# Our First Time - Can't Wait



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

We have 3 does due.
The first is Kivuli due 2/15 expecting triplets
Second Echo 2/24 expecting twins
And third is Denali 3/3 expecting twins

We had imaging done to verify the number of kids since our primary vet will be out of town during our kidding.

Kivu still has her ligaments but she's definitely getting mushier back there, and talking to her belly.


----------



## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Can't wait to see the kids! Looks like she has a few of them in there. Looks like she's ready for them to just be out too lol.


----------



## meganmts (Mar 22, 2017)

Happy kidding! It's our first time too & we're half done. Can't wait to see your babies!


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Good luck!


----------



## Kath G. (Jul 13, 2017)

Awww she looks so precious! Like a flower bud about to pop open... Can't wait to see the babies!


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Happy kidding


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Good luck! Hopefully it won’t be too long now...


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Happy Kidding.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Thank you all for the kind words. 
Kivu's ligaments have really softened but aren't quite gone so to speak, she's slightly indented there, and I can touch my finger tips around her tail base, so over all pretty mushy back there. She's still happily munching away but keeps itching her sides and mumbling. Her bag is getting bigger but it's not very full yet, she's a FF. 

I wish I knew how long until she kids (but don't we all) its 9:15pm here and I don't know if I should be doing night checks.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Its our first time as well...Hope all goes well and smooth for you..Congrats on being a goat mommy!! Its all so exciting and nerve wracking lol I think I'm more nervous than when I had my baby's


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Yes the anxiety is killing me!


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

What breed do you have..We nubiens and they are spoiled rotten!! They love animal crackers lol


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

2 of my does are pure Alpine the other is 3/4 Alpine & 1/4 lamancha. Then I have an Alpine buck, lamancha wether, Saanen weather, lamancha/boer wether, and Alpine/lamancha wether. One of my does will eat anything the others are picky.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

We have 3 does a weather Nigerian and then a boar buck going to get him fixed soon tho ..we had 2 beautiful bucks and a stray bulldog came and killed both of them our rabbit and our mini horse it has devastated our farm..we are terrified for the rest of our animals but we have 2 lgd that are in the pen with the girls and one more in another pen and things have been quite since we got the new dog he is a huge badger pyraneese..We also have a black lab that runs loose so he has helped alert us we have tried to catch the dog but its like a cat it has 9 lives..


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

That's so sad, it breaks my heart to hear about people's farms getting devastated but someone's neglegence with their dog. If you know where the dog lives you could likely report them and get compensation for your losses. I herd about a guy losing his packgoats in Washington and followed through with that. Glad you have an LGD to help with the safety.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

She lost her plug, her ligaments are gone and she's restless and mumbling! Glad I set an alarm for the middle of the night.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Yay!!! Keep us posted:lolgoat:


----------



## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Babies??


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Not yet, she's increasingly uncomfortable. She's got some long stringy discharge. No pushing or contractions yet.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Aww bless her heart


----------



## Fuzzypeach (May 18, 2017)

Good luck. I have two does due today also. Mine are doing nothing except mooching around at the hay outside. Hope you have babies soon


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

It wont let me post a pic...But I got one with the amber colored discharge hanfing to the ground lol


----------



## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

Yay! Hopefully babies soon :happygoat:

I’m waiting on my 3 does that I don’t have due dates for. 1 of my girls looks like she could go anytime. It’s our first time kidding too. 

Good luck!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Hope we all see kids soon, I'm still waiting, giving her pep talks. When I leave step out of the stall she calls for me ️


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

That's a often pretty good sign right there! Best of luck!


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

She is pushing hard!!


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

We have a buck!! Had to help it its legs was not in the right position


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Congratulations!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Yay! Congrats. 
Share pictures if you can


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

A big congrats.

Still having trouble posting pics?


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Yes said I dont have authority to


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Hmm. App or website? 

