# Inactive newborn kids



## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

I had a young maiden doe kid this morning with twins. We live in Canada and it's very cold here. After they were born, they seemed to be doing fine - the doeling even nursed on her own while we held the doe. The bucking seemed slower and we ended up syringing colostrum into him. After they fed, they went to sleep and seemed to be getting too cold so we brought them and the doe into the house, warmed the kids with a bath and blow dry. The seem nice and warm now and their mouths aren't cold anymore. 

My question is that they don't seem to really want to wake up, move or nurse on their own. If you put your finger in their mouth they don't even really suck and the doeling is the only one that has stood up.

They were born 5 hours ago and we've fed them each 20mls of colostrum split into two feedings. As soon as they eat, they go to sleep and don't wake up unless we wake them.

Mom is tolerating them but isn't calling to them since we brought them all in the house and we have to hold her to try to get them to nurse (which they haven't wanted to do). They are all just laying together sleeping.

I guess my questions are: should they be more active at this point (i.e. waking and trying to stand on their own) and any tips on how I can transition them to nursing once they are strong enough to stand?

My Boers that I kidded out in the spring were way more active, stood within a hour, were nursing, or at least sucking on everything in sight.

Pics coming.


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## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

*Re: Inactive newborn kids - pics added*



















Not sure what breed or colour they are called. Next year she will be bred to my Boer buck.

I sure hope these kids make it.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I've not had it happen here but I have seen posts from others with the same situation you are in, I do believe that no suck reflex in kids is due to a selenium deficiency. Keep them warm and fed, if you can get the selenium gel or even the script of BoSe I think it would help.
They are adorable...and mom looks to have some nubian or alpine in her.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Give them Bo-se and nutra drench..... it will help stimulate appetite and give them energy...... Keep them warm..... rub them... with your hand all over......it stimulates them to get up..... make sure they eat....if you have to feed them more from a syringe.... do so.... to get more into their tummy....keep working with them.....get them to nurse from mom..... has she licked them...and being a momma? 

Congrats on the new babies... they are adorable..... :thumb:


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## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

Thank you. I had forgotten to mention that I gave a shot of Sel-E (.5ml) a few hours ago. After I posted, I woke them up again. The buckling started sucking everything in sight and found his way to Mom. She let him have a good nurse while she layed down. The doeling didn't want to wake up but I have a feeling she's still full from her last syringe feed so I will try in a little bit.

I think they are doing better but I will keep a close watch on them.

She is calling to them and nuzzling them now....no licking though.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

That sounds good ...keep working with the doeling... stimulate rub her.... she needs that.... to help get her going....if momma isn't doing it.... if you can get nutra drench...that will be great... or give her a little shot of vit b Complex to help appetite...... that will entice her to get up to eat... :hug:


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

I had this issue with two sets of kids this year that were born in the cold months. Took them inside, but them in a basket under an electric blanket set on medium to keep them warm. Fed colostrum through a syringe every 20 minutes. I also diluted some Karo syrup with pedialite and syringed it with the colostrum every 20 minutes. These babies had problems with standing and a suckle reflex as well. They turned around within 5 hours with this care. Just too cold I think. Nutri-drench is also amazing, and a BoSe shot ASAP after birth is essential.


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

a mix of brandy, molasses ( or dark karo syrup) and some nutri drench usually gets them kickin.

I don't get terrible cold, but when we had january kids born in 20 degree weather that mix perked them up


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## RedStickLA (Jan 6, 2009)

Cute Babies! How are they doing?


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## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

Sadly we lost the doeling last night....she was doing well and then crashed really fast.

The buck is just able to stand now but is very shakey. The doe will only let him nurse if she is laying down and he is so weak that she moves her leg in front of the teat and stops him from nursing . We are still helping out a lot.

Any tips for a young doe that won't stand for nursing?

edited to add: what would the dosage be for the B-complex?


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## Lexibot (Jul 27, 2010)

Tie her up and force her I guess 

Sad you lost the doeling, so hard to lose babies, especially the females...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh no...I am so sorry you lost her....  :hug: 

Keep doing what you are doing with the buckling... there is nothing wrong with feeding him while momma is on the ground..... if she allows it....

Make sure... she isn't over tight in the udder... that is another thing... as to why ....she may be kicking him away..... milk her out a little and feed it to the kid.... you can try to start bottle feeding him ...just in case...

Has your momma got up at all....?Is she eating?
Give her warm molasses water....
take her temp.... if she doesn't have a high temp.....Could possibly be.. milk fever.... treat her with the calcium drench...

If she is able to get up and not weak .... just being stubborn... tie her up snug and also tie her back leg( the one that you are working with) or put her in a milk stand......... and feed the kid.... tickle the kid on the back area... just before the tail head.... this stimulates the kid to want to nurse.... remember... each time you do this ....that you switch sides of the udder...... sounds like.... she hasn't really bonded with him or is sick......  

The B- complex says the dosage on the bottle... how much to inject.... :hug:


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## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

Momma seems fine...she is eating, perky and alert. She seems to accept the kid when he is near her but she doesn't like him or call to him or anything.

As soon as you put him up to nurse she lays down....she is very willing to move her leg to give access to the teat but I'm sure if we weren't helping he wouldn't be getting much milk because he is so weak.

I gave him the Vit B complex now and woke him up to nurse....he took a little suck then went back to sleeping so I milk about 8 ml out of her and syringe fed it to him....after he was almost done he started suckling well so I put him back on her and he had a pretty good nurse. After that we went right back to sleep. I woke him up and had him stand and he wobbled over to Mom, cuddled into her neck and went right back to sleep.

His belly feels full. Just wondering if I'm on the right track and should he be have some awake period? By day two with my Boer kids they were bouncing around like crazy....

Thanks for all of the help so far.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Your welcome..... :hug: 

Sounds like.... she hasn't bonded with him..... keep them in a smaller pen area together...with no other goats.... at all times ...until she bonds with him.....and feeds him on her own........ it will take a while.... but eventually with work....she will begin ....to know how to be a momma ...as for now.... she has no idea..... 
If she tries to lay down.... smack her.. just before the udder on her belly...open handed.... before she tries to lay down.....tell her to quit..... if she goes down ...make her get up..... put a strong bucket....under her belly.... so... if she tries .....she can't lay down all the way....... keep working with her.... it should happen.... I f she does what she is suppose to do ...give her a treat to reward her....

Just make sure.... his belly has food in it...if he gets empty... that is when ...he is more prone... to more weakness and possibly going sub temp....
Can you get a temp on him? 
Also.... has he passed the black poo plug.... and is he pooing fine? If not... give him a enema.... Also...Make sure ...he is staying warm... if he gets cold... that will make him ...not want to play...or stay awake.... if he is sub....make sure... his temp... is at least 100 degrees ...before you feed him...

Yes... usually....day 2 they are bouncing around.... but... when they are weak....cold...hungry...deficient on vitamins ..ect.... they don't thrive well.... 
Giving nutra drench is a miracle ....it is packed with all the vitamins...and gives energy..... making them hungry and want to move around....I recommend you getting some for him.......


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I am so sorry about your doeling, and all your little buckling is going through, and of course You too! I can imagine I would be a wreck  And this is one of my greatest fears, especially coming into the winter months.


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