# HELP!!!! Doe kid won't nurse off of mama



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

This doe came Tuesday this week. She was a twin, but the buck came stillborn. We've been milking mama and bottle feeding her, but she just won't SUCK!!! ARG!! Any help or suggestions will be taken.


----------



## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

Do you want her to drink from the bottle or the mum?

(Also sorry about the buckling, poor thing)


----------



## cathy page (Nov 16, 2017)

I had that happen a few times, if your moma is gentle enough to tie to fence so you can get close to utter, get the baby there too, give a little drink from bottle to make her want it, keep putting moms nipple to her mouth, she may come around, this may take a day or so or if you do this many times a day she will come around, you have to want this to happen as it is very hard work for a bit, but if it works it is rewarding.


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

The issue is that she won't nurse at ALL! All she does is play with the nipple real or fake.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Put some molasses on the teat/nipple. 

How old is she?


----------



## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

GF3 Boer Goats said:


> The issue is that she won't nurse at ALL! All she does is play with the nipple real or fake.


How frustrating! I had a kid that wouldn't nurse from the bottle in summer but would nurse from it quite well when I put real goat milk in it, not replacement! Hence it might be worth trying to mix something else in mumma's milk like honey, molasses, etc to make it taste sweeter. Then squirt a bit in her mouth and see if the sweetness tempts her?

Otherwise try putting a *tiny* bit oh honey (literally put a bit on your finger and rub it all over the teat, either mumma's teat or the bottle. Again I can't garauntee it'll work but I managed to teach month old, dam raised kids (who are always fussy) to drink from two different types of teats by putting honey on the end (except then teaching them to drink without the honey become a problem... but better than nothing). That's also another thing you could try, switching the teat style? What type are you using?


----------



## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Patience and time


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did you give her selenium and B complex?


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Are you getting at least some colostrum and milk into her? You can tube feed her (It's not as hard as it sounds - especially if you have a vet or experienced goat person to show you how). Or you can just syringe it into the back corner of her mouth and stroke her throat so she will swallow. It's messy, so WEAR A TOWEL. Also, Karen's question about the selenium and B vitamins is key. Those supplements will quickly help her to develop a good sucking reflex.


----------



## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

And repeat the B


----------



## cathy page (Nov 16, 2017)

I hope your baby is now eating at least a little, you will be surprised at how little it takes to keep a stuborn baby alive, I use bottle nipples from Sydel, they fit a baby bottle and the kids like them best, they are the nipples they sell for bucket feeding.


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

She is 3 days old (roughly), she is on a pritchard teat. We milk the mother so, we don't waste money on replacer.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good advice.
Hopefully she will be OK.


----------



## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

GF3 Boer Goats said:


> She is 3 days old (roughly), she is on a pritchard teat. We milk the mother so, we don't waste money on replacer.


That is the most popular teat. I'd say just try honey or molasses in the milk or on the teat. Plus as said above, make sure to syringe at least a little colostrum into her or she'll never get better really. It's easiest to do a few suringefuls multiple times a day, by 24 hours my two latest bottle babies would suck on the syringe for colostrum so I then started trying again properly with the bottle when they realise it's not poison


----------



## MilkandMeatgoats (Jan 21, 2017)

I have had the same issue and used a different nipple and the kid eventually latched on to the bottle, one even preferred a regular baby bottle. It took me a week last year (trying every time I bottle fed on a four hour schedule) to get a kid to nurse off of him mom. She was a first freshener and we had to put her in the milk stand and encourage him to suck. She didn’t want him to nurse and he didn’t want to get kicked but after a week of encouragement for both, they both caved and I was able to sleep!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do agree.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I would highly suspect selenium deficience - a weak/stillborn male kid and a female kid who has poor suck/latch are both classic signs. If you have other pregnant does - get them a dose of selenium right away.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yep


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

Sorry I haven't responded it's LONG week at the farm. We had a doe loose a set trips after struggling to keep her alive. We did give babies selenium shots when born and a Vitamin B-12 shot. The Mom isn't producing a lot of milk so, giving her some Oxytocin. Baby is nursing from bottle drinking 10-12 oz a day from 4 feedings. Just has been a little rocker for the past few days. We have one doe left to kid now from our purchase at an auction. (she came from Oregon). Then we wait from spring kidding.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Low milk production is also a sign of selenium deficiency.

I highly recommend you give that last pregnant doe a Bo-Se injection ASAP


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm so sorry for the losses. I had one horrendous kidding season several years ago when I changed my mineral supplementation up. Selenium deficiency can wreck your whole year.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am sorry for the losses. 

Oxytocin should not be given to a doe after her cervix is closed. 

To help build her milk, I would make sure she is getting plenty of water or electrolytes, good alfalfa hay, grain. Also allow her kids to nurse, that helps stimulate her to drop more milk. Bumping and milking her, then feeding it to her kids helps too. Supplement feed the kids and also allow them to nurse off mama. Eventually she will produce more, unless she has mastitis. Have you checked her?


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> I am sorry for the losses.
> 
> Oxytocin should not be given to a doe after her cervix is closed.
> 
> To help build her milk, I would make sure she is getting plenty of water or electrolytes, good alfalfa hay, grain. Also allow her kids to nurse, that helps stimulate her to drop more milk. Bumping and milking her, then feeding it to her kids helps too. Supplement feed the kids and also allow them to nurse off mama. Eventually she will produce more, unless she has mastitis. Have you checked her?


We have been bumping her udder, given her electrolytes, given her nice alfalfa hay, and etc. Baby is now sucking off of her and bottle. Hopefully we get the mom to make more milk. The doe who lost her kids had/has toxemia. Struggling to get her to stand up.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good to hear, she is feeding her baby and you are feeding mama right. Continue to do that and she should kick into producing more milk sometime soon.

So the other Doe still has toxemia? Is she getting treatment?


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> Good to hear, she is feeding her baby and you are feeding mama right. Continue to do that and she should kick into producing more milk sometime soon.
> 
> So the other Doe still has toxemia? Is she getting treatment?


Yes we are still feeding mama and the doe w/ toxemia still has it and she is still getting treated for it. The vet is coming Tuesday to preg check our hogs and look at this doe.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad all is good with the doe and her babies.

The doe with toxemia: it seems strange she isn't getting better after kidding? How much calcium and what is she getting? How often? 

Is she still in heavy milk?


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

The doe that has toxemia never came into milk.


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

Doe has passed away.... autopsy being performed around 10:30.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I am so sorry you lost her


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so very sorry, was it the doe with Toxemia? 
If she was given too much calcium drench or other kind, it could of stopped her heart.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm so sorry.


----------



## GF3 Boer Goats (Sep 25, 2017)

the doe with toxemia is the one that passed. She died due to the toxemia the rest of her body was in perfect condition, except her udder. She had mastitis, but that was all.


----------



## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

So sorry you have been through so much and have tried all you could in a short amount of time!

I️ commend you for all the efforts, even though it didn’t all work out. So sorry. Every loss is hard. 

Thank you for sharing though. As we all learn

Know you did your best and those animals know or knew you cared. That’s important and not to be over looked.

God Bless


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




----------