Congrats on the kid


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

App


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

GoatingCouple said:


> Hope we all see kids soon, I'm still waiting, giving her pep talks. When I leave step out of the stall she calls for me ️


How is she doing


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)




----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

No kids yet, no change either. I have back up coming over.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Amber89 said:


> View attachment 127913


Congrats he is cute ️


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute, I see you figured out how to post pics.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Don't go insane. One of our does acted "imminent" for two days before she finally decided to get down to business on the third day. She just about drove us crazy.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Finally lol


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Before we had to help


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Still no kids here but she's really grinding her teeth.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Come on girl!!!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Well we had a vet come out on an emergency call. Everyone kept telling me to wait that she's doing ok, and my gut said otherwise. My gut was correct she had a kid stuck long enough to be delivered dead. Tried to come out head first. The living doeling is weak and we're unsure if she'll make it.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Oh no!! Im so sorry!! Prayers for the little girl!!


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Aw, I'm so sorry your first kidding was a bad one. Did it turn out to only be twins after all? I thought this doe was expecting triplets. I hope the little doeling makes it. How's the mama doing?


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Damfino said:


> Aw, I'm so sorry your first kidding was a bad one. Did it turn out to only be twins after all? I thought this doe was expecting triplets. I hope the little doeling makes it. How's the mama doing?


Yes we did imaging and saw 3 spines but it looks like it was just a big doeling and a small doeling, the vet made sure. 
Me too she's cute and with Kivu being a first time mom I would hate for her to not get the opportunity. She's exhausted, we all are but she drank a bit of water and started eating again. 
The little one isn't nursing and so far I've had to tube feed her colostrum. New mom's and weak kids aren't a good combo, Everytime the kid would go to nurse kivu would like her butt right off the ground and down she goes. Even when I tied her to the fence she danced around. After I get a few hours of sleep I have a friend coming over to help if we can.

I hope my other 2 does kid easy, I'm terrified and feeling pretty crushed.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm glad you got the baby some colostrum. Does the doeling have a suckling reflex at all? If so, you can try feeding her from a syringe or a bottle with a pritchard nipple. A little karo syrup or molasses on the nipple or on her tongue might help stimulate a sucking reflex. The sooner you can get her on mom, the better for both of them. Did mama pass both placentas? Let her nuzzle, sniff, and lick the baby. I think it helps stimulate the rooting and suckling reflex. 

Before you called the vet, did your doe ever have contractions? Did her water break and then nothing happened? Once the water breaks things should start progressing pretty quickly. If the water breaks but they aren't pushing there's a problem and a kid is stuck. Unless you're there and see it happen, you often can't tell if the water broke because the doe will eat the stuff. Look for a doe that is licking the ground and appears to be eating the bedding. It's because the water broke and the doe is sniffing and licking the fluid off the floor. Serious contractions and kids should follow within half an hour. 

I hope the doeling and her mama bounce back and do fine. I also am keeping my fingers crossed that your next two kiddings go off without a hitch. You need to catch a break!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

She latched on once and started to suck with my guidance and the doe on the fence but then she kicked her away. I've tried to sleep for the past 2 hours so I'm not sure if the doeling has nursed but as weak as she is I think it's minimal. 
My doe started having some small contractions so I stayed with her, no water broke until I called the vet after an hour of very small contractions. At that time she said she wouldn't make it there in time to safe the one that I found to be stuck, big head, knees folded under I'm not experienced and I couldn't get her back in, her sack was already torn and she had blood coming from her nose. The doe never pushed as hard as all the videos I've seen. Yes she passed both placentas.


----------



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

So sorry for your bad experience. I'm glad your doe is okay and hopefully the little doeling will be too. Some just need a lot of extra help and coaxing to get them started nursing. I know you're worn out too but be persistent with getting her latched every couple hours and soon you'll be rewarded with a well bonded nursing mom and baby. Best wishes for textbook deliveries for your other does!


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

(((((Hugs))))). Hang in there!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

There is something about the support of fellow goat people that make sad things feel a little less sad. Thanks ️
I'm too scared to name her yet but I thought I'd share a photo of the surviving doeling.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Aww


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## Kath G. (Jul 13, 2017)

Are you possibly in a selenium deficient area? Also, check her body temp, make sure she's where she ought to be...

Weak suck reflex can be a symptom of selenium deficiency. Were she mine (I'm in a deficient area) I'd rub a pea sized piece of selenium/vit e gel on her gums. And give her vit B complex, 1/2 mL orally at this age.

So very sorry for your losses! ((hugs)). Hang in there!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Western WA but my hay comes from eastern WA so it most likely doesn't have sufficient levels of selenium. I have free choice balanced minerals, and kelp meal free choice and towards the end of their gestation I started mixing a 1/4 cup calf manna with their grain, I also supplement with the selenium gel. The vet thinks when I walk away the little one is trying to nurse because she's got little white foam around her lips but when I've witnessed her try the dam kicks. 
I don't think there's any harm and giving what you suggested I'll see how she's doing next time I go out and probably give her some. 
I had one bottle buckling that was overzealous during feeding last year and got aspiration pneumonia, he survived (we used a vaporizer and everything) but the local vets we're hesitant to give him a Bose shot because of so many kids OD. I hadn't heard much about that before but he got healthy without it... That's why I use the gel too

Thank you for the suggestions, they're mush appreciated.


----------



## Kath G. (Jul 13, 2017)

Hold the dam if you need to, for the kid to nurse; colostrum has a small window of effectiveness and the baby needs it.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

I milked the dam for the colostrum and gave it to the kid via tubing earlier a few times. Each time she becomes more difficult and is obviously stronger. Her temp has maintained normal too.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very good advice by everyone.

So sorry for the loss.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

GoatingCouple said:


> There is something about the support of fellow goat people that make sad things feel a little less sad. Thanks ️
> I'm too scared to name her yet but I thought I'd share a photo of the surviving doeling.
> View attachment 127974


Isn't that the truth about goat people! I'm sad because I just came back from an awful kidding (big kid, small doe, head back about has far as it could go, and baby also felt twisted somehow). Baby was alive when I got there but slipped away somewhere in the process of trying to get him out. The doe got so swollen that we had to stop trying and my friend called a vet to come either do a c-section or put the doe down. I had to get home and haven't heard the outcome yet but I'm hoping the c-section is doable. Poor baby, poor mama. I hate these things. But it's good to know we're not alone.

Your kid looks bright and healthy. She's standing and looks very alert. This is a great sign!


----------



## cameronb (May 4, 2015)

We have 2 more does that are due any time. So far 3 have had babies the first two were nigies that got bred a little earlier than the other girls nigie bucks are masters of squeezing through tight spaces when does are in heat the first one had her babies while we were gone on vacation and a friend was staying at our house. (That was a mistake we thought she had another week before she was gonna drop babes) but in the long run the babies weren't able to get enough milk and the guy staying at home didn't see the signs and both of her babies died it was our fault for being gone won't happen again. The next was our other nigie and we were home for her she had quadruplets on the coldest night of the year she had the 1st 2 babies fine they were dry and taken care of when I walked out there to check her. The third one was hanging from her vulva completely in its sack unbroken it wasn't dropping so I broke the sac and cleaned off its face, it was very small and skinny compared to the others all skin and bones I think it took one breath before it gave up the ghost but we went ahead and bathed it in warm water then tube fed it but it didn't come around. At this point I carried her inside the barn was just too cold for the babies. She kept having contractions but there was no sign of another kid it was late at night so the vet was closed so we went to bed and checked on her in the night. The next morning she was still having contractions she hadn't passed the placenta and so we decided to go to the vet who was in surgery till noon so I kept her comfortable till then and loaded her in my moms Mazda and off we went. Right about the time I put her in the care I saw a bit of fur poke out of her volva. We got to the vet and he pulled out a baby that had been sideways in the birth canal that is the second time she has had a kid sideways in the birth canal the first time she had to have a c section. The next doe we just walked out one morning and one of our Nubian nigie crosses had a couple of babies following her around hopefully the rest go that smoothly and require no intervention


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Yea I thought I wanted to be present but if I just came out one morning to a doe with clean dry babies following her I would be content. I'm sorry for your losses.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## cameronb (May 4, 2015)

GoatingCouple said:


> Yea I thought I wanted to be present but if I just came out one morning to a doe with clean dry babies following her I would be content. I'm sorry for your losses.


