Author Topic: Nubian with triplets (Read 4492 times)

tattycat · « **on:** May 14, 2015, 07:44:00 pm »

Hiya all. Just wondering if AN's struggle with triplets? She did so well with her twins last year, but seems to be struggling with the 3...
2 girls, 1 boy. ....it's the 2 girls with empty tummies. ...would it be the boy being greedy?
Cheers

verdifish · « **Reply #1 on:** May 14, 2015, 07:51:48 pm »

After our last set of triplets that has pretty much ruined one of our best girls triplets are now banned farm wide 1 will be lifted and bottle fed

Anke · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2015, 09:18:35 pm »

Bottle feed all three.... and milk the dam.

If you have spare milk from another milker, make sure that the kids get 2ltrs per day (building up over a couple of weeks of course) - I do 4 feeds of 500ml per day until 3 months, then drop a feed per month (this is for replacement milkers, any boys I rear for meat can be weaned earlier if milk is not surplus).

Roxy · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2015, 11:41:01 pm »

My nubians seem good at having triplets. Last year we had two sets of triplets, and due to me already having a pen full of kids to bottle feed, I left the ANs to cope, and cope they did, and kids and mothers were fine. This year, my big white Sanaan x BA has triplets (two female and one male). She has only had twins in the past. Again, I have enough to bottle feed, so Poppy is feeding them all. I have to admit that she is not looking as good weight wise as she did, but has plenty of milk.

tattycat · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2015, 08:38:43 am »

It would seem lots of you remove the kids from the mom's. ..would that be for the milk, for the kids, or for the ease of looking after them all?

It's certainly a positivity here as we have the AN with triplets, an a BT with twins who thinks she only has 1 side to her udder.....

It's getting easier to plug the kids on but a pain none the less.....

Anke · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2015, 11:59:30 am »

If you want to continue milking the nanny post-weaning it is better to remove the kids early, milk her twice a day and bottle feed the milk back to the kids. She will keep her milk production up, if the kids are suckling she will adjust "her" production to their needs . and these will be less by three months than they were at 2 months..., so you can already use some of the milk and the kids get what they need. Also if you have one with triplets and maybe not enough milk, and one with twins/single with excess milk you can ensure that all kids get what they need - easy! Also kids can be very rough on the dam's udder... if milking the nanny you can quicly get a feel for her udder and anything not quite right (mastitis) can be nipped in the bud so much quicker.

My kids live in a pen of their own, removed from their dam at 4 to 7 days, depending on how well she is feeding them, how busy I am etc etc, now it is just a matter of hanging up the bottle rack and two minutes later it is all gone... happy kids, happy me (though I still have the washing up to do afterwards...). Kids are VERY friendly to humans that way...

tattycat · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2015, 01:17:25 pm »

Anke. Do you give them a brood lamp?
I haven't had a problem with yield after weaning, however AN babies (apart from the boy) are looking a bit thin nd hunched. AND the BT only thinks she has 1 teat on her udder, so it has now become a consideration to take the babies off... The AN seems particularly against the black girl...it took her 6 hours to plug onto the teat, would it be anything to do with it?

Anke · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2015, 06:24:42 pm »

I would only give the an infrared lamp if I was worried about thme not being warm enough - goat kids are fine in very cold temperatures, as long as they are dry and have a tummy full of milk/colostrum early on. I am usualy more worried about the fire risk in my goat house, especially if mum decides to check on her kids and knocks the lamp...

However - if you are concerned and the kids are not looking quite right - ae sure they get some milk into them and have a warm place to snuggle into. How old are they - if still quite young tubing them is the quickest if they are not too keen on the bottle. But only until they are about a couple of weeks old, I wouldn't tube an older kid. Then just perseverance with the bottle.

I will also always milk some colostrum off the dam straight after birth, and give it to the kids in a bottle. About 100ml per kid, maybe more if they take it. That way I can make sure that if they don't get to the teat as quickly they had the first dose and enough energy to last them a wee while. This initial bottle will not deter them from seeking out the udder/teat at all.

Melmarsh · « **Reply #8 on:** May 15, 2015, 09:00:17 pm »

I always removed kids, however many the goat had, at 5 days and bottle fed them. Built up to 500 mls in 4 bottles a day, kept them at that for 4wks then dropped to 3 bottles at 500 mls for three wks 2 bottles for 2 wks and 1 bottle for 1 WK then wean. All did well ate well and of course were very friendly. The entire males were also reared this way with no problems.
Good luck with whatever you do

tattycat · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2015, 10:09:57 pm »

They are all about 2 weeks old, both the AN and the BT. 5 in total.
How many kids do you end up bottle feeding?
I had 4 Sanean boys rejected the other year nd they were a handful to rear until I found the lamb rack!!

Anke · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2015, 10:22:31 pm »

I currently have 9 on the bottle, was 11 until a couple of weeks ago, when two castrated boys went to a new home. Have one pen of 5 males (one entire) and one pen (in a different house) with 3 girls and one wether.

Bottle rack is the only way!

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2015, 01:42:47 am »

My Boer had triplets and they made a mess of her teats, fighting over them and biting (trying to hold on with teeth?). I've ended up letting 2 onto mum 4 times a day while bottle feeding third. Maybe boy has a teat to himself and girls are fighting over the other?
I'd check they haven't bitten her, she may be kicking them away before they've had enough.

tattycat · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2015, 10:02:02 am »

Well they were getting a supplementary bottle a couple of times a day nd all settled down now!!
Thanks all?

tattycat · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2015, 08:16:30 pm »

Don't know why last post finished with a ?
?

OK during all the trauma of the other girl kidding, they were all doing OK.

Now that one's over the worst of it

I noticed one of the nubian girls is still a bit hunched up..she follows her mom well, she's eating, she's grazing, nd occasionally getting a bit of a bottle nd a suckle of mom....

Any idea's?
Thanks