# Baby won’t drink feeding



## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Any tips for a triplet boer goat who won’t feed on his mom or take a bottle? We try giving him a bottle and he just screams, swallows a little bit squirms and screams! We have tube fed him colostrum and moms milk, and even that’s a struggle. He weighed 8#10 ounces and the others both over 7#s both drink from mom and will take a bottle


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Some are more stubborn.
I won't let them win the argument, LOL.
No matter how much they complain.

If no suck reflex, give a small Bo-se shot. If you have not already.

I feed from a syringe( no needle).
I insert my index finger in the kids mouth, mimicking a goats teat.
Get a new 12 cc syringe, milk mama's milk into the syringe, then feed the kid very slowly, at the back corner of the mouth.
If the kid coughs at all, stop and allow the kid to stop coughing, then proceed.
I will slightly move my finger in and out, but still leaving my finger in the mouth. This stimulates reaction. along with the milk.
If you have someone else to help you, have them tickle the kids tailhead at the same time, it helps stimulate the kid.
I do it this way to encourage that suck response. It sometimes takes a little while or when I go out in 2 hours and try again ect or right away.
As soon as I get that suck reflex, I will take the kid to mama, open the kids mouth, squirt mama's milk directly in the mouth, release kid, tickle tail head, repeat, until I get that response.

Good luck


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you sure it is warm enough?


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Yes I took all of their temperatures to be sure on warm enough. I remember that getting repeated many times. He’s very stubborn and he knows how to SCREAM!!!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

It's good you checked the kid's temperature but also make sure the milk is warm enough for their taste, 101*F, hotter than a human would prefer. 

When was the kids born and what makes you think it's not nursing ? Typically a kid that has gotten hungry from failure to nurse dam will readily accept bottle after a few tries. Is it possible the kid is nursing when you aren't there? Or it has an empty belly and is wandering around screaming and hungry? 

Nice work tubing colostrum!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I agree If it’s able to nurse off mom he might be doing it when your not looking and he might just be a screamer. I have two brothers that if I only knew how to remove a voice box......
But if you are sure he’s not eating you can try 1/2cc of vitamin B orally, you can also give some SQ as well, it won’t harm him any. Also make sure he is pooping. I have a stubborn one too and it took awhile to figure out that things are just not moving along like they should.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Has he pooped and peed? If he is blocked up, he will not eat. (Constipation sometimes occurs soon after they are born, everything is trying to get working.)


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

All great suggestions. He had poooed but I will check to see he is still pooping and peeing. He's classically the stubborn goat. Born last and seemed as the first was the brightest-nurses no problem. 2nd one will when put up to do so, 3rd wants nothing to do with anything. Even when tuned would scream!

in fact, oddly he is all brown and others are more classic brown heads, and originally our all brown doe whose also expecting was in there. Well he gravitated to her in the beginning. Nope, wrong mama brown boy!!!. So, we hugged up the mamma with her 3 boys and now that won't happen again!

we did just learn something new about this boy! He does NOT want to be touched or held! If we offer him a bottle and don't touch him, he will drink!!!♥ He took about 4 ounces the first time and seems to be catching on, ... keeping our fingers crossed this is the issue with him. He's a ,"DON'T TOUCH ME GOAT!" . Ever have one like him???? 
I also add that the brown heads have gained some weight, while he has lost at least 10 ounces in 48 hours.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Ok. Corrections. Tubed-not tuned

not hugged. But jugged.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Cute babies.

All good advice.

Feel the belly, compare him with another kid who is nursing for sure, monitor his weight, if he is gaining, he is doing well.

If he is content, walking around, not yelling out when you are not touching him, LOL and he has a full belly, he is most likely nursing on his own. 

He needs more hands on, to get him use to humans.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I wonder if he got stepped on and he’s sore which is why de doesn’t want to be touched. Also just to be sure, his eyes look good? No signs of being blind? 
Also I’m confused, that happens easily. But is it the solid brown we are worried about? To me the red head with the sweater half on looks hunched and possibly hungry to me. The brown one looks more filled out and not hunched


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> To me the red head with the sweater half on looks hunched and possibly hungry to me. The brown one looks more filled out and not hunched


I was thinking the same thing...he/she looks more sunken in and hunched as well. The solid looks like he's feeling good, the other not so much.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Was first day and all brown was the largest one.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do agree, about it all.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

He took a whole bottle & might be sucking some on mom?!?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Feel the tummy, does it feel overly full(tight)? Or does it have some give?

If it is too tight, you are feeding too much, especially if the kid is getting some from mama as well. 
If this is the case, back off on some milk. Watch to see if the kid is nursing. Does mama have a lot of milk?


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Mama has a pretty good amount of milk. Seems one just wants mom. The other two will take a bottle of moms milk 

so, can goats get entropic eyes? Check out this photo- on the all brown one


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Yes, absolutely. I can't tell from the photos but if it looks like the eyelashes are rolled under (top, bottom, or both) Roll them out to the correct position several times per day. If no improvement in 2-3 days then you'll have to have a veterinarian stitch or glue them. 
Typically this fault is associated with the sire (I'm not positive that's genetically true) but if you see it in multiple kids and used a new sire this year, you might consider culling him.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:nod::up:


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