# Newbie! First time kidding questions.



## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

My doe had babies in the middle of the night. She showed no changes lastnight and we did not know an exact due date so it was quite the surprise! She had triplets but one was dead when I came out. The babies have dried on mud. Can I bathe them to get it off or will that stress them in the moment out? Also I've only seen one of them nurse for a few seconds. I don't know if they did before I saw them. How often should they be nursing? When I put them up to the teet they don't seem interested now.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would just brush off the dried mud. You can weigh them daily with a scale that weighs in pounds and ounces or pounds and tenths of pounds.


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> I would just brush off the dried mud. You can weigh them daily with a scale that weighs in pounds and ounces or pounds and tenths of pounds.


Ok. One doesn'tseem to have a sucking reflex at all. I keep putting him to the teat and he will not even attempt to suck just wants to get away from it. His belly doesn't look like he's drank anything at all.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Have you tried squirting some into his mouth so that he gets a taste? 
Feel his belly by lifting it up gently-if it’s entirely soft and loose, he hasn’t eaten(at least not recently) but if it’s slightly firm, he has eaten and is okay.


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

Ranger1 said:


> Have you tried squirting some into his mouth so that he gets a taste?
> Feel his belly by lifting it up gently-if it's entirely soft and loose, he hasn't eaten(at least not recently) but if it's slightly firm, he has eaten and is okay.


I did try squirting out into his mouth. Nothing seems to work. I just milked her a little so I can try a bottle .


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

If you can't get him to suckle the bottle you will need to get a syringe (no needle) and fill it with colostrum. Put it in the back corner of his mouth and dribble it in. Sometimes it takes a few messy syringe feedings before they start taking a bottle. 

You can also give him some B complex. That often will perk them up enough to get them eating.

Let us know how he's doing!


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

groovyoldlady said:


> If you can't get him to suckle the bottle you will need to get a syringe (no needle) and fill it with colostrum. Put it in the back corner of his mouth and dribble it in. Sometimes it takes a few messy syringe feedings before they start taking a bottle.
> 
> You can also give him some B complex. That often will perk them up enough to get them eating.
> 
> Let us know how he's doing!


Ok. I will do that. How much b complex? He is 2 lb 6 oz . Is that typical? There other is a whole pound more.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

As little as he is, I would give him 1/2 cc subcutaneously today and another one tomorrow if he's still lagging. The B vitamins are water soluble, so can't really overdose. 

If he's a Nigerian, then he's small, but not terribly so. If you can find a scale that weighs in pounds and ounces, you'll be able to see if he's getting enough food. He should gain weight steadily if he's getting enough...

Also, several SMALL servings of food are best in the beginning. Once he's sucking well, you can take the milk away when his tummy (his left side) fills like a fairly full water balloon.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

In my experience such mud just falls off after a day or two. And welcome!


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

groovyoldlady said:


> As little as he is, I would give him 1/2 cc subcutaneously today and another one tomorrow if he's still lagging. The B vitamins are water soluble, so can't really overdose.
> 
> If he's a Nigerian, then he's small, but not terribly so. If you can find a scale that weighs in pounds and ounces, you'll be able to see if he's getting enough food. He should gain weight steadily if he's getting enough...
> 
> Also, several SMALL servings of food are best in the beginning. Once he's sucking well, you can take the milk away when his tummy (his left side) fills like a fairly full water balloon.


I have liquid b-12. Would I be able to give him that?


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

He just suckled from mom for the first time! Yay. This is really nerve wracking!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Vit B complex is best, has all the B vitamins in it.

Glad you witnessed nursing.


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> Vit B complex is best, has all the B vitamins in it.
> 
> Glad you witnessed nursing.


Ok. Thanks.

It's going to get down to 39 here tonight . Do you think they are ok?


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

They are more sensitive to draft and moist than sheer cold, of course within limits! If they have lots of straw to snuggle down into, they will be fine for lower temperatures than if they must lie on just a thin layer. If it gets really cold, they will like a blanket on the back, but for young ones the ears will be most exposed to possible damage.

Of course you have already given them extra hay to eat, if they do not have free access.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Sorry, I wasn't on here last night. How did they do last night?

At that temp, the babies should be fine snuggling with mama. But if you're worried you can put a sweater on them at night. They are more fragile the first week or two; especially the little guy that started slow - he may have more trouble regulating his body temp.


