# Photo Presentation of an Assisted Kidding



## Rubystargoats (Jul 6, 2012)

I put this together for a FB group, and was told I should share it here, too. Enjoy! I'll split them into two groups of photos as there are 14 photos. If someone wants to use them for a newsletter or 4-H or something, let me know and I can send them to you.


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## Rubystargoats (Jul 6, 2012)

Part two


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## crownofjules (Dec 31, 2013)

Amazing photos! Thank you for sharing the reality of a hard kidding to us newbies  :baby:


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Hardest I think is when two try to come out at the same time. So hard to tell what legs belong to which one  Good job on this post.


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## Spanish (Feb 13, 2013)

great job, should help alot of newbies.


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## luvmygoat (Jan 1, 2014)

Wow that is awesome information!! My Noel is getting close and it will be our (mine and hers) first time, now I feel a little more prepared!! Thanx for the pics!!!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Very nice job!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good post!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice work. 

How about the Doe with cayenne pepper in her uterus and the Oxytocin, 3cc's was quite a bit, was she seen by the vet the next day for the tear?


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## Rubystargoats (Jul 6, 2012)

Yes, I think the 3 cc's was a bit much, watching her reaction to it. If I encounter that situation again, I will likely reduce the dose. This was my first experience with a tear, and it being during off-hours I didn't want to take any chances.

And no, I did not take her to the vet. She stabilized well, and didn't have any signs of infection. I generally don't take animals to the vet unless the condition is not responding to my own care. Had she kidded during office hours, I probably would have at least called in for advise. My vet is a dairy cow vet, and tends to be hands off unless the situation is beyond what he thinks the owner can do themselves. He had a goat friend doing IV's on a doe, so he thinks you to do a lot of it yourself... Kinda has to since he's one of only three large animal vets serving the south end of my county.
This was a doozy of a kidding...the closest I've ever been to losing a doe during kidding, and I've kidded quite a few since 2001.


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

Cool! Thanks for sharing


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## DoubleR (Jan 13, 2014)

Great post and glad there's a happy ending! Thanks for sharing!


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## Serenity Woods (Apr 2, 2012)

When you say that bouncing her revealed clumps of blood, do you mean that bouncing was actually forcing the blood out of her where it was visible? Or that you could feel it inside her? If inside, can you please explain how you tell the difference between clumps and actual babies. Thank you. Your photo series is excellent.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Rubystargoats said:


> Yes, I think the 3 cc's was a bit much, watching her reaction to it. If I encounter that situation again, I will likely reduce the dose. This was my first experience with a tear, and it being during off-hours I didn't want to take any chances.
> 
> And no, I did not take her to the vet. She stabilized well, and didn't have any signs of infection. I generally don't take animals to the vet unless the condition is not responding to my own care. Had she kidded during office hours, I probably would have at least called in for advise. My vet is a dairy cow vet, and tends to be hands off unless the situation is beyond what he thinks the owner can do themselves. He had a goat friend doing IV's on a doe, so he thinks you to do a lot of it yourself... Kinda has to since he's one of only three large animal vets serving the south end of my county.
> This was a doozy of a kidding...the closest I've ever been to losing a doe during kidding, and I've kidded quite a few since 2001.


3cc's was way to much oxytocin for her. It is 1/2 cc to 1cc.
She was way overdosed, I am surprised her uterus didn't rupture. You must be very careful with Oxtocin. It is extremely hard on the Doe and can kill them under certain situations, especially if she had a tear.

Make sure, she is still open, when you give it and always after she is finished kidding, to expel hanging or retained afterbirth.

Uterine tears need repaired ASAP or she may bleed to death. I really do not think she had a tear, some Does have a lot of blood show up with some kiddings, it looks scary, but, with some, it is part of the birthing. I have seen a lot of blood come out with a kid before, but they don't continue to drip blood or start to weaken, as this would be the case with your Doe, for a tear or rupture. It is very serious and an emergency.

Normal dosage for Oxytocin is basically around 1 cc per 100 lb IM, but it is better to go a bit under while dosing. 
Glad there was a good outcome.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Awesome pictorial :thumbup:

Awesome outcome too :hug:


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

Great thread! I guess if you hadn't been there to assist, you would have lost everybody. Not a moment to worry about tying back your hair!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Great post! We've had a couple of really hard births, and a couple of scary ones.

