# First time with kidding. Our doe just gave birth need advice.



## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

Hello everyone,

My daughter bought a few does with Christmas money. They were bred but the previous owner did not know how far along they were. We have been checking every 4-6 hours because one of the does had "sacked up". I went out to check and the other doe that did not even look nearly as ready as the other doe has given birth!

It is cold here in Michigan, but mom cleaned the baby off nice and it is healthy. There is still a ton of afterbirth hanging from mom (all the way to the ground). I think she may be working on a second kid. The afterbirth looks maybe like a popped sac or leftover umbilical cord. There is a bubble at the top however. Just looking for some advice in general. I do have photos of the afterbirth if that would help.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Photos would be helpful so that we can see what you are seeing. 

Great job on the healthy baby. Make sure it is dry and fed before it goes to sleep in the cold.


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## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

*here is a photo*


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

She's done except for the placenta. You can tie the cord into a knot to keep her from stepping on it and pulling it too fast. Don't disturb the bubble though, that helps weight it so it comes out easier.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Give mama some nice warm water with molasses or honey in it for a job well done.


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## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

Thanks for the advice everyone. Once I got a closer look at the bubble up top and saw it wasn't filled with fluid I kinda figured she was done.

I do have one more question regarding nursing. The baby is actively seeking to nurse but mom gets freaked out every time the kid gets near her rear. Do we just need to wait until she clears the afterbirth or should we be working on getting her used to nursing now?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Go ahead and work with her now. The nursing will help the afterbirth loosen up.


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## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

OK so my wife and I tried (and tried) to get mom to let the baby nurse. She REALLY is acting like she does not want anything to do with him near her teats. We have tried feeding her grain to distract her and putting a collar on her to keep her from moving too much. She is kicking him and stepping on him and doing anything she can to get her rear away. I checked and she is producing colostrum (or milk), but was not at all happy about me touching her.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Is she a first time mom?

I would milk her and get colostrum into her kid. Hopefully you have a bottle.


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## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

We were told by the previous owner that she has kidded before without issue. I don't have a bottle but I do have a medicine syringe. We will try to milk her.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

It can take a lot of work sometimes. The first timer I had kid a couple weeks ago wanted nothing to do with nursing even though I'd been getting her used to having her udder handled. I had to simultaneously pin her against the wall, hold a leg to stop her from kicking, support her hind end (if she couldn't run away she would try to sit down), and guide the kid to a teat. Bear in mind that I had no assistance, and only two hands! But eventually it worked and by the time I left a few hours later she was letting the kid nurse without being held, and now she's a great mom. Sometimes the instincts just don't kick in right away. Do whatever it takes to get her to stand the first few times, then see if she starts to figure it out.

ETA: If she's a milk goat it's possible that they pulled the kid(s) and bottle fed so she may still be new to nursing.


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## goatdad (Jan 20, 2014)

I tried milking her and she was very uncooperative. I was able to get some colostrum but no more than a teaspoon or so. We went back out and I pinned mom against the wall and lifted her back leg up so she couldn't kick. The kid got to nurse about 2-3 mins on each side.

I think we are making some progress because now he is VERY interested. She still is moving to the side when he gets ready to latch on but she is no longer kicking or stomping. We are just going to keep going out every few hours and having a wrestling match until she gets it.

I have to say... I cannot imagine doing that job by myself. I was exhausted after holding her up and fighting with her and I didn't even have to deal with the kid.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

It was a workout! Luckily she's not very big, although she does have horns. It sounds like your girl will figure it out too. The biggest problem with my girl is she wanted the baby in front of her where she could see and smell him, and got upset when he was back there out of reach. That and the sitting - which she still does a bit if I try to milk her, but she'll figure it out.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> I had to simultaneously pin her against the wall, hold a leg to stop her from kicking, support her hind end (if she couldn't run away she would try to sit down), and guide the kid to a teat. Bear in mind that I had no assistance, and only two hands! But eventually it worked and by the time I left a few hours later she was letting the kid nurse without being held, and now she's a great mom. Sometimes the instincts just don't kick in right away. Do whatever it takes to get her to stand the first few times, then see if she starts to figure it out.


I did it that way a couple of times, then decided nuts to this noise! I put a halter on her and tied her short to the fence, then tied a back leg to the fence using a soft rope, shoved her up against said fence with my shoulder kind of under her flank and got the kid nursing. It was so much easier - well, except for the getting up part. :laugh:


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

That still won't help with the sitting on the kid. It was also night and they were in a stall; harder to tie to anything. But I'll keep it in mind if I have to do it again!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

A shot of Banamine can do wonders for those FF's who are hurting and don't want their kids down there. Saves me almost every time from having to do all that.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> That still won't help with the sitting on the kid. It was also night and they were in a stall; harder to tie to anything. But I'll keep it in mind if I have to do it again!


Ah. I guess you're not familiar with a trouble light, or maybe your set-up doesn't have electricity. The stall problem can easily be fixed with a couple of eye-bolts screwed into strategic places. And it's a little difficult to sit with one back leg stretched out, my shoulder under her flank, and being shoved into the fence.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

ksalvagno said:


> A shot of Banamine can do wonders for those FF's who are hurting and don't want their kids down there. Saves me almost every time from having to do all that.


Does it work during winter kidding (I'm sorry, I have no idea what it is called when alpaca's give birth), too? I've never tried it because I figured it would take a good 20 minutes or so to get into their system enough to relieve the pain, and that is not an option when it's cold.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Probably not in your situation. Giving it IM will help it go faster but don't know how fast you need it to work. Even in winter I can get away with 20 minutes because it usually isn't as cold here as other places. I can also lock up my barn which makes a difference in temp.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I do have a stall, and there is an eye bolt or two for bucket hanging but not in strategic places to hold a goat. And I didn't have any spares in my kidding kit


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

I see, and I can understand that.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

ksalvagno said:


> Probably not in your situation. Giving it IM will help it go faster but don't know how fast you need it to work. Even in winter I can get away with 20 minutes because it usually isn't as cold here as other places. I can also lock up my barn which makes a difference in temp.


Depending on how bad the winter is and what the temps are, if the kids aren't up and sucking within about 5 to 10 minutes of hitting the ground, I've got a problem. I also do not have the option of shutting my does in a barn, although I'm hoping that will be an option in the not too distant future. I've now got a fully enclosed kidding shed, but we have to get it wired and put some windows in the south side to warm it up. It has a concrete floor and it is a good 10 degrees colder than the outside temps. Thanks for the tip, and I will remember it for future reference!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Oops, I meant to say I do have electricity in the stall.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

No problem! Invest in a trouble light - they are invaluable in these kinds of situations!

http://www.lowes.com/pd_203266-1373...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I have one. Not sure how that applies in this situation though?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Light! You had said it was dark and you couldn't see very well?


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Oh no - there's light in the stall, I just meant I wasn't going to take her OUT to use a fence to tie to. (Plus my fence has hot wire all the way around, that probably wouldn't go over well.)


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