# How to get one Doe to accept another Doe's kid



## Bellamiss (Dec 5, 2011)

Hi, hope someone can help on this!! We have 2 pet Does, Bella and Missy, and both of them were pregnant. Missy gave birth on the 24th Nov to 2 healthy kids, (Chocca and Bambi) Bella gave birth on Saturday, she had only one kid, very big, and in breech position, which sadly was stillborn. We live in Spain, and 2 of our Spanish friends/neighbours have said that we should take one of Missy's kids off her, and after 24 hours separation, put it to Bella. Missy has always favoured Chocca, and apart from letting her suckle, has mostly ignored Bambi, so if we did do this we would try and introduce Bambi as Bella's kid, but we want to know (A) is this possible and (B) if Bella did not accept Bambi, would Missy then take her back :? Hope someone can throw some light on this...many thanks in advance
A very novice goat breeder :whatgoat:


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm sorry to hear that you lost the baby. It never gets easier.  

However, I wouldn't take the other mommas baby. It will just cause a lot of unnecessary stress on the kid, her dam and the other dam. 

The only time I've been able to get a doe to adopt another kid is during birthing...so that I could rub the fluids from the other kids on to the kid I'm trying to get adopted.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I agree with Jess. 
You could always milk her for your own use. : )


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## TinyHoovesRanch (Jan 16, 2010)

I had a doe this year with a stillborn. We had a bottle baby who was a.few weeks old. We held her down and the baby nursed. The doe instantly fell in lovw and that baby is hers


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I think it is possible. I'm not sure it would be a great move at this point. I think most does can raise two.

I have never done this with goats, but I can guarentee you I will be 
trying the first time I have one with triplets or quads. I have successfully grafted calves on to cows that were not thier mothers.

Coni Ross mentioned a technique of her's to do this in The Boer Goat
magazine. She puts the doe and the kid to be grafted in a dark room.
Her theory is the darkness helps them bond quicker. She restrains the
doe and encourages the kid to suck several times a day for several
days. She says after the does own milk starts coming out the other
end of the kid she will accept it. This made sense to me because that
is exactly how it works with calves and nurse cows.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I am currently holding a doe who's 3 week old kid left for his new home to allow a 1 week old kid to nurse. She is nice to him in general and they snuggle up together but unless I hold her he can't get near her udder. 

I don't really see the point in removing one of the kids from the other mom though. You would have to keep the mom separate for quite some time to get her to not take the kid back. Just more stress than necessary for all unless there is a reason to do it.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Yes it is possible. I would probably try because I am lazy and like to have a kid on my does so I can skip milking if I want/need to.
This year all the kids nursed off of all the mothers for several weeks until the moms started pushing away the ones who were not theirs. Even then they would sneak when the does were at the manger eating.
I lost a mother to a tragic accident many years ago. A week later our Bridget lost her baby. I took Anna's baby, rubbed the dead baby all over him and put him on Bridget. They took to each other and she raised him just fine.
As to triplets. My Shasta raised hers fat and sassy this year, no problem.


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## Bellamiss (Dec 5, 2011)

Hi All,
Thanks for the quick replies and the info and input. We are still not sure what to do, although Missy is allowing Bambi to suckle (just) she is not showing her any other affection, and Bella is so sad, shouting for her dead baby all day and night, so we are of the mind that if we did try to put Bambi to Bella and she did accept her, Missy would be happy just looking after Chocca, and Bella and Bambi would be happy because they would have each other!
I will keep you posted on what we decide and the outcome,
many thanks again :kidred: :kidblue:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Well you can, but its probably not a great move in this particular situation. 

There are certain 'tricks' you can use to try to get a doe to accept a foster kid. 

You can wipe birthing fluids, placenta, milk, or mum's urine and poo all over the kid. 
You can put something strong smelling on the mums nose and kids bum. 
You can skin her dead kid and tie it onto the new one. 
You can restrain her several times a day to feed the kid. 

Honestly I've tried all the 'tricks' and havent found them to make much of a difference. If you give them the spare kid before they drop their placenta, the majority of the time they will accept the kid straight away. If its been a bit longer since she kidded, I've found none of the tricks work and they are pretty gross, you may as well just restrain the doe a few times a day for the kid to nurse, if by the end of a week doing this she still hasnt accepted the kid, in my experience she never will. The exception to all of this are very rare does who just love babies and will nurse anything that comes near them at any time. 

Back to your situation. I wouldnt really recommend trying to graft the kid onto the doe, unless the kid is not being fed by its own mother. You run the risk of both mothers rejecting it after you've messed around, and ending up with an orphan to bottle feed. There is no reason to take it off mum if she is feeding it. 

As to your doe who doesnt have a kid, if she is a high yielding dairy breed you may need to milk her to prevent mastitis. If she is a fibre or meat breed, or if she doesnt have much milk anyway, she should be ok just to dry off. 

Alternatively, leave the twins on mum and ask around to see if anyone has a bottle baby. Either a lamb or kid will work, you can graft that onto the doe so she is rearing something, that way she will be milked out and she will also be earning her keep. 

Good luck with whatever you decide


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## 4kids (Jul 21, 2009)

I have done this a bunch of times and at different times after birth. However, I would suggest not taking the second kid away but using the additional doe in milk as a reserve. For example- take the undernourished kid and put the doe who lost the kid up in a stanchion. Let the kid nurse. Then return them all together. I have had kids do this an eventually go to both mom's for milk. It insures that your smaller kid gets appropriate nutrition. At first she may not like it, but it is possible!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

4kids said:


> I have done this a bunch of times and at different times after birth. However, I would suggest not taking the second kid away but using the additional doe in milk as a reserve. For example- take the undernourished kid and put the doe who lost the kid up in a stanchion. Let the kid nurse. Then return them all together. I have had kids do this an eventually go to both mom's for milk. It insures that your smaller kid gets appropriate nutrition. At first she may not like it, but it is possible!


That is good thinking.


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## Bellamiss (Dec 5, 2011)

Again, thanks for all your advice and input. We have sorted things out, thanks to a friend of a friend who had an orphaned lamb, he brought her round yesterday, and we put her to Bella (had to hold her, but she let her suckle quite happily) and now Bella is quite happy letting both Negrita (the lamb) and our 2 kids (yes, they obviously both decided if Negrita could do it, so could they, lol) suckle her. We are so relieved as we were worried she may get mastitis, and also we now know that Bambi is getting plenty of milk between her Mum and her "Aunty", and Bella is much more content, not shouting all the time for her lost kid, so a happy outcome for all involved.
Many thanks again, it is great to know that there is a site like this where you can get good sound advice and support  :lovey:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Very cool. Nice going.

What kind of goats do you have?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

That is great! Very few does are so excepting! You have a real keeper there.


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## Bellamiss (Dec 5, 2011)

Tenacross said:


> Very cool. Nice going.
> 
> What kind of goats do you have?


To be honest, not sure, lol We rescued Bella when she was only a kid herself, found her tied to a tree with no water, food or shelter, so gave her Spanish owner 40 euros for her. Then we got Rosie, who was, unbeknown to us, already pregnant with Missy. Sadly Rosie died 2 years ago. We think they are Andalucians, but to us they are just pets, same as our 3 rescue dogs, and our 14 hens


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I am so happy this has worked out for you. I would not be able to handle a mom calling for her lost baby. And the little lamb is getting good nutrition.


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