# Mama rejecting kids



## jessieb

Tell me this WILL get better! Silver has only really taken to one fo her kids and the other two she wont let near her, head butts them or grabs there ear and tosses them. And she wont let them nurse. SO, today I went and milked her and got some milk in them. ANY TIPS or WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT appreciated. We had a SUPER difficult birth yesterday and I was really hoping that after that everything would go PERFECT! Oh and this is her second freshening but she did NOT have her kids the first time bc of a CAE prevention program.


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## KW Farms

You can hold the doe and try and let her nurse them, but if she's rejecting them then it's going to be hard to get her to accept them. I personally would just plan on bottle feeding. Make sure they get colostrum for a couple days. Some does are like this and at birth it's easiest to get them to accept the kids, but sometimes they just won't.

You can try taking the babies away, rubbing them on her coat and rub the baby she's accepting on the other kids and then put them all back together and see what happens, but once she's rejected kids like that...it's hard to get them to accept them. :hug: You'll probably need to bottle feed.


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## Di

Do you have a dog? Or a strange dog...if she's used to yours? I've heard that sometimes they get real "maternal" if you bring a dog in...on a leash of course...don't need any accidents...

But, you probably have bottle babies now...they can stay with her and the sibling if she's not hurting them...but if she is you'll have to seperate them. Sorry.


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## toth boer goats

How long ago did she have them?
If it was very recent...you can tie her up and tie up one back leg and make her feed that baby... it may take a week ... go out every couple of hours to do this...hopefully after a while...she won't need her back leg tied and ect and start being momma..... 

Also make sure ...that baby is hers and there isn't any other Doe... that just kidded for a possible mix up...sometimes that can happen as well.... :hug:


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## KW Farms

How's mom and babies doing??


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## Guest

I know I have done this 10 times already this season, esp with first timers,
If the Doe has horns tie her as tight as you can to the fence or what ever and help those kids get a belly full. This may take awhile maybe an hour. When you are done you can do one of 2 things, 1 catch her urine and cover their butts with it all 3 of them. She won't be able to tell her favorite one that way and will take all 3. That is if they still have the strength, if not you will have to help them. 
Or 2. Tie her up. or put her in a stanchion every 4 hours and let them all drink. Or Which is my least favorite and would be at the last resort and after I had tried the other 2. Bottle feed the kids. But before I decided to spend the money on milk re placer I would fix the milk machine I already have. If they get their bellies full one or two times they will wear her down and get to drink any way. Triplets are no cup of tea and I have had 7 sets of them so far this season. I had the same problem with first timers switching kids around and one get left out. I had all 3 of them on 3' ropes in pens in the barn grafting their own kids back on them. I would be surprised if she rejects them after they have their bellys full a couple of times.
I did this to one yesterday that had twins and only wanted one. I tied her 2 times in 3 hours and let him drink, turning her loose each time, she loves him today. It is most important to get those kids hooked to her as soon as possible


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## jessieb

Thank-you all so much! yesterday we had to tie her to the fence along with both legs becuase she wouldnt stop kicking at them. Today I only had to tie her neck to the fence and she allowed each one to eat but not two at a time or she would get upset. She allows Miracle to eat and will even squat a bit to make it easier but Blessing and SecondChance she head butts away and nips at there ears...breaks my heart  BUt she has improved today from yesterday!!! The kids are 3 days old, it is Silver's 2nd freshening and I did dig up some birth gooo/placenta and rub it on the kids and rubbed them next to Miracle too but that didn't work. Will try the pee....and keep on keeping on hoping she will become a good mommy. About her headbutting, she wont hurt/kill her babies will she?? Thanks again for all your response!


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## jessieb

toth boer goats said:


> How long ago did she have them?
> If it was very recent...you can tie her up and tie up one back leg and make her feed that baby... it may take a week ... go out every couple of hours to do this...hopefully after a while...she won't need her back leg tied and ect and start being momma.....
> 
> Also make sure ...that baby is hers and there isn't any other Doe... that just kidded for a possible mix up...sometimes that can happen as well.... :hug:


Couple of hours meaning 2, 4, 6??? And they are most definately her babies, I had to go in and pull them out of her! I think perhaps the traumatic birth and energy lossed maybe is why she rejected them?


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## toth boer goats

> Couple of hours meaning 2, 4, 6??? And they are most definately her babies, I had to go in and pull them out of her! I think perhaps the traumatic birth and energy lossed maybe is why she rejected them?


 Every 2 hours if you can.... and yes ...sometimes they do blame the bad kidding on their kids...but keep working with her..sounds like things are getting a bit better....

With the little boy... if she gets way to mean with him.. just pull him and bottle feed him.... Use your best judgement... :hug:


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## Guest

It sounds like she is coming around to your way of thinking. That's good, and no I have never had one kill or even hurt a kid in the pen with them, Usually the 3rd kid will work his way back in after the second one is allowed to drink. Soon she won't fight it at all. If she doesn't have enough milk you can supplement the kids, but I would try to get her wanting them before you do. 
Glad you are not giving up, way to fight!


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## toth boer goats

How are things going? :hug:


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## jessieb

Today Silver(mama) wouldn't let the kids nurse when I tied her up so I milked her and gave bottles but each time they didn't really seem all that hungry. She did let them sleep near her last night and was laying near them this afternoon, too! Near as in like 2 feet, but that's alot closer than she has let them. So what I'm wondering is do you think maybe she started letting them nurse but still just doesn't want them around/super close to her? The kids are all jumping around and playful so they don't seem to be going down hill by any means.


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## Guest

They may be nursing from her. She won't let them eat too much at onetime, like humans do. Just keep an eye on them if they start crying or hugging the heat lamp they are hungry. Until then I wouldn't milk her or tie her up unless I saw those things watch their bellys for signs too if one looks sunken tie her up and see if it will drink but otherwise I think you are on your way to having created a family! Just because she doesn't lay with them dosen't mean much as long as the kids are laying together.
I'm proud of you for taking the initiative to not give up! Your milk machine was never broken, just needed a tune up.


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## toth boer goats

It sounds like you have success.... :thumb: feel the kids tummies... are they full... if so... she is feeding them when you aren't looking... 
Keep an eye on them though.....check their tummies often..and sneak in once in a while ...you may catch them nursing.... :wink: If their tummies are empty..then supplement feed or put them on momma... if they don't want to eat and have an empty tummy then... get a temp.... they may be sick... :hug:


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