# 1st time freshener not nursing



## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

We have a 1st time freshener, her name is Jasmine who just kidded today. She is our 4th doe that has kidded in the last 5 days.

She had a buckling, his name is Maverick. My husband says he appears to be a strong little guy. But Jasmine doesn't seem to have any interest in him. His birth was unattended, but my husband thinks he got there just shortly after he was born. He said he was just wet, so he must of been cleaned by her somewhat. But Jasmine has no interest in staying with him and when my husband tried to leave after he got him all dry, she tried to leave too. She did NOT want to stay with him.

We have another doe that had a traumatic birth 2 years ago and and flatly rejected her kid. She had twins but we lost the 1st one (he was breached) and 2nd one made it. The vet was there at midnight delivering these kids, but was not very gentle about it. This last year she had a normal delivery to our relief. She seemed to have mild interest in her kids, would not nurse them but would nose them, smell them and when they were older she would protect them. 

Because Jasmine would not stay with him, my husband took him up to the house and will bottle feed him.

Has anybody had any experiences with a doe that would not nurse their kids?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I've seen it. You can try and make them nurse their kid as long as they aren't getting violent with them. I would go out once an hour and hold her to let kid nurse.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Is she eating OK?

Is her udder super tight? If so, milk her out a bit to make her more comfortable, then put her kid on her.
It may be why she won't allow him to nurse. Also check her udder and milk to ensure she does not have mastitis.

Leave her and her baby in a pen together, unless she is hitting him hard. Go out as mentioned and tie her up and make her feed her baby. If she isn't being mean, put out a heat lamp so the baby can stay warm in case momma doesn't feed him in between time.

Teach her how to be a momma.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I've seen some stuff for sale that you can squirt on the baby to make the momma more interested in him. I have no experience in this area (yet, fortunately) so I don't know if it actually works, but it might be worth a try. 
http://motherup.com/


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Any luck cfish?

I agree that the best course of action in cases where the doe is disinterested or refuses to allow kids to nurse is to first check the doe's udder for any issues, and to leave the does and kids in a stall with each other and go out every 2 hours or so and get the kids latched on (even if that means tieing up the doe). As long as the does are being violent to them. 

Are these two does related? Poor mothering instinct can be genetic and I would not continue breeding these animals or keeping kids out of them if this is a problem that is not easily fixed. Sometimes they just need a bit of encouragement. I also wouldn't consider bucklings out of these does as breeding quality as you don't need those genetics being passed on.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Sometimes FFs just don't know what to do at first
I agree with everyone else on tying up doe so kid can nurse every couple hours. You might have to hold up a rear leg.
Squirt a bit of colostrum on his head & butt.


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## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

Sorry - have been away for a while. Too many things going on....

Have wonderful news! My husband brought Maverick back to Jasmine the next day and ever since she allowed him to nurse. Jasmine didn't seem to be a doting mother at first, but as time has gone on has become more doting. 

The other cool thing that happened is the saanen we have that would not nurse her kids. This her 4th year and has finally allowed her kids to nurse. Last year she was mildly interested in her kids, would not nurse them, but would nose them, check them out and they would hang together in the barnyard. I was totally surprised when she started to clean them. I did most of the cleaning, but she did help. Then she did not try to leave when they started to nurse and has been nursing them ever since. I was of course guarded and constantly checked on them to make sure they are getting enough milk. They are and are growing like they should.

This is the 1st year we have not had to bottle feed any of our kids.

These does are not related to each other. One is an oberhasli and the other is a saanen. 

I think that the reason my saanan would not nurse her kids was because of a very traumatic birth that happened 3 years ago. Her 1st year she had a stillborn. The 2nd year is when she was in labor all day, with a breached kid. The vet come out at midnight after she had been in labor all day. We lost the kid that was breached, but the 2nd one was ok. She looked at her kid after it was born and didn't want anything to do with him. She as not at any time violent. She had a normal birth last year and this year.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad things are going well.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

It seems that most dairy goats owners pull the kids at birth. I think the mothering instinct is actually getting bred out of the high production dairy goats.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Goats Rock said:


> It seems that most dairy goats owners pull the kids at birth. I think the mothering instinct is actually getting bred out of the high production dairy goats.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad all is OK.


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## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

Goats Rock said:


> It seems that most dairy goats owners pull the kids at birth. I think the mothering instinct is actually getting bred out of the high production dairy goats.


We have tried pulling the kids and bottle feeding or leaving them on the Moms.

Personally, I like leaving them on the Moms. We are going to separate them at around 2 weeks old (maybe 3 weeks) at night time so we can have morning milk.

Letting them nurse on the Moms produces good solid goats. Can't beat Moms mothering and the constant supply of milk.

Plus, its a lot less work for me. Goat moma is doing it all.


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

I'm lucky, I guess. Both of my mamas have been wonderful mothers. I was a little worried when I had everyone disbudded, but Cookie and Carina accepted their babies afterwards without an issue.


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