[goatheaven]

Well last night we had another rough night. One of our smaller does tried to give birth but she was just too small and the kid was just too big. My husband and I fought with trying to get it out for 2 hours. It was head first but feet were underneath not pointed forward. When we finally got the head out nothing else would happen. We had to watch the baby hang out and suffer. My hubby was so upset. We thought we should out them bothe down but waited for another hour and tried to pull again. We finally were able to pull the kid out. It was so traumatic. The kid was huge and of course dead. Mom seems to be recovering but is screaming this morning. I think she's looking for a kid. I sure hope kidding season will turn out better for me and be over soon. I am enjoying my 9 little playful things but the stress is killing me. My husband was on the barn floor praying last night that he would not have to end their lives to keep them from suffering. That really bothers him. He said God I don't ask for much but please let me get this kid out. Of course there was no vet around at the time.

 

[trob1]

I am so sorry this happened. I am glad you saved the doe.

I have had it happen 3 times and twice I was able to go in and get one foot out before the head was out and the kids come on out but the first time I wasnt able to and I wanted to save my doe so I wrapped a towel around the kids head, told him I was sorry and while my daughter pulled the doe forward by her collar I pulled for dear life on the kids head and neck and beleive it or not I got that huge kid out and alive. The next kid was half his size and shot out bag and all with one push.

If this happens again (and I truly hope not but) try to get a foot out before the head comes out or you need to push the head back in to get at least one foot coming out with the head or the shoulders are just too big and with the head out there really just isnt enough room to put a hand in and find a leg.

 

[goatheaven]

We tried to get a leg but the doe was just too tight. All we could feel was bone. Our hand was squeezed with bone on both sides. My husband is very good with delivering malpositioned kids but this doe did not have any room. She really should not have been bred, it was a buck escape breeding. He delivered butt kids first just the other day with quads and could get the job done. A c-section was probably needed but no vet around at the time.

 

[trob1]

I understand and that is where pushing the head back helps so your hand can completely go inside the doe. What I had to do with a really young doe was push the head in and go in then use one finger to find the leg and follow it down till I found the elbow joint and put my finger behind the joint and pull and out popped the leg, baby and all. I was fortunate to be on the phone at the time being talked calmly through it by another breeder in Texas. The doe I am speaking of was a 10 month old nigerian doeling I had purchased 2 months prior and she was tiny.

 

[enjoytheride]

That is the worst thing about keeping animals- that you have to make the choice (mostly guessing) if it is better to end their lives or not. I so sorry you and your husband had such a trauma and wish the best for your future kiddings.

 

[goathappy]

I'm so sorry to hear about that, I know how traumatic bad kiddings can be :hug: I'm glad the doe is ok, keep an eye on her though since you had to go in and assist. I would start her on high doses of vitamin c to prevent infection.

 

[sweetgoats]

I am so sorry to hear the rough night you had. It is so hard.

Teresa, I swear that you must of been at my place last year. We did the same here with a baby that was stuck. I told my daughter "sorry, but I will have to lose this baby in order to save mom". I grabbed that baby by the head and neck, and I pulled with every bit I had, and out she came and then out slid another one.
I did have to push her back in enough to TRY to get her front legs, the were also stuck down under her pelvis, but I couldn't push her in because the other baby was stopping her.

I would keep a eye on you doe and make sure she eats, and did she expel her after birth? You might need to milk her out to get her contractions going to expel it. :grouphug:
Give that wonderful husband of your a big hug for us. He sounds like a wonderful man.

 

[sparks879]

Wow im so sorry about your loss. I have never had to deal with a situation like that. I have had babies come out head only two heads at once tail first sideways but i was always able to re poition. Either i was lucky the kids were small or its the fact that my hands are small. Im always able to get under the kid and find their feet. usually without having to fight the baby to push it back.
I have had to face other hardships though....lots of them I guess its something as goat lovers we all have to deal with.
beth

 

[alyssa_romine]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[Sweet Gum Minis]

I am so sorry Laura, I'm glad you were able to save the doe and hope she does well for you. I'm afraid I maybe faced with the same problem when Nottie kids. Not necessarily head first, but being too small. She was not bred, bucks got out when she was in heat and apparently she was bred as she now has an udder. So we're praying for a miracle when she kids.

 

[goatheaven]

I know what you mean. Really we know how to pull kids out. We've been able to push heads back in before and reposition. We did that with the quads born, but her opening was extremely small. This goat is smaller than some 5 month old Nigerian I had. She was a tiny kid and she really has the body of a pygmy. You could barely get your hand in at all. It was an accident when the buck got loose. She was separate but she insisted on meeting him. She really should have had a C-section I guess. Those are so hard on one I think. A friend of mine had one done on a pygmy goat. The problem also was she only had one kid and it was bigger than any of the kids we have here now that were just born two weeks ago.

 

[sixshooterfarm]

Well one word of advice I can give is no matter what the breed, or how easily your goats deliver, I really think that everyone, and I mean everyone needs a wire lamb puller in their kidding kit! I have delivered out hundreds of hundreds of goats, I am the goat midwife of my county, if anyone has problems getting kids out they call me. To this day there has never been a baby I havent been able to get "unstuck". Too big of kids, malpositioned kids, I have seen just about verything! The wire lamp pullers are my best freind, they help out alot! Especially when you are trying to grab a head and legs. My trick is, when the head is inside the doe, put the wire right around the head, grab a foot or both feet and as you pull the feet pull the wire and the kid is angled correctly for everything to pop right out, works like a charm!! I hope your kiddings get better!

 

[goatheaven]

Wow, were do you get one of those! Hopefully the last kiddings will go well and we're not planning to bred anymore but it still may be worth the investment. Does the puller hurt the kids?

 

[Fainters]

I need a wire lamb puller also. Where can you find them? I have had horrible luck with kidding this season. Last year I didn't lose a single baby out of 20. This year I have had 11 born so far and have lost 4. I am getting pretty depressed about it. Yesterday I had a FF kid tripletts. The first one was dead and the second one was barely alive and while I was frantically working on saving it, she went into labor again. She tried to have it for a long time and finally we had to go in to help and it was all twisted in a knot. It took a lot to get her out and she was dead also. Now I am trying to save the mother who took 8 hours to pass the afterbirth and trying to save the baby who is too weak to stand and nurse on her own. I have more due this weekend and I am terrified at what else can go wrong.

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