# Getting a doe to take another's baby



## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

Our doe Giselle kidded yesterday with a stillborn. She was an FF and was 2 weeks early. The. vet had said there was a minor possibility that she might still have one.
Saphire kidded this morning with triplets so we are trying to bond the smallest with Giselle. We rubbed him with a towel that had the baby in it yesterday and put a little Vick in her nostrils. She keeps snorting at him and appears more curious than anything else
We held her and allowed him to nurse from her. We are watching the two of them like a hawk. She has been basically ignoring him, but now keeps snorting and sniffs his tail if he gets close. What should I be watching for and are there any other suggestion


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

*I am eagerly awaiting replies*

I am sorry for your losses, truly. I have a doe I would love to be able to give kids to as the need arrives. I think she has the temperament for it, and it seems a better solution than bottle babies, for me. Hoping for some help from the people who respond to you.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Just keep holding her to let him nurse.


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

She is letting him nurse. I k eel down next to her and she "hides" her head under my arm. I did have to hold her back leg up once or twice, but once he latches on she's ok. But she is ignoring him. She has sniffed his tail once or twice, snorted and kind of "lipped" him. Is this normal..and a good progression? They've only been together about an hour and a half.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Sounds like you are making good progress, keep it up!
I have never grafted but did try briefly the other day on an FF. She snorted too & kind of pushed the kid away. Since I didn't have the time I didn't press the issue so now have bottle baby.


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

Ksvalgno have you ever done this successfully? She still seems unsure and we can hold him to her to nurse. She has nipped at him a few times, but mostly stays away or sniffs him. Unfortunately I am thinking that now we can't get him back with his own mom. Uggh


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## 76sarahann (Apr 3, 2015)

Normally when I do it I make sure the grafted baby is covered in the birthing liquid of the mum who had the loss and she smells her own baby on the other one and takes to it.


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I had a doe kid triplets and then a week later her daughter kidded a single. After drying the single off and making sure he could nurse I rubbed all the afterbirth and placenta over one of the triplets. At first it was hard to get the kid to accept his new mom but I just kept going out there every couple hours and made him nurse her. Eventually he got hungry enough to nurse on his own. The new mom wasn't as attentive to him but she was talking to him and letting him nurse. I kept them separated from the herd for about a week and by the end of the week he was staying with his new mom and she would call for him and come running when he called for her


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

Thanks. That gives me hope. I seperately the baby and the "surrogate" into a stall by themselves and I put the baby in a crate when we aren't with them. However, they are doing much better. We are bringing the 2 of them inside overnight in adjoining crates. She hasn't let him snuggle up to her yet so I am worried about the overnight chill. With a little luck this will be the only night I have to keep getting up to feed him


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

I know it is a year later with the update, but the "adoption" was an unqualified success! Giselle fully adopted Starfire and raised him as her own. The funny thing is that his biological mother has no connection to him. We actually ended up keeping him as our buck and he bred 3 of our does this year.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh great!! Keep that doe  it's nice to have does like that when you get in a jam


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## Luckthebuck234 (Jul 15, 2015)

Wow, great story! Glad it all worked out and you got to keep a nice buck. Do you have a pic of him then or now or both?


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)




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