# Help Does Kidding but no milk



## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

This is my first kidding season. I had 6 does in a large pasture that has a lot of thicket areas. I have had 4 does kid and I can't find one baby. The most recent was last night. What could be the cause. i have three LGD's in the pasture with them.

My main concern is that they are leaving the kids because they have no milk. Not a single doe that has kidded in the last two weeks have had a large udder. 

Is there something i'm not doing. I've since caught the other 4 does and put them in a smaller pasture so i can monitor their births. My first mistake was leaving them out in the pasture but I wanted goats to take care of themselves. I'm slowly building a commercial herd and will not have enough building space to house every single preggers doe.

I spoke to a friend who knows someone who lost their entire kid crop this season because their does did not have milk.

Here's a pic of the doe that kidded last night.

She's 88% Boer and Nubian


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you giving them any type of loose goat mineral? What about extra selenium and copper? Browse alone will not give you a healthy herd. They are probably all very mineral deficient. Our ground today doesn't have enough vitamins and minerals in it to sustain them.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Is it time for them to kid? Can you find anywhere that looks like they kidded? Sounds like they may be aborting if none of them are bagging.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

When are they due?

If you have all your doe kidding before they are ready, they could have an aborting disease and aborting babies that are so small you can see them, if they way too early. Seems odd, that none are in milk and kidding, with no babies found, so, I would have them tested for a disease, that is causing this, it is very contagious and devastating. Seek a vet to test them and find out what it is.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

They were due between 1 and 30 Nov. I just picked them up late august. I keep Purina goat mineral free choice. The lady I got them from sold the whole herd. I'm at a loss. Should I dose the remaining three with anything special?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

If they did indeed abort, the LGDs have taken care of the dead fetuses.
Your girls could use a shot of BoSe & get them utd on their cdt.
They could also use a good worming on the ones who have kidded.
This wont stop what you are dealing with.
Do consider having at least one of them tested for chlamydia which can cause this. Or if you can find a freshly delivered dead baby take it to the vet for testing.
So sorry this is happening.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.

This link may help that was already disgusted.
http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f186/spontaneous-abortion-near-full-term-128616/


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Thanks all. I'm going to look for the meds at TSC. Should I treat the whole herd?

I'm also getting a vet appointment. 

Wait for vet checkup or start self medicating?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Seek a vet's advice.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Update. I'm waiting on blood work results for contagious diseases. In the mean time one of my remaining does just kidded an hour ago but she has no milk to feed him. Yes, its a lil billy. 

I'm out of town so my dad is off to TSC to get some colostrum replacement and milk. Is there anything I can do to get her to milk. She's currently ignoring him.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

A shot of Oxytocin from the vet can help with milk letdown. But if this is some sort of disease problem, even that may not help.


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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

My guess is they are vitamin and mineral deficient, at least. Please let us know what you find out from the vet.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

I'm mixing it up. I've started to feed peanut hay, I have Purina goat mineral free choice, and they had tons of forage before it started to die off for the winter. I was confident I was doing it right. Now I don't know. Its frustrating to say the least.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I don't think its the feed unless your field has no goodies in it what so ever. But I would still think about giving alfalfa at least during the last month of being bred andwhile nursing. IF anything you'll see a big difference in the way your kids grow. For the little guy just born. Check his teeth and make sure they are in nice and good. If no teeth or just breaking threw you have a preemie on your hands and it will need a lot of tlc. If your blood work comes back clean MAKE SURE you get that Bose. One of my dads friends lost a ton of calf's last year at birth or shortly after and it ended up being that they needed selenium. My guess is still that they have something being that it was a total herd out break. But your doing great getting a test ran


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

You also want to check to make sure parasite are not causing lack of milk. Check inner eyelid color it should be dark pink/red. Have a fecal check done to see what the wormload may be. Look over the goat and check for lice as a external parasite. I would follow the other suggestions as well. Purina goat mineral is ok but is high in salt and therefore they might not be getting enough of the minerals they need.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I really don't like how thick and dark her residue looks. I am for sure leaning to disease.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Are you sure there is no milk? sometimes colostrum bags can be small but contain enough colostrum for baby...then the milk comes in ....Try milking her and see, a little to mix with whole milk is better than powder,..the powder colostrum is good for vitamin but offers no antibodies so baby will still be vulnerable..But in the end it is better than nothing...

I would suspect miscarriage as well..Does this buck look full term?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with Kathy


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Here's the buck. He looks to be full term to me.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

I have him in a small pen with momma. He's being bottle fed and still trying to nurse momma.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Fugitive6 said:


> I have him in a small pen with momma. He's being bottle fed and still trying to nurse momma.


Is she letting him? They only suck for literally a few seconds or so. I'm wondering if he might be getting something from her? I hope so!! Cute kiddo... I hope you don't have disease going on, I would seek out a vet though...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

he is adorable...I would mix some peppermint Ess. Oil in coconut oil and message moms udder...be sure the plug is out by milking some..hopefully she has colostrum and he has been getting enough...whenyou go out..befroe you bootle him..feel his sides..they should feel firm not sunken in out poochy...if he feels firm then he is nursing and getting enough..you dont want to over feed him..
Hopefully the blood work will show something...


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

janeen128 said:


> Is she letting him? They only suck for literally a few seconds or so. I'm wondering if he might be getting something from her? I hope so!! Cute kiddo... I hope you don't have disease going on, I would seek out a vet though...


Yes he gets a few tugs and moves on.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If he is taking the bottle well, then he isn't getting enough from mom. So definitely keep bottle feeding him.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

have you tried to see what mom has in there...? make sure her plug is removed?


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Well the doc finally got back to me on the lab results. He did a Q fever test and Chlamydia test. The Q fever was negative but the Chlamydia as expected was positive. So i'm ordering some bio-mycin 200. I have read that I should administer 450ml per 100lbs every three days for a total of three treatments. Is this what you guys do? I have also read that it should be every two days for three treatments. 

Also, is there a lab that I can send my own specimens to? I live on the east coast.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

At least you now know what is going on and can treat for it. You could always contact your state lab. I would also call Cornell. You could always send things in to WADDL.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Could I treat small portions of the heard. The pregnant does first then the ones that aborted and then my two bucks? My holding pen can not accommodate my whole herd.

I also read that since I had an abortion storm that I should now treat for chlamydia yearly to prevent a recurrence? This seems wasteful.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I luckily have not had it so not sure. But I think you do have to treat for at least a couple years to make sure it is gone.

If you aren't breeding anyone, that may be ok. But if you are using your bucks for breeding, I would be making sure they are treated ASAP.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Nah, i'm not breeding the bucks anymore so I'll get around to them before too long.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Fugitive6 said:


> So i'm ordering some bio-mycin 200. I have read that I should administer 450ml per 100lbs every three days for a total of three treatments. Is this what you guys do? I have also read that it should be every two days for three treatments.


Didn't your vet tell you how to treat your herd? I would be treating the entire herd, not just parts of it. I'm pretty sure aureomycin (chlortetracycline) treats chlamydia, and it's a feed - not injections. Jessica84 has experience with chlamydia, so hopefully she will be chiming in soon.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

No he left a message on my phone. He's not a goat vet so he's learning as we go. I'm calling him today. I'll look into aureomycin. Thanks.

I'm going to treat the whole herd but was mainly wondering if i could do it in chunks with the injections. The aureomycin route looks like it may be my answer though.


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## Fugitive6 (Aug 30, 2013)

Starting a new thread with more specific questions.


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