One day old. |
The youngest, a little buckling. 1 day old. |
Some things I feel confident to manage on my own, but a retained placenta is not one of them.
Firstborn, a little doeling, 1 day old. |
2nd born, a buckling. 1 day old and looking for something to eat (yes, he's at the wrong end but this is something they eventually figure out) |
The vet was able to pull out quite a bit more. Ziggy didn't have a fever, which is good, plus she's till eating and drinking water. The vet sent me home with oxytocin, to stimulate the contractions needed to expel the rest of the placenta. We also got a week's worth of naxcel injections, an antibiotic for which there is no milk withdrawal.
My other concern has been whether or not they are getting enough to eat. I made sure each of them latched onto a teat right after they were born, to get a tummyful of colostrum.
2 days old. 1st outing. |
However, Ziggy's udder never got very full. It's also very saggy and low to the ground, adding the additional challenge of finding it! Fortunately I had some colostrum in the freezer, and was able to offer some to each kid.
The little girl seems to have caught on to nursing, but the boys, not as well. Baby goats do not instinctively know where to find milk. They have the instinct to suck and they know mom is the source, but finding that teat with its reward of rich milk is a hit-or-miss learning process. I frequently try to guide each kid to a teat, but for the boys, there doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy them.
1st chicken sighting |
So I've been supplementing with a bottle. I started with 100% colostrum and have gradually been mixing it with some of Surprise's milk. The transition from colostrum to milk varies, most say in about a week.
Meeting Lily's twins for the first time. The twins are 3 weeks old. Lily & Surprise were put in the adjacent field for the babies' 1st outing. Surprise has been pretty mean to the twins, so I don't quite trust her. |
The doeling seems to be getting enough of mama's milk and refuses the bottle. The boys, on the other hand, latch on to it with great vigor. My concern is that they will now think of me as their source of food, rather than Ziggy. If she was producing more, I'd insist they go to here. But I can't have them hungry, so after they get what they can, I give them the bottle. Hopefully her production will pick up if they keep nursing her dry. I'd love for her to be able to feed them all.
After every great exploration comes a good nap. |
Bottle feeding is more work, of course, but it's just one of those things. And I have to admit, bottle feeding a baby goat is a pretty sweet experience.
Ziggy and Company © May 2013