I think animal farmers learn more than other people that death is actually a big part of life


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Damfino, so sorry you had that happen, not a fun thing.
Praying for your doe.


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Awww, she is so cute! Is she half Saanen, or full Alpine? I’m so sorry about the other kid.


----------



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

She's adorable! And it looks like mom is interested and licking her baby so that's a good sign! I think she just needs to be taught it's ok to let baby nurse. Is her udder really full? Maybe you need to milk some out so it's not so tight and hopefully she'll decide to let the kid nurse.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Goat_Scout said:


> Awww, she is so cute! Is she half Saanen, or full Alpine? I'm so sorry about the other kid.


Half Alpine half Saanen.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

minibarn said:


> She's adorable! And it looks like mom is interested and licking her baby so that's a good sign! I think she just needs to be taught it's ok to let baby nurse. Is her udder really full? Maybe you need to milk some out so it's not so tight and hopefully she'll decide to let the kid nurse.


Yes she's getting better about it but the baby will look for the teat, latch, and then take a couple sucks and be done. She's obviously not getting enough, so after trying for a while I milk the doe and tube feed the kid. Not really sure where to go from here.


----------



## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

Keep trying to have her latch on, she will get it eventually just keep trying the teat


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Did she get the 1/4 cc vitamin B orally yet?


----------



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

She should figure it out eventually. Make sure she's really hungry when you put her on.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Yes she got vit B. 
Woohoo! Just saw her nursing with out my help and the dam was positioning herself to make it easier for her kid! 
She's 8 lbs even.


----------



## Kath G. (Jul 13, 2017)

That's awesome, prayers answered & so happy to hear that!

Does she have a name, at this point?


----------



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

GoatingCouple said:


> Yes she got vit B.
> Woohoo! Just saw her nursing with out my help and the dam was positioning herself to make it easier for her kid!
> She's 8 lbs even.


That's great! Now you can relax and get your rest!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very good to hear.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

GoatingCouple said:


> Yes she got vit B.
> Woohoo! Just saw her nursing with out my help and the dam was positioning herself to make it easier for her kid!
> She's 8 lbs even.


That's awesome! I'm glad she's doing well. Sometimes new mamas are confused, and sometimes they also get nervous and testy when people are present. She might have been nursing her baby just fine when you weren't there but started kicking and moving away any time you "interfered". We've had a couple like that.

Newborns don't eat a whole lot and your doe's body was prepared to feed two, so you may have to keep an eye on mama's udder to make sure it doesn't get over full. If it gets too tight, milk it down so she's more comfortable. I'm glad this baby is doing well!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Damfino thank you for all the advice, good to know about her udder we were wondering. 

We checked on her and her kid every couple hours through the night and watched them nurse. We haven't named the kid yet but we have a few ideas brewing, she's getting stronger and stronger. She's got these wiggles that look like she's trying to jump


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

toth boer goats said:


> Damfino, so sorry you had that happen, not a fun thing.
> Praying for your doe.


Thanks. It wasn't my doe. She belongs to a little boy down the road. I heard this morning that the doe made it through the night. The vet was able to pull the dead kid by turning it completely around and getting it out backwards (he couldn't reach the head either apparently). He tore the uterus in the process but since the doe didn't bleed to death during the night I think she should heal with time. She's getting plenty of supportive care. I didn't try turning the kid around since I was afraid of tearing the uterus or causing a torsion. There are limits to what I will try! I'd rather a vet cause the damage than me.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh wow, praying for the doe.
What an ordeal there, I agree let the vet do it, a very tough situation for sure.
All they can do is hope she will be OK and can check her membrane coloring to ensure she isn't bleeding out. 
Her coloring will be very light or white if she is in great danger.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm not sure what they'll do if she starts bleeding out. I think they'll just put her down. They can't afford surgery to fix the uterine tear. The immediate problem is that they're not sure the doe can potty because her back end is so grossly swollen. Cold compresses and hemorrhoid cream are about all they can do for that. On the plus side, she hasn't eaten for the last 24 hours so she shouldn't get too backed up.

This is the second terrible head back presentation I've had to deal with in the past year and I'm determined not to lose another kid over it. There were times when I knew we were _so close_, but there was no way to keep the head in position and pull on the kid at the same time, and the second you let go of that head it flops right back into the depths. Baling twin is worthless. It crumples up and refuses to push forward to where you can work it behind the ears. I'm ordering a kid puller from Jeffers TODAY.
https://www.jefferspet.com/products/pull-eze-lamb-puller?sku=H4P1


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yeah, the doe is in jeopardy for sure. 

I have that kid puller, it took a while to get to know how to use it correctly, threw it aside as I couldn't get it to work and get it far enough back around the kids ears. But I did grab it again for the next kidding issue and I finally did it and saved a kid with it.


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Well looks like we are playing the waiting game again..our other doe is having milky discharge so I know it could still be a few weeks away ..anyways back night checks lol


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Mr.Southern Justice 
He has a white ring around his butt them up his tail its 2 cute!!! I call him fancypants


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Cute! I like the nickname haha


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Well our list of names so far is short Ivory, Pearl, and Lotus. I've been hesitant to name her yet because of her rough start but she went from 8 pounds yesterday to 8.5 after 24 hours of being alive. She's also been nursing on her own since last night. I carried her outside so she and her dam could feel the sun for a few minutes and meet the other expecting does.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Awww just read through your post. So sorry your first delivery was tough, but that baby is gorgeous! So glad she seems to be recovering from her rough ordeal and doing well! We've had some scary deliveries over the years, but I've learned those does and kids are tough! They really do amaze me!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

What a beautiful little girl! I think Lotus is just perfect.


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

I like the name the name Lotus best, also! She’s so stinkin’ cute.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

We've agreed on Lotus!


----------



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

GoatingCouple said:


> We've agreed on Lotus!


Yayyy! Awesome choice!


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Aww sweet!!!


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

She is so cute!!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

We are getting ready for our next doe to kid, she's due on Saturday. 
How do you introduce new kids into the herd? My does have met Lotus and offered to but her when she runs towards them and I worry she'll get hurt.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

GoatingCouple said:


> We are getting ready for our next doe to kid, she's due on Saturday.
> How do you introduce new kids into the herd? My does have met Lotus and offered to but her when she runs towards them and I worry she'll get hurt.


It sounds like routine "enforcing the pecking order". A little nip and butt here and there is how they teach the kids what pecking order is and is to be expected. Keep an eye out that it doesn't get out of hand but usually it doesn't when they are still little.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Lotus will learn not to run toward the big goats. She has to learn her place and the adults are enforcing this. I've rarely seen big goats be outright mean to little babies, and kids are a lot tougher than they look. I don't have a good way to separate mamas and new babies from the herd, so our kids get introduced to everyone the day they're born. I've found that the big goats usually avoid the kids for the first few days and "tough love" begins when the kids are old enough to start pestering them, which means they're also old enough to run away if a goat butts or bites them. 

Do watch out for any overly mean or cranky individuals in your herd, especially if they are higher on the pecking order than the mama doe. I've usually found that the meanest goats are the yearlings, but these are also usually underneath our mamas in the pecking order so there's a limit to just how mean they can be before mama goat teaches the bully a lesson. An exception would be yearling wethers who are often bigger than adult does and can have a very wicked streak.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, good advice.

Cute baby.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Of course Echo is holding us hostage, her due date was yesterday but she's still waddling around and though she's loosening up her ligaments still feel like pencils.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

I think Echo is getting close, she skipped breakfast to paw out a nest to lay in away from the others and her ligaments are completely loose. 

On another note, what do you do about water buckets? We raised all of our 5 gallons because we didn't want the kids jumping in. Lotus however, got into our 20 gal water buckets which is knee high or so. She managed to get out on her own but she that be elevated too?


----------



## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

I only use a couple 2 gallon water buckets (or, if bigger, I make sure it’s pretty shallow) until the kids are old/big enough to be safer and smarter. It can be more time consuming to fill them, but better safe than sorry. A goat kid drowning is one of my biggest fears.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I use 5 gallon hard buckets.








I tie them up by the handle in each stall high enough so the kids cannot jump in it.

