The Goat Spot Forum banner

Weak Twins

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  McGoat 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

Both my does kidded last night within an hour of each other! Both girls had 0 problems and have already passed the placenta. I am a bit concerned about the set of twins, they seem generally a bit weak and they are pretty small, one more then the other. They both were attempting to stand within a few minutes and we’re able to latch a few times that I saw last night, so I know they got some colostrum. I gave them selenium and nutria drench last night. Their mother is wild and absolutely petrified of us. We had to chase her into the barn (25 min) to be with her kids last night. She will stand for them to nurse but any time she hears a sound or something/someone moves she takes a few steps away from them and gets freaked out, so the kids are not latching for very long at all. The kids also don't seem very eager to eat and are sleeping more then the kid from the other doe. When they do eat its only for a few seconds at a time. They follow mom around with their tails up She cleaned them at birth and I’ve seen her lick them but she’s not nearly as attentive as our other doe is with her kid and seems much more scared of us then she is worried about taking care of her babies.

My biggest concern is they they aren’t getting enough milk and they are already a bit weak.

So what do people think. Should I start giving them a bottle? I don’t think they need to be full time bottle babies because she is feeding them, so how often should I feed? How much? What milk replacer is best? Am I just being paranoid??

They are the our first farm born babies and we're very worried about them!

Thank you for any input.
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#4 ·
Are they beginning to have yellow poops? If so, they are getting some of momma's milk. If she's standing and letting them nurse then that's very encouraging. Sometimes, they sneak little sips for a few seconds at a time. Other times they will feast for a long time. Have you noticed them peeing? That's a sign they are not getting dehydrated. When you say they are getting weak, could it be possible they are tired or cold?
 
#5 ·
I was wondering that too -- if they could be cold. Cold babies can't eat and will need to be warmed. I had one last year that had a difficult time nursing at first so I gave him some vitamin b gel which really helped. Within about 20 minutes he latched on and never had a problem again after that. I would definitely get a temp on them if you can.

I would definitely use whole cow's milk from the store, preferably organic, rather than milk replacer if you can't milk mama to feed it to them. That being said, if you do bottle feed them you'll have to milk her because that can cause a whole host of other problems. The best bet is to keep an eye on them and watch their poops and urination (first they'll have slimy black poops, then super bright orange solid poops).
 
#6 ·
@ksalvagno i will start weighing them tomorrow. What weight should they be? What should their weight increase look like? I'll try a bottle tonight.

@SalteyLove it's totally possible! I'm definitely being a bit overly concerned. They are just so little and have a very different demeanor from the other kid

@JML Farms @farmerA The nights have been dropping into the he low 30s so they very possibly could be chilled. I put them in dog pajamas tonight and will be putting in some hot water bottles. They are pretty frail and have almost no fat/muscle on their bodies. They have been pooping yellow and peeing, so they must be getting some. They just don't seem very lively and because they are so small we're concerned.

Thanks so much everyone!
 
#7 ·
It sounds like they're eating well then which is great. And fantastic idea on the water bottles (you may want to remove or replace them after a couple of hours as they'll get cold). Birth can be pretty exhausting for kids as well as mama and since they were only born last night, I would just keep an eye on them. Hopefully they'll be more perky and peppy tomorrow. I've had 4 kids so far this season and three were hyper and bouncy by about a day and a half old and the other was almost three days old before she started getting adventurous. I think they really can vary a lot. I've had 11 kids so far though and I worry every single time so I definitely get it. ♡
 
#9 ·
How are the kids this morning?
Sorry for the late reply! They seem much better! They've begun bouncing around and doing 'kick flips'. They feel sturdy-er they before. they still seem a bit sluggish so I'll keep an eye on them but I think we are in the clear. I really appreciate all the advice and support everyone had given ❤
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top