I have a doe that kidded on Friday with twins. She still looks sunken in around the hips. She was quite round throughout her pregnancy but had no problems and was in good body condition. Is she skinny or is this normal? Does it just take a little while for them get back to normal and she is just stretched out?
It’s going to take a bit of time for things to shrink and get tucked back how they should. Google body scoring and the breed she is and then you can see if she needs some weight or not.
It is very common for does to be sunken in at least a little after kidding. Depending on how severe it is, it could be more noticeable if she is on the thinner side. How’s her body score?
Do make sure she is drinking enough and eating well. Take her temp and watch for dehydration. Does do sink a lot after kidding, but these are things to keep an eye on. I would also consider worming her if you haven't already...
How big were the kids? Was the labor a long one? Does she get exercise? Is she nursing the kids or are they bottle fed? Nursing kids helps return the uterus back to normal and exercise helps get the body back into shape, too. A long hard labor with big kids will have helped to deplete her fat reserves.
With good feed, quality hay and fresh water, she will return to her former condition in a short while. But, it does take awhile. Pregnancy and kidding does take a toll on a doe. That is why they should only be bred once a year.
How big were the kids? Was the labor a long one? Does she get exercise? Is she nursing the kids or are they bottle fed? Nursing kids helps return the uterus back to normal and exercise helps get the body back into shape, too. A long hard labor with big kids will have helped to deplete her fat reserves.
With good feed, quality hay and fresh water, she will return to her former condition in a short while. But, it does take awhile. Pregnