# New kids cold and weak, help!!



## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Hello everyone! We went on vacation for a week after Xmas! Was hoping our one doe would not kid til we got back. Well we got back home this afternoon, but it was to late. The girl taking care of our animals called yesterday Eve to say that our doe had twins. They were already born and cleaned off when she got here to feed, so don't know when they were born. Of course it snowed atleast 6 inches here yesterday and was cold. She moved babies and mom into kidding pen and put down lots of straw and turned on heat lamp. She made sure they could stand and were trying to nurse before she left.

We got home today around 3:00 and the one girl couldn't stand and couldn't even keep her neck up. Very weak. Other one was shivering but was standing and when we put it up to nurse it finally started nursing. So gave both selenium gel, nutri drench, and a b complex shot. Milked mom and gave the one who can't stand about 8 syringes of moms milk cause I don't know if she really ate at all and she felt very skinny. Both kids seem very cold and lethargic. Have them in the house by the wood stove and wrapped in blankets.

Wondering what else I should be doing and how much milk and how often should I be giving it to them both?? How soon should I start seeing improvement? These are nubian girls and the weakest one weighed 8lbs and the stronger one weighed 8 1/2 lbs.




















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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

In the first pic they look fairly alert for being chilled!
Make sure they are at least 100 degrees before you feed them. A good indicator is a toasty warm mouth.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

How many ounces all together did the doeling get? I normally tube 3oz to start with (feel their bellies, not too firm, and not sunk in, that's the goal. Just enough for their bellies to feel full) and 1oz every hour or so until they are doing better and can suck off a bottle/mom. 
For the other doeling that is doing a bit better, she's about the size of my average newborns, and I give them a 24oz bottle each day, split into multiple feedings. Most others will feed much less than that though.
It'll take anywhere from a few hours, to a day or two for the other one to snap out of it and drink from a bottle or nurse.


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Well just checked their mouths and they are cold! I did get a temp on the weakest one and it was 96*. So what should I do to warm them up faster?? 


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

You can either blow them with a hair dryer to help warm them up and keep rubbing their bodies to get their circulation going, or have them stand in a garbage bag in the bathtub or sink with very warm water (I don't like getting newborns wet, because of bacteria and the chilling if you don't get them dry very fast, so that's why the garbage bag-with their head sticking out).


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes garbage bag works best with head out. Submerge kid minus head in mildly hot water. Massage as you go.
This may take some time.
Wrap in hot towels from dryer & place on heating pad. Repeat if needed.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Other than warming (a must), the best medicine for kids like this is colostrum. If you can tube it to them, that is best. If not, hopefully you can get them to suck a teat or a bottle. I've heard enough people that have syringed small amounts of milk at a time to babies - that lived - to not say it won't work, but it's just not as good. I've seen 2 ounces of colostrum tubed to a kid turn them from weak and iffy, to strong and vibrant, turn the corner and never look back.


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Ok thanks everyone!! Their mouths and noses are much warmer. Using syringes and just gave them each 21 cc's of moms milk. I will give them more in an hour! Hoping to see improvement in the morning!! 


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

If they go to sleep after a feeding, that's good. If I have these weak kids in the house, I let them sleep until they wake up (within reason), then feed again. If they are getting normalish, I take them for visits to Mom to keep that possibility open. I think they do much better on a doe. JMO.


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Yes they are both crashed out sleeping, I woke them up to feed this time. I am hoping I will be able to take them out for visits with mom tomorrow and hopefully get them to nurse off of her. We will see though!! Poor mom was not happy that we took her babies away!








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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Good job on getting them up and warm..beautiful girls and healthy weight on both!!! Sounds like they were not eating enough to help keep them strong...be sure you see them nurse strong on theire own before leaving them with mom...Once they get it...check often to be sure mom is letting them feed!!

congrats!!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Sounds like they'll be able to go back on mom if she's attentive, just get them warm and a few meals in their bellies for a jumpstart.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I know you already have the babies warmed and great job I just wanted to give you another option if needed. I have old towels that I have just for the goats. I put them in my dryer and get them good and hot then wrap them in the blanket, then rotate them as they cool. I also have an old sock that is full of rice. Heat it in the microwave, you have a instant heat pack .


