# Once a bad mother always a bad mother?



## HaulingOats (Jun 26, 2018)

I had my Doe 2 years old kid for the first time and she was a god awful mother wouldn’t not let the kids nurse, I had the vet out said there was nothing wrong with her just wasn’t interested in being a mother, and asked if she was bottle raised and she was and said that was likely why, just never learned the motherly nature, do you guys think she will be like this every kidding or she will get better each time?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That isn't true. I had a 6 year old doe who never got to raise kids prior to me owning her and was a bottle baby herself do a great job. I'm always willing to give them one more chance. If they are a bad mom the second time, then it is the freezer for me since I won't pass that on to anyone else.


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## SandyNubians (Feb 18, 2017)

I agree, not always true. If its their first time, I can sometimes excuse the behavior, they are new to it and not sure what to do. If they do it again the next year they are sold as pets (I give full knowledge of why she shouldn't be bred) or put in freezer camp. I did have one doe I bred 3 times, to get some meat wether and a replacement doe. First 2 times she was a terrible mother, that was fine with me since I pulled the kids. The third time was my last time I was breeding her, then right to freezer camp. But it was so strange, something seemed to click. I just missed her kidding by minutes, when I walked in she was right there cleaning her kids, then nursed them, and raised them. I bred her 2 more times of which she was an excellent mother, before she was rehomed. If she is a really good doe and you like her, I would give her another chance.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Being a bottle baby has nothing to do with it. Actually all my bottle babies have Been the most wonderful mother’s I have. 
It may happen again it may not. I cull over it. They have one job and that is to raise their kids and I won’t stick another year of feed into her just for another chance more dreaded bottle kids. But that’s me. If you like this for, if she is worth feeding and giving her another go then try again. 
How long ago was the kids born? If very recently I would keep trying to get the kids on her. I have had first timers before that I swore I was going to have to sell but once I started to latch those kids on they were like “wow! Thats really nice” and ended up being wonderful mother’s to those and future kids.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

I agree to wait and see and give it time. First kiddings are often different than the rest. Re-evaluate after a second birth. 

It's hard to hear the decision to cull goats based on the fact they don't have motherly instincts. I run a pet farm, one day I hope to be the person who takes in the bucks that are bad for breeding, the lonely and unwanted wethers, and the god-awful mothers.

:haha:

Until then, I suggest giving her another chance, and before deciding to cull her, contact friends and make advertisements to people who will accept a pet goat, as if she is bottle fed I'm sure she has a great personality to be one.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I’m sorry it is hard for you to hear some will cull over a doe not having good motherly instincts but the fact of life is not everyone has pet goats. My goats are livestock. They are treated as such. When it costs $150 to raise a bottle baby and I average $150 a kid at market price what is that doe good for? Where would the money come from to feed her? I have 44 does at the moment, that would get expensive very fast. And I surely would not move along a doe that does literally the one and only job she has in life just so a free loader can stay. Now I get not everyone sees eye to eye with me. Not everyone can not afford to give a doe a second chance and hope that it all goes fine. I respect that. But I don’t have pet goats. I also take pride in the fact that I am breeding stock with very strong maternal traits.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> I'm sorry it is hard for you to hear some will cull over a doe not having good motherly instincts but the fact of life is not everyone has pet goats. My goats are livestock. They are treated as such. When it costs $150 to raise a bottle baby and I average $150 a kid at market price what is that doe good for? Where would the money come from to feed her? I have 44 does at the moment, that would get expensive very fast. And I surely would not move along a doe that does literally the one and only job she has in life just so a free loader can stay. Now I get not everyone sees eye to eye with me. Not everyone can not afford to give a doe a second chance and hope that it all goes fine. I respect that. But I don't have pet goats. I also take pride in the fact that I am breeding stock with very strong maternal traits.


Of course, I should mention I don't look down on anyone for their herd choices as we do what we have to do as goat owners, to make good stock, to survive financially. I understand, I disagree, but I totally understand. Don't feel the need to explain yourself to me, I do not hate on people for personal and educated choices.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Also take into account her age. If she is a young mother, she may not have been ready mentally to be a mom the first time around.


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## SilverCreekFarm (Apr 19, 2019)

More likely due to her being a new mom. My bottle babies from last year are now fine young moms. They are friendlier than my other goats making them easier to manage. However they tend not to respect personal space because they think of us as the feed bucket.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> Of course, I should mention I don't look down on anyone for their herd choices as we do what we have to do as goat owners, to make good stock, to survive financially. I understand, I disagree, but I totally understand. Don't feel the need to explain yourself to me, I do not hate on people for personal and educated choices.


I'm sorry I took your reply wrong. I thought you were shamming those that cull over it. A lot of people don't see the other side of things. I wish on one hand I didn't have to cull any of them for anything but I just don't have the time or the money not to. But I apologize if I was snippy


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All, very good advice.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> I'm sorry I took your reply wrong. I thought you were shamming those that cull over it. A lot of people don't see the other side of things. I wish on one hand I didn't have to cull any of them for anything but I just don't have the time or the money not to. But I apologize if I was snippy


No worries. All good.


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## HaulingOats (Jun 26, 2018)

Thanks! I was also wondering maybe I cleaned them up too early, they picked the coldest night of the year to be born -35 Celsius so I made sure I got them cleaned and dried off quickly and maybe I just wiped her smell off too quickly, do you think that’s a possibility?


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## HaulingOats (Jun 26, 2018)

They are weaned off and gone now 3 months old, she’s just a pet I don’t need to breed her I just enjoy having all the kids running around in the spring and if t was something I had to deal with every year I just wouldn’t breed her again, she’s a 2 year old doe, I’ll try her again but it was just so time consuming running out there every day wrestling her and holding her still so her babies could eat


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