We have had babies born head first/no feet and had no issues, thankfully. We had one deliver breech the other day, one leg back, one forward, it was a lot of work for her to get him out, but I knew if I went in to reposition him, I'd probably have broken the cord and made it worse. So sometimes you have to have faith in your does. This doe was quite experienced <I would have repositioned if she'd been a first timer or smaller doe>, so I had faith in her, but it was still very tense since she decided to take her time bonding with the first baby lol


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Wow, I was nervous just following the pictures! Glad everything worked out....
Last year I had a doe with a breeched kid. I (of course) wasn't prepared, so I ran inside to wash and lubricate my hands, and when I came out she had got him out without my assistance! A big buckling too..... I agree that you sometimes have to have faith in your does and let nature do its thing, unless you suspect that you're risking the health/life of the doe and kids.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

toth boer goats said:


> 3cc's was way to much oxytocin for her. It is 1/2 cc to 1cc.
> She was way overdosed, I am surprised her uterus didn't rupture. You must be very careful with Oxtocin. It is extremely hard on the Doe and can kill them under certain situations, especially if she had a tear.
> 
> Make sure, she is still open, when you give it and always after she is finished kidding, to expel hanging or retained afterbirth.
> ...


I agree. Just for any newbies that see this, even with my full sized does (and some of mine weigh close to or over 200 lbs) IF I give Oxytocin I usually always just give 1 cc IM. Oxytocin causes hard contractions and milk let down and should never be given if there is a possibility of the doe having another kid.

Really good photos though, I always plan to take pics but end up out there by myself (in the dark! lol ) and I always forget about the camera until after the kids are born.

I think the hardest birth I ever had was a younger doe trying to have twins at the same time, and she wanted to stand up to do it. I managed to get a hold of the two legs that went to one kid and pulled him out. I've had a couple breech kids, one with the front legs back, and one with one front leg back. Luckily I've never had one with its head back (knock on wood) or upside down (again knock on wood!). Keeping the girls up on their selenium and other minerals REALLY helps in reducing kidding problems but with multiples you typically end up with at least one being in the wrong position.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

ptgoats45 said:


> I agree. Just for any newbies that see this, even with my full sized does (and some of mine weigh close to or over 200 lbs) IF I give Oxytocin I usually always just give 1 cc IM. Oxytocin causes hard contractions and milk let down and should never be given if there is a possibility of the doe having another kid.
> 
> Really good photos though, I always plan to take pics but end up out there by myself (in the dark! lol ) and I always forget about the camera until after the kids are born.
> 
> I think the hardest birth I ever had was a younger doe trying to have twins at the same time, and she wanted to stand up to do it. I managed to get a hold of the two legs that went to one kid and pulled him out. I've had a couple breech kids, one with the front legs back, and one with one front leg back. Luckily I've never had one with its head back (knock on wood) or upside down (again knock on wood!). Keeping the girls up on their selenium and other minerals REALLY helps in reducing kidding problems but with multiples you typically end up with at least one being in the wrong position.


Thank you, yes, I just want to be sure, no one over doses their Doe and she dies from giving too high dosage of Oxytocin, it is very touchy and powerful. Glad you seen my concern. :hug:

I can't take a camera out with me at kidding, cause I always seem to have hands of goo, LOL :lol:


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## Pygmylover (Oct 20, 2013)

Thanks Ruby! And give your nursing school friend a hug from all of us newbies! :-D


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Wow, what a great post. 

I really think this should be made into a sticky, how do we get that done?


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Brought this back to the top in hopes a moderator would be willing to make this a sticky.

This is a wonderful "stay calm and just get it done" thread that will help many newbies.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Interesting photos. It's a bit different than how I like to do things, but seems like you do a good job. I don't recommend the hanging upside down or swinging the kid though. The swinging can be compared to shaken baby syndrome in terms of causing possible damage. I don't ever do this, but if someone feels the need, you have to be extremely careful because it can potentially do more harm than good.


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

KW Farms said:


> I don't recommend the hanging upside down or swinging the kid though. The swinging can be compared to shaken baby syndrome in terms of causing possible damage. I don't ever do this, but if someone feels the need, you have to be extremely careful because it can potentially do more harm than good.


Kylee -- newbie here, getting ready for my first kidding in March. In lieu of "hanging/swinging" a kid, what do you suggest in the event of fluid in lungs or such? I'd read about this "hanging/swinging" intervention, and know folks who use it...so I of course presumed this was the way to deal with this situation. Having options is always nice. Thanks!


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I just have a booger sucker ready


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