Sometimes the doe poops in it and that is frustrating but, I have never had a kid jump in it. I change it out daily.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)




----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Looks good.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Oh my, how wonderful is that!!! They're both beautiful, and I'm sure you're very relieved that all went well this time!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Damfino said:


> Oh my, how wonderful is that!!! They're both beautiful, and I'm sure you're very relieved that all went well this time!


Yes, it was much smoother than our last doe, these kids weighed around 7 pounds compared to the bigger kids Kivu had. 
These guys are so cute and got up to nurse right away. Echo has been a great mom to them too. We are confident that Bagheera is the sire since one has almost his exact markings, and neither look Saanen.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I believe the white Saanen coloring tends to be dominant, so I would guess it was the other buck as well. Was Bagheera the sire you wanted her bred to? 

To your earlier question about the water tubs, I agree with Goat_Scout. I use 2-gallon buckets in the kidding shed and I don't hang them up. I just leave them on the floor. Within a day or two the kids are able to climb out of their shed, which means they have access to the herd tub. I usually use 20-gallon tubs for my herd, but when we have little babies I swap it out for a shallow tub that's only about 10-12 inches tall. I have to fill it more often, but I don't have to worry about the kidlings falling into it. They can reach over the top and see the water so they know it's not something they can jump on or into, and if one did jump in they would be able to jump back out. I don't introduce the bigger tubs until they're a few weeks old, and even then I keep the shallow tub in the pen so they can get a drink.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Yes Bagheera is the sire who I was hoping for, and originally intended Echo to be bred to. Of course she broke out and had a date night with Kingsley as well but I'm fairly confident that Bagheera is the sire of these kids. Lotus is an odd one, she has slurped water out of the big black tub that she got into. My best guess is that it was frozen and she broke the ice. Either way we are so grateful she's ok. I will probably remove the big tub for our kids until they are big/strong enough to get out if they get in and add some smaller buckets. Our does like to itch their heads on the buckets so they'll probably knock the 2 gal buckets over. 
So far the hanging 5 gallon buckets haven't been a problem but they are pretty high.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

So far they are happy and healthy!


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

What gorgeous kids! Congratulations!


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

For our kidding pen we use the bottom of a plastic barrel. It's cut off about 12" high. You can get two shallow water tubs from one plastic barrel.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

They are so cute!! 

I use several 5 gallon buckets for water, and several 2 gallon buckets when I have kids around. Never had any problems.


----------



## Noma’s Kids (Dec 30, 2017)

Amber89 said:


> We have 3 does a weather Nigerian and then a boar buck going to get him fixed soon tho ..we had 2 beautiful bucks and a stray bulldog came and killed both of them our rabbit and our mini horse it has devastated our farm..we are terrified for the rest of our animals but we have 2 lgd that are in the pen with the girls and one more in another pen and things have been quite since we got the new dog he is a huge badger pyraneese..We also have a black lab that runs loose so he has helped alert us we have tried to catch the dog but its like a cat it has 9 lives..


So sorry to hear of this terrible tragedy. Breaks my heart. We are experiencing two bulldogs coming on our property recently and we know who belong to but we are having trouble getting them to keep home. Our babies are in a pen but you never know what they can do. I worry.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Cute babies.


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

Woke up this morning to Denali with 2 bucklings just born. One is 9 lbs the other 9.8 lbs! 
She doesn't seem to understand what to do. I have to make her stand for them to nurse, she cleans them a bit but not their bums. I had to help dry them off so they didn't get cold. When I hold her there she doesn't seem to kick them away but will she ever let them nurse? The dam was a bottle baby and is looking at her kids with a bit of fear and get away from me....


----------



## Amber89 (Feb 6, 2018)

Aww cuties


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Cute. 

Make her feed those babies, tie her up and one back leg, the side you are working on.
Milk out some and feed it to her babies, This will make her less sore before latching her kids on. Keep working with her every couple of hours.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

They are so cute!!


----------



## GoatingCouple (Dec 25, 2016)

She's doing much better. We named the couch Claire Kodiak, and the black and white Togo!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Too cute.


----------

