The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: tizaala on March 12, 2011, 09:08:37 pm
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Our British Saanen goat had twins 2 days ago. Both were nose presentations, no legs, but managed to get them out safely. They are both female. The first one was on its feet and drinking within minutes, the second one took quite a bit longer. The first one was really drinking well from the beginning, the second one had only little sips but is improving and staying on the teet longer. Second one is sleeping much more. First one really runs and jumps about while second one only walks a bit, eats and sleeps. Also when we checked them again earlier the second one had an anal plug stuck to her hair which we managed to remove. Sometimes they both seem very bright and then sometimes the second one seems nuch slower. Should we worry?
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Mhmm, I would try and make sure the secound one gets a good feed. If she has had a lot less milk, that could be why she is less bouncy. Even if you need to give her a bottle of milk just to make sure she gets 5 or 6 ounces, that will give her more energy to go and get more milk!
I hope she does ok- are they warm enough? We have had a nasty cold snap here, it might be worth having a heat lamp available for them if it is cold with you as well.
Beth
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They have a heat lamp. But never lie under it, always away from it. We also gave her some milk in a bottle but she did not drink a lot. We have a camera on them, so can watch them from the house and she is drinking but just does not seem as lively as the other
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My BT kids - 4 days old - don't have a heat lamp and BT mum lies away from them. They are fine, and I have today taken them off mum and put into separate pen alongside mum. They have taken to the bottle quite easily.
If you are unsure about how much the second kid is drinking, I would take them off mum and milk her, bottlefeed the kids. That way you can also give smaller but more feeds to the second one. Also keep weighing them regularly over the next few weeks if you are concerned. However if light brown/yellowish poop is coming through she is getting milk, and it may get stuck because mum is not that good at cleaning them. Happens a lot with sheep.
Some kids are just more active than others, and the second one in a diffiuclt birth might just take a bit longer to get over it.
Hope they will be doing ok.
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Thanks for your answers. I am pretty sure that she is constpated. This morning again some very hard poo stuck to her, managed to get it out. However, now it is a yellow colour. We put some warm soapy water into her , what else could I do?
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Probably just the result of the colostrum but keep an eye on her back end as sometimes it dries and then blocks any more comming out,same result as constipation.
If they aren't using the heat lamp maybe you're hanging it too low?