# Will mothers adopt others kid?



## Nubiansrus (Nov 15, 2008)

We had a terrible thing happen today, and the neighbors dog attacked one of our baby goats... we are heartbroke, he did not make it.  But I had a question about his mother. She has alot of milk and I have another mom that has three kids and seems to not have enough milk for all three. What is your experience as far as how hard would it be to get the sad mom that lost her kid to take on the kid not getting enough milk from the other mom? I held the mom and let the third kid get a meal from her tonight, and the mom objected at first but settled down enough for her to get that meal. The kid was very eager to eat. Any hints or experiences with this kind of thing would be appreciated.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

how old was the kid who died (so sorry about that) and how old is the kid you are trying to have her adopt? I havent had good success with it. But you could try getting some "mother up" jeffers carries it www.jefferslivestock.com and see if that works. If not then I would just hold the reluctant serogate mom a couple times a day for the semi orphan. I did this for a kid rejected by mom last year.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

sorry about your kid :sigh: 


try putting petroleum jelly on the new kids bum, and on the mothers nose, and if the mom has a collar on , rub it in the new kids fur to get the smell on him.
worked with me.


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

I know of someone whos doe lost her kid and was really upset, and continued to grieve for her for probably a month. In the mean time another doe kidded w/ twins that were pulled, they sold one and desided to try giving the other one to the sad doe, and it worked! Even though the kid had never before nursed off a doe and was already over two weeks!

I had one mom this year who's kids I pulled and she ended up "adopting" another doe's kid, not completely the kid still had her own mom, who ran Willow (the other doe) off at first. She wouldn't feed her twin (although she did manage a few sneak ins), but treated the other baby like it was her own! 

Can't hurt to try it, but seems like if they are left together the kid will keep nursing his own mom, so you'd have to separate them, I think sometimes a doe is just motherly and may take someone else's kid (like my friend's doe), but I think those are abit rare. You will probably be in for some work.


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## Nubiansrus (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you... If I think about him it makes me cry. So I just try and focus on the others. 



Both kids were about a week old, give or take a couple days. Poor mom that had the three kids is a first timer. Shes trying so hard, but its just to much for her it seems. Two kids are growing well the other is much smaller. Id thought about bottle feeding her, but then things happened. Seemed like a good idea since the mom with no kids now has an udder three times the size of the mom with three kids. Wish me luck. Ill do what I have to do. I refuse to lose another kid 


Thanks for the replies as well.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I am so sorry about your baby you lost :tears: 

It is definately worth a try and let us know.

I think that even if she doesn't take the little one on full time, definately hold her and let her nurse morning and night so that the little one gets enough.


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Wow I'm really sorry, I lost one to dogs this year too, and it was really hard.  I sure hope you can get her to adopt the kid.


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