Author Topic: Finished kidding (Read 3507 times)

Big Mat · « **on:** April 01, 2018, 11:46:39 pm »

Our 3rd and last doe kidded today, had to have some assistance as she was having difficulties. One nice buckling though!

Had twins from the other 2 does, one rejected hers so they're on the bottle and the other lost one. Leaving us with 2 doelings and 2 bucklings in total!

Not the best year due to problems but not the worst and we will be looking to increase numbers by adding another Boer and a Nubian to the herd this year!

mart6 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2018, 10:23:55 am »

A learning curve that never ends
Terrible year weather wise there has only been 18 days it has not rained innearly 5 months here
never known anything like it really caused problems.

How do you deal with does that reject kids?
Had a couple of young boers show no intrest in kids this year myself, once they were born they totaly ignored them
Put them in a small enclosure still no joy dispite kids being on feet trying to suckle mums just bolt.
Noway were they going to let them suckle.
Next move i get someone to assist holding the doe , i hold back legs to stop kicking and point kid in right direction.
Doe obviously tries to resist but the kids get a drink.

This continues for three or four feeds allowing kids to get colostrum.
Then i sit back and watch, kids go up for a drink mums are normally still a bit off but normallly they let them mouth the teats without bolting.
Then something seems to click and they normally let them suckle. and start licking and showing a intrest.
IMO trick is persistance seen the most unintrested mums change in a mater of 8 hours, to some of the best mums.

May not work with every doe but its never failed for me

Big Mat · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2018, 11:38:14 am »

We tried pretty much as you say, however this doe turned particularly violent and as the kids were premature and quite small is was clear we'd either hurt them or ourselves. My partner was helping me and she had a c section 8 weeks ago so didn't want to risk injuring her as well!

I did attempt to milk the doe so that the kids got some good colostrum but I ended up with several bruises for my troubles. Needless to say the doe is going for sausages once she's fattened back up

mart6 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2018, 11:22:25 pm »

Quote from: Big Mat on April 04, 2018, 11:38:14 am

We tried pretty much as you say, however this doe turned particularly violent and as the kids were premature and quite small is was clear we'd either hurt them or ourselves. My partner was helping me and she had a c section 8 weeks ago so didn't want to risk injuring her as well!

I did attempt to milk the doe so that the kids got some good colostrum but I ended up with several bruises for my troubles. Needless to say the doe is going for sausages once she's fattened back up

Sounds like you had more thanyour share of problems
If they were premature i would not be too quick to judge her mothering ability , that may of been part of it

Big Mat · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2018, 06:05:49 am »

Quote from: mart6 on April 04, 2018, 11:22:25 pm

Quote from: Big Mat on April 04, 2018, 11:38:14 am
We tried pretty much as you say, however this doe turned particularly violent and as the kids were premature and quite small is was clear we'd either hurt them or ourselves. My partner was helping me and she had a c section 8 weeks ago so didn't want to risk injuring her as well!

I did attempt to milk the doe so that the kids got some good colostrum but I ended up with several bruises for my troubles. Needless to say the doe is going for sausages once she's fattened back up
Sounds like you had more thanyour share of problems
If they were premature i would not be too quick to judge her mothering ability , that may of been part of it

This was her second chance, she had still borns last year and the vet could not find any reason why as we had post mortem done and tests on her.

I'll be looking for her replacement in the summer

Big Mat · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2018, 10:25:55 am »

I can see where you are coming from, the doe isn't that unfriendly normally, she just took offence to being milked!

What I don't want to do, is go another year and end up in the same situation with kids on a bottle, although we are prepared for it, it's a stress we could do with out

Big Mat · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2018, 12:16:26 pm »

I should have probably said before, but she didn't clean them up when they were born, she gave both a small luck that we saw which luckily was enough to clear their airways but when I went back out an hour later, both kids laid wet and cold in the straw where they'd be born!

Big Mat · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2018, 01:06:40 pm »

Her reaction was to attack them once they started making noise, had my partner not have grabbed Her, she would have killed at least one of them

Big Mat · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2018, 10:24:40 am »

I'm sticking her back out with the Billy, if she gets pregnant and kids in the Autumn, then we'll see what happens

Big Mat · « **Reply #9 on:** April 07, 2018, 03:32:06 pm »

It'll either work or it won't, i've stuck some raddle on the big man so we'll see what happens!

I've had the rest of the herd outside today, finally stopped raining!