# Doe won't let kid nurse?



## prairiegal

We had a good delivery last night of a doeling. The mom is a FF Nubian. The problem is she has no interest in allowing the baby to suck. It took two of us several hours last night, one holding the kid and one calming the mom, but the baby did get some colostrum. However this morning we are back to square one and the kid is starving!! Does this mean we will be bottle feeding? What bottles would you reccommend if the local feed store doesn't have "goat" bottles? Is there any sort of milk replacer that you would suggest? 

Thank you


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## sweetgoats

Now if it were me, I would continue to try to get mom to take the baby, but NOT at the expense of the baby starving or getting hurt. IS mom hurting or butting at her? If you have a milk stand, put mom on it, and let baby nurse. If not just as you were doing, hold mom, and let baby nurse several time s a day. Other wise yes you will have a bottle baby.

As for the bottle, I used a human baby bottle on my one bottle baby ever. 

Congratulation on the new baby, hope it gets better. Sometimes new mom's just need a little time to figure out what is going on.


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## StaceyRosado

You can keep holding mom till she bonds with the baby or you can pull the baby and just bottle feed

either human baby bottles (put a larger hole in the nipple like an X) or I like the pritchard nipples TSC carries them. You cut the tip off to the desired hole opening. They screw onto a pepsi brand bottle (has to be pepsi coke doenst have the right kind of threads).


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## mrs. lam

Stacy is right on the money about the nipples from TSC. They are great. They also fit on Sprite and Dr. Pepper. Are they made by Pepsi? :chin: 

Gina


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## StaceyRosado

Yes Sprite and Dr Pepper are a made by Pepsi as is Mountain Dew


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## prairiegal

First off- I just want to say this forum is a lifesaver and I *greatly* appreciate the help!!!!

Ok, so I was able to milk the mom and gave the baby a really nice feeding this morning (used a human bottle- thanks for that idea-would have had to drive 50 miles to get a lamb nipple otherwise!) (the plus side is the doe has huge teats and lots of milk!) The doe isn't super thrilled about me milking, but is tolerating it and getting better each time. She definitely prefers me touching her udder versus the kid.

I will keep working at it and hopefully they will bond- if not, we'll stick with the bottle... a few more questions, though--

1. How often should we be feeding the baby?

2. Should I be milking the doe each time- or can I milk a larger quantity, say, in the morning and just fill the bottle with that over the course of the day?

3. How often does this happen? I have one more doe due to kid in a week or so. Sure hoping she will allow hers to nurse.... It's weird to me, b/c last night the doe seemed to bond with her baby well- licked it off and talked to it and everything....

Thanks SO much guys!!


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## Realfoodmama

It's possible that the doe is so full her udder is sore/tender and the act of the kid sucking is causing discomfort.

I would try milking her out a bit THEN putting the kid on and see if she lets her nurse. 

As a mom who has breastfed I can tell you sometimes it HURTS lol...


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## toth boer goats

Everyone has great advice..... :thumb: 

I would keep working with the baby and mom....FF are sometimes scared and not know what to do....so.. we have to teach them.... tie up mom and if there is someone else to hold up the back leg ....so she can't kick the kid that will help.... if you are alone... then you can tie up the one back leg ...so you can work with the baby.... milk her some.. to make her less sore and tight..... you can feed it to the kid in a needless syringe slowly..... then put the kid on the teat..... mom won't be happy.. but she will learn to be momma....it takes patience.... come out and do this every couple of hours.....it may get to the point where momma won't need her back leg tied anymore.... to test this have momma tied....put the kid under her and see if she kicks...of course... wait a few times before attempting this....if she doesn't kick that is a great sign.... :thumbup: eventually tie her loser and see if she still lets the kid nurse.... if she does .....then bingo ...she has learned.... if not ...continue to work with her .... Also check the kids tummy... to see if the kid has been nursing behind your back.... don't get worried.... if the kid when you put her on momma ....won't nurse...feel her tummy first....LOL ....I have been fooled and thinking oh no .... :doh: ...now the kid won't eat..... not knowing she was nursing on her own....if you can peak in on them.... sometimes you can catch the baby on the teat...Keep momma and baby in a bonding pen by themselves until she is feeding her baby....good luck...


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## jdgray716

Agreed, great advise. If you can get your doe to take your new lil one, congrats by the way, you are better off. Dam raised kids are far more hardy and healthy. In the end, depending on home, your dam raised kid will also do better in a herd as she or he will see themselves as a goat not a person. Bottle babies have good points and bad points. I have to say personally I worry about and have worried more over my bottle babies as they got older then my dam raised. They simply do not cope as well. They do not have the brains to know fear as well. The list goes on. One has to do what one has to do for the goat but if the option is still there, go dam raised.


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## ohiogoatgirl

we had a doe who would kid wonderfully and clean the kids but would never let them nurse. we had to sell her b/c she wouldnt let them nurse, a repeating cycle every year, and wasnt giving much milk. we had to put a kid in with does who had single kids. the next year when the same thing happened they all had twins so we had to milk her like usual- though it was only her to milk since all the rest had just kidded or were about to- and bottle it for the babies. we fed them every few hours. if they drank alot we waited a little longer until the next feeding, if they didnt drink alot we fed them a little sooner.
having another doe adopt an orphaned baby is much easier!


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## prairiegal

THanks for all the input.

Things are getting better, slowly. 

She is letting the kid nurse, as long as I am standing by her head. Today I tied her up and directed the kid towards her and she stood perfectly while I back away from her. So, right now, we aren't bottle feeding, but rather going out 3-4 times per day to make sure the kid is getting a chance to eat. I am fairly sure that she isn't nursing on her own, as her little tummy usually feels pretty empty when I first go out.

So hopefully, we will keep progressing and soon she will start letting the her nurse when I'm not there. 

I would prefer to have a dam raised baby. In my horse experience, I know the problems with an "orphan" foal.... They can end up being pushy and thinking they are human. In fact, I usually leave my horse babies completely alone for the first couple months, just so they get a chance to be a horse. I'm assuming goats can have some of the same issues, so hopefully momma will start doing her job!


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## toth boer goats

> THanks for all the input.


 Your welcome.... sounds like.... she is slowly...becoming a momma.... keep up the good work..... :greengrin: :thumb:


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