[Barnes19]

Leia is a first time mum, she's had twin girls. They're both cleaned, and mum loves one, but doesn't know the other is hers, and won't let her feed.

I took them all to the milking stand and got baby on there. All well, I left them together in the shed. Checking back a few hours later baby's hungry again and mum obviously pushing her away. So I got her another milking stand feed ... thats happened twice again now, and Leia really doesn't believe they're both hers.

Typical girl she's chosen the pretty one ... the accepted baby is a pretty three colored affair, the other is plain light white/gold.

It's not a major as I'll be keeping the colored one and selling the other in a little while anyway, but I'm concerned that if Leia doesn't accept her, that she might do it again next time she births ... its her first time and I don't want to perpetuate a confusion.

 

[peggy]

I posted on your other thread about what I did when this same thing happened to me one year with a FF. I have a medium sized wire dog kennel and when I wasn't holding mom to let both babies feed, the babies were put in the dog kennel which was in the pen with mom so she could still see them and smell them. Anyway, I would take them out to feed them and put them back in when they weren't being supervised. I only had to do this for a few hours and them mom accepted the other twin. I think what happened is that because the twins were snuggling up with each other all the time in the kennel that the scent from the likable twin got onto the other one so mom then accepted her too. It worked for me, just took a little time a patience.

 

[MsScamp]

It's not a major as I'll be keeping the colored one and selling the other in a little while anyway, but I'm concerned that if Leia doesn't accept her, that she might do it again next time she births ...

You are correct to be concerned as mothering ability and instinct is very heritable. I will not keep a doe - or her daughters - who rejects a kid unless there is a very good reason for it. Some of the reasons I will give her a second chance include a very difficult/traumatic birth, something happened at birth (another doe or kid interfered, for example) that caused a first timer to become confused, or the kid somehow became separated from Mom for long enough that she no longer recognizes the kid as being hers.

 

[Barnes19]

Ok they're back together for the night now ... but I'll take them off her and feed regularly tomorrow.

I thought this last feed that she might have improved a little ... she kicked less and eventually chewed cud a little. Might have been the dark though.

She's not a bad case I think, she responds to its bleating, but when she smells it gets disappointed ... 'not her baby'.

She's not rough on it either ... she nudges with her nose to push it away gently ... she's careful, its a baby but she reckons not hers.

I will not keep a doe - or her daughters - who rejects a kid unless there is a very good reason for it.

Unfortunately in this case I'll definitely be keeping both mum and the other daughter ... I've limited budget and no way can I afford replacements right now. However if they continue to give issues next time, they'll be phased out over time.

Its entirely possible she did get disturbed during birth ... I wasn't there for it, I found her in the morning, but, another goat was rather excited about the whole business and kept capering round the place energetically and wanting to see the babies.

Also the rejected baby was born first, in one spot, and then mum moved and had the second baby about 10 metres away ... and then walked off with it even further. I don't know why ...

If she got disturbed then I can understand her moving and bonding to the second kid, forgetting the first one.

 

[Barnes19]

Totally agree with you though ... I'd normally look very dubiously at her offspring as a future mother!

I'd give Leia one thing though ... she was hand raised from birth ... never had occasion to notice in goats, but I have seen in other animals (namely cows and chickens) that the ones raised without mums often make indifferent mothers themselves one day. I won't keep an incubator raised chick anymore ... I've had too many not sit well or attack their young.

 

[Barnes19]

I'm wondering about a bit of perfume on both their behinds ... as she doesn't reject her on sight, she smells first ... only thing is I'm concerned I might put her off Melli too.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

I think Peggy has the right idea with letting the scent of the pretty girl rub off on her sister. You could try to help by rubbing a rag on both of them.

 

[Barnes19]

Gosh ... thinking about it her sense of smell must be phenomenal ... they've only been born about 16 hours they both came from her!

I shall split them off together tomorrow ...

 

[ksalvagno]

Many bad FF's go on to be great mothers the next time around.

 

[MsScamp]

Karen, that may be true, but they are never outstanding mothers. I've kept a few first timers that I had trouble getting their kids on. The second time around I discovered too many of them under the shed while their kids were out in the cold - literally. It's not worth messing around with them - there are too many outstanding mothers out there.

 

[ksalvagno]

Actually I have experienced bad FFs to be great mothers. Some being so protective they don't like even me by their babies.

I truly believe in giving an FF one more chance. Blow that and in the freezer or if they are lucky go to a pet home. I won't even pass on a bad mom to anyone else.

 

[sassykat6181]

Kind of a different experience but may work for you..... My FF rejected her single doeling for two days after I disbudded her. I had to hold momma to nurse baby. I tried rubbing her head with everything imaginable to get her to take baby back. My last resort - Vanilla extract! Worked like a charm. You may try rubbing both babies with it

 

[Barnes19]

Might try that ... she's improving though.

No longer kicks baby on the stand, but still not accepting her.

But she sometimes on sniffing seems to be happy that that baby's ok. Yesterday Carrie snuck a feed in at the same time as Melli with mum unrestrained adn all was well ... both rears got sniffed and accepted and everyone was happy.

Carrie was put straight back to "Imposter" status 5 minutes later but hey its a start.