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

groovyoldlady said:


> Sorry, I wasn't on here last night. How did they do last night?
> 
> At that temp, the babies should be fine snuggling with mama. But if you're worried you can put a sweater on them at night. They are more fragile the first week or two; especially the little guy that started slow - he may have more trouble regulating his body temp.


They did great! I just covered their door where drafts can get in. This is my first time so I'm not 100% sure, but, I think they're doing well. I'm not sure how active they should be at this point. Mama gets them up and moving if they've laid around for awhile. It's really sweet! Here are a few pics. Thanks for all the help!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Oh my goodness! CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!!!!!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

They are so cute! Your son or brother looks at the kid the way I do. Such joy on his face!


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## JearDOE Ranch (Aug 23, 2018)

Awe, too sweet! Thanks for sharing the pictures! Glad everything is working out.


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## Stephbowling (Nov 17, 2017)

Dwarf Dad said:


> They are so cute! Your son or brother looks at the kid the way I do. Such joy on his face!


That's my son . He can't get enough of them .


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## cbrossard (Oct 4, 2014)

They are darling! I'm glad you were able to get on here and get help. It sounds like they are doing well. At 1 day old they should be up on their feet and nursing frequently, but it is normal to sleep a lot too. If they aren't bouncing around yet, they should start doing that in the next day or 2. It is nerve wracking! Goat farming is not for the faint of heart! But it's so fun too. Also, your son is adorable!


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Those pictures are so precious, and the babes are cute as buttons. Congratulations! (clap)


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Yes, very cute, and your son is also very very nice to look at! This is the way all goats should live! 

I think they are a bit tired, and that they will be fine if they get plenty of "life elixir". You will be wise to check that there is an abundance for them. A hanging ear and that poop getting stuck on the hind legs are small warning signals, like "Check me often!"

And thank you for the very nice photos! Did you tell us your whereabouts?

(PS Please tell your son that he must let you, too, handle the small ones! One member here ended up being yelled at, because the kid had got used to sitting in only one lap of the human family. And tell him that he is doing exactly what I suggest, if someone wants the kids to run towards you rather than away from you once they can run faster than you can! Which we hope will be in 24 - 48 hours.)


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh my goodness, all so cute.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Give your son a kiss from me. He's so handsome!


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## dldolan (Jan 19, 2017)

Last fall I had Boer goat kids and it was cold (35*) a few nights. (In northern CA.) I found one of those online homesteaders that had a suggestion, so I "made" kid sweaters. Find an old sweater, or go to Goodwill and buy one that has two things: 
1. Cuffs
2 Some stretch
3.Measure the goats back (Just with your forearm!). 
4. Cuff the wrists, and cut off the arms of the sweater almost as long as the top of the baby goat's back. 
5. Then make a cut backwards about 4 inches so that when you pull the sweater over, you are not rubbing the umbilicus. Think what a dog sweater looks like. 
6. Make leg holes. Use your fingers to "measure" how far down from the neck the legs start, and just make two slits in the sweater material.
My kids got very used to having their sweaters put on them each night and taken off in the morning. Did that for about 3 weeks. They used an old plastic dog house filled with hay to sleep, so once they were a bit bigger, the goat sweaters got tossed!
Can't add a photo, otherwise I'd post kids in sweaters for you!


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## dldolan (Jan 19, 2017)

aha!


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Really cute!


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## Treva Brodt (Jan 11, 2019)

Stephbowling said:


> They did great! I just covered their door where drafts can get in. This is my first time so I'm not 100% sure, but, I think they're doing well. I'm not sure how active they should be at this point. Mama gets them up and moving if they've laid around for awhile. It's really sweet! Here are a few pics. Thanks for all the help!
> View attachment 150863
> View attachment 150865
> View attachment 150867
> View attachment 150869


I love the picture of your little boy and his new friend. The kid's eyes even match his shirt. You should submit that one to a magazine.


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## K Gemmill (Aug 22, 2017)

Stephbowling said:


> They did great! I just covered their door where drafts can get in. This is my first time so I'm not 100% sure, but, I think they're doing well. I'm not sure how active they should be at this point. Mama gets them up and moving if they've laid around for awhile. It's really sweet! Here are a few pics. Thanks for all the help!
> View attachment 150863
> View attachment 150865
> View attachment 150867
> View attachment 150869


Oh they are so cute! Thank you for sharing


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## solebaby (May 24, 2013)

In all of my kiddings with my Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy goats, the third goat usually doesn’t make it. It is really sad.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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