they were only a day old though so maybe that helped. If its been several days and she still isn't accepting the other one I would leave it with her but feed it a bottle.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

I had a doe that would always choose the buck kid over the doe. She did this for three birthings. Finally I sold her and let the new owners know her issue. She was a great mother to the one she wanted to keep, but the other we always ended up bottle feeding. And yes, all three times, she had one of each, doe and buck.

I'm guessing you've already tried covering him with the afterbirth and trying to get her to accept him, or there's none left. If that's the case and If she is not wanting him and avoiding him, I would definitely bottle feed him. For some reason, whatever the reason, some does only want the one kid.

They are SOOOoo Cute!!!


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

She has plenty of milk for both she's my #1 milker giving almost 3qt a gallon a day. 
Thats A lot of milk for a dwarf goat. 
She was good with both of them day 1 & 2 he got plenty colostrum. 
But she starter kicking him of day 3 now it's day 5. I have started bottle feeding today. When I take him away to bottle feed him she cries for him till I put him back. But then still won't let him feed. 
I thought about taking them both away over night then seeing what she does in the morning but with my luck she would abandon both at that time.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

aceofspades said:


> But she starter kicking him of day 3 now it's day 5. I have started bottle feeding today. When I take him away to bottle feed him she cries for him till I put him back. But then still won't let him feed.
> I thought about taking them both away over night then seeing what she does in the morning but with my luck she would abandon both at that time.


Are you sure she's kicking at him and not pawing at him? Some moms will paw trying to get the baby to get over here and eat. It looks a lot like she's trying to kick at them. She may be tight from him not nursing and pushing him away from that side. Have you tried milking some out from the side first and then putting him up to her and squirting it at his mouth? 
Just trying t think of possibilities....
Did he drink well from the bottle - good sucking motion?


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I had a doe do this last year. I would tie her four times a day and maker her stand for him. I did this religiously for at least two weeks. I never even tried a bottle. I didn't take any crap from that doe. Then I turned the family out with the others and still held her at least twice a day. We had a couple rodeos. One day I spotted him getting a drink on his own while his sister nursed. Finally I quit worrying about it. I can't remember what he weighed at three months, but I remember for sure he weighed 90 lbs at four months. I was holding one of my Saanen does for him after three months because I didn't want him around the girls. Anyway... please don't put me in the "never bottle feed" group, but holding his mother had to be easier than fixing a bottle. JMO.


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

mjgh06 said:


> Are you sure she's kicking at him and not pawing at him? Some moms will paw trying to get the baby to get over here and eat. It looks a lot like she's trying to kick at them. She may be tight from him not nursing and pushing him away from that side. Have you tried milking some out from the side first and then putting him up to her and squirting it at his mouth?
> Just trying t think of possibilities....
> Did he drink well from the bottle - good sucking motion?


Yes I am shore she kicks him off. 
The other baby can nurse from either side she will stand for him but as soon as the darker boy goes for a teat she moves. 
He is very healthy and has no trouble sucking or finding a teat. 
he took right to the bottle.

In the evenings I have been holding her and letting him get a belly full but it may be easier to milk her and bottle feed.


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

When I try holding her she will lay down on him so it takes to people to hold her up where he can reach. 
But I can milk her by hand with no fuss.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm with Tenacross on this. If you really want mom to take him then you need to make her feed him. IMO, we love our goats, but when they are bred and have babies, they have a JOB, and she is not doing her job.
I'd put her on the milk stand and make her nurse him, or hold her and see if she'll nurse him without needing to be restrained anymore than that.

He's such a cute baby, animals just confuse me sometimes.

Anyway, whatever you do I hope it works out well


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

HoosierShadow said:


> I'm with Tenacross on this. If you really want mom to take him then you need to make her feed him. IMO, we love our goats, but when they are bred and have babies, they have a JOB, and she is not doing her job.
> I'd put her on the milk stand and make her nurse him, or hold her and see if she'll nurse him without needing to be restrained anymore than that.
> 
> He's such a cute baby, animals just confuse me sometimes.
> ...


Even on the stand if I put him up there she lays down on him.


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

Guess ill try taking them both away then re introducing if that does not work ill have to keep holding/wrestling with her to make her feed him. 
Thank for all the advice.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

its hard call but since he is already a week old.if it were me I would keep him with her..let her feed the one and bottle feed the other...we would owrk hard to get mom to accept a baby but some times they just wont do it...We had several triplets born last year and a third timer rejected two of her kids...could not get her to take them no matter what so we ended up bottle feeding them while she raised her one doe...another first timer freshener had triplet and rejected them all..we sat with her for two days then she took them all in and would let other kids nurse lol. You just don't know..I would how ever bring the bottle out and milk her and use her milk to feed the baby...she still has some good stuff to offer him : ) good luck..seems to me you are doing everything right...just some times mom digs her heals in and short of sitting on her to feed the baby ...a bottle is the next best thing....


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

Thanks I tried separating them from her over night still no luck. 

But god works on mysterious ways my neighbor just asked if I'd sell them a kid for there son.
I told them if he will come over and bottle feed before and after school than in a couple weeks I will give him the billy kid in exchange for doing a good job.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I had a Doe,that has twins, buckling and doeling, every time, she seems to dislike her Doe kids, she would feed her buck, favor him all the way. If he was nursing the sibling doe better be there, at that time or the momma wouldn't stand alone for the doeling, it is bizarre and I do not understand it.


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