# Help with Boer quads



## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Hello! My doe had her first set of kids today - 4 (3 bucklings and 1 doeling) all weighing 6 pounds. I have several questions that I'm hoping someone can answer. I've been searching the site and my Wi-Fi isn't reliable right now so I thought I would just do a new post and hope someone is visiting the site tonight that can help. Ok, here goes:

One boy was really weak, couldn't stand, wouldn't nurse, was just laying pretty still. We knew we were going to pull two so he came in the house and was wrapped in a towel for several hours as my daughter snuggled with him. I milked some of the colostrum out of the doe and he drank from a bottle - about 5 ounces since he was born. I can't get any more milk out of the doe. I get about an ounce. I bought a kid/lamb replacer and will use that and then I have a goat milk recipe that we have used with every other bottle baby. How long should I do the kid replacer? Should I wake him up every so many hours to feed or wait until he wakes up hungry? He is perfectly happy sleeping in a plastic tub next to me on the couch, with towels around him. 

We left 2 kids with the doe (a boy and a voracious girl). The boy with the mom has really weak back legs. He struggles to walk. He manages to get to mom scooting and pulling himself. He will get up barely and then do the splits with his back legs. He has had BoSe. He is only 8 hours old. My husband says to wait and he will get his legs. I just want to make sure there isn't something I can be doing. The doeling is up and moving and headed to the teat often and he will just lie there.

My last question, how long will it take the mom to forget about the 2 kids that were pulled? How long until they can head out to the barn without her seeing them and going crazy because I have two of her boys? 

I have read several sites that 6 pounds is about average for a first year doe with quads. They seem so fragile that I feel like they might not make it through the night (except the voracious little girl). Is there something I wasn't doing during her pregnancy that they are so small?

Thank you for your time. I read this site often but don't post much. I appreciate all of the people that post and respond. It is so helpful!

Tonia
Eastern Washington


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Do you have access to BOSE? Or vit E gel and selenium pills or paste? Sounds like a selenium deficiency to me. But I'm going just on what worked when I had a couple week kids.


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

I would give them a little time to get their legs before worrying too much. With 4 of them crammed in there, it'll take a bit for them to unwind a bit and find their legs . 

For my brand new kids, I like to give them as much as they can eat, every 2 hours, for the first couple days. Give them colostrum for about 24 hours if possible. For both the kids on the bottle, and the weaker one you left with mom, I would be getting them up every couple hours and making sure they are eating and staying warm.

If your momma goat has 2 kids with her, she'll probably be plenty happy with them and not worry about not having the other two.

As for size, my Boer girl had quads this year as a 2nd timer and the smallest was 6lbs, and the largest was 8.7lbs...I would say your 6 pounders are fine.

I hope they do well for you!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They all need selenium. Either the gel or get injectable BoSe from your vet.


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

Did you give him the BoSe orally after birth, or did you give it to mom prior to birthing? I would also give them all b-complex


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The weak guy go ahead and give him bose as well. I agree on the vitamin b too. Other then that your doing all you can for him. Keep him warm and fed (which your doing). 
For the guy with the weak back legs good job on the bose and your husband is right he just needs time. Some people just leave them be as long as they can reach to eat but I like to go out there threw the day and help them out. Just hold him up for a few minutes each time and help him stand normally, it helps build the muscles. 
You did nothing wrong here. 6 pounds is a normal weight for quads. A doe can only eat so much while they are prego which is why they were only 6 pounds. When you think about it that's 24 pounds of babies in there! Just keep giving the two the attention they need, that's all anyone can do.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Thank you for all the replies. All kids got BoSe shots about 5 hours after kidding. The mom had a BoSe shot 27 days before kidding. 

Is B vitamin something I can pick up at the feed store? How is it dosed for kids? Orally, subQ?

The mom isn't making enough colostrum for all 4 kids. I have milked out 4-6 ounces twice and the 2 kids in the house have each eaten 8-12 ounces of colostrum. I'm now doing the whole milk/evap/buttermilk for the kids in the house. I know that isn't ideal but I tried the milk replacer and it stinks and the kids won't drink it. 

We have been going out to the kid with weak legs and standing him up and feeling his tummy. He seems happy and content. 

Living in Eastern Washington with high temperatures around 75-84 and nights around 45, how long do you keep the mom and kids in a barn? I can't imagine putting them in a bigger enclosure when the one kid struggles to walk. 

Thank you again for all your replies!

I have two more boer goats to kids (next Tuesday and the following Tuesday). 

Tonia


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well whatever colostrum the kids got is better then nothing so if she doesn't have the milk she doesn't have it. I would not let babies out of the barn yet. Your very right about the little guy with the weak legs. Mom might see him as slowing her down and reject him. Just do what you can to keep them cool. Keep the doors open and put a panel in the door if you need to. I know that's one crappy thing about kidding in the spring for me too. Yes you can get the b from any feed store or tractor supply. I give 1/4cc orally


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If you can get Oxytocin from a vet about 1/2 cc for milk letdown give it to her IM, the sooner the better. You are running out of time depending when they were born. Get advice by your vet.

Feed her Alfalfa and give some good grain. Introduce slowly if she isn't use to it. Make sure she drinks water. 

Congrats on the kids and yes BO-Se will help the kids.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Thanks again for the replies. Everyone got B complex this evening. The boy with the weak back legs is able to get up on his own a little. Every time we go out there (every few hours), he is happy and we stand him up a little. His legs just do the splits in the back and then he can't get a footing to stand. We are seeing improvements - slow but he is improving.

Tonia


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I had some droopy kids in my boers last year. With your next batch, if they need it, give the BoSe orally right after birth, along with the Bcomplex


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad there is improvement.  
The more you get the kid up and standing, the stronger he will get using those muscles.
Even if you have to hold him up a bit to support him.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Wow! Congrats on quads! How are they doing now?


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Thank you to everyone that replied. Sorry not to have posted sooner, but last weekend our next doe kidded. She had two doelings (9.5 pound and 5 pound) and a buckling (8.4 pounds). That has taken up most of my time. 

My buckling that I was concerned about with his wobbly legs is doing awesome and growing well. In the picture he is the 1/2 brown and 1/2 white. His name is Milkshake.

Thank you again for all the advice!

Tonia


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