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Well we lost the weakest girl. She was gone when I just got up again with them. The other girl is very weak and just lays there very limp! Don't know what else to do!! Syringed more milk into this one, but at a loss on how to keep her from dying too



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## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

warmth, milk, stimulation. Her mom would lick her, rub her vigorously with a warm towel. Sometimes these things happen and we never know why. They may not have been right on the inside and that is why she didn't want to feed them. You are doing what can be done. Give Probios and B complex injection it might perk her up. have you given Selenium?


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Gave b complex injection yesterday afternoon and selenium gel. Been rubbing her and giving her milk. She just keeps getting weaker and weaker! I am just afraid we got home to late, they were already a day old and if they were to cold and didn't get anything or very little to eat then i guess that must be why! So bummed, if mom could have waited 24 hours longer we would have been home and I think they both would have been fine



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## glndg (Feb 8, 2013)

Sorry to jump in here, but it could be that they are still not getting enough to eat. 21 cc is equivalent to .71 ounces. Don't know how much you have been able to get into them at a time after that first feeding, but it would take a lot of feedings at that rate to get up to 23 ounces or even half that.

We had a kid that kept crashing when we stuck to the amount of milk a vet suggested. After a few trips to the vet for glucose which revived her, the vet said to let her eat as much as she wanted. Then she was fine.


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Ok will keep giving her more milk!!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yes..sounds like she is just not getting enough to sustain her...Bring her in..warm her up...I use a towel to make a tent over my lap...baby under the tent and a blow dryer to warm the air...do not blow on baby...just the air...
once she is warm enough ( 100 at least) then feed her a good amount of moms milk....I would do as Tennacross suggested and tube her..just until her tummy feels full..not too full...but comfy....once she is responding..weigh her and adust her milk to 10-12 % of her body weight in oz...heres how
weigh her and multiply her weight by 16 to get it in oz..multiply that by 10-12% and divide into 4 bottles...adjust +/- based on how her tummy feels after her bottle...if she is sunken in still, add 1/2 oz, if she is poochy..decrease 1/2 oz...re weigh weekly and adjust milk amount...Im very sorry you lost the other baby...best wishes on this one!!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Ok will keep giving her more milk!!


Be sure she is warm first and only give enough til her tummy feel comfy!! too much is bad as well as too little!!


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

She is warm in the house and bundled up with us. Got her to start swallowing from a bottle and she does feel like she has a full belly for now. Figured out and with her weight she needs 16 oz a day. Should we be giving her a little extra since she didn't have as much as she needed at first? 


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Her body will tell you how much she needs, just go by her stomach and how hungry she is. Mine don't grow on the 10% rule, it just maintains them. Most of the time, they need more than the 10%.


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Ok I just wish she would start showing some improvement soon! This is all she is doing as of now:








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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

10-12% is a starting point...as little bits said some need a bit more...add by 1/2 oz at a time so not to over feed...you want her tummy to feel firm but pretty flat...if its poochy then itsa bit much...if she is sunken in then she needs more...you are doing great...the only thing I suggest is propping her up on her chest..use a rolled up towel to prop her..its not good for her to lay on her side...her head may flop to one side or the other..thats ok..just keep her body up right...


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## lameacres (Jun 15, 2013)

Well we lost the second girl this afternoon! So sad and frustrated that we weren't here when they were born!! I knew she could possibly have here babies before we got back from vacation but thought she wouldn't have them til closer to the 5th. Definitely won't make this mistake again!! Thanks everyone for all the advice and help, really appreciate it! 


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

I'm so sorry you lost both of your doelings.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

very sorry....


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## dnchck (Mar 24, 2014)

So sorry you lost your girls,,they were beautiful! :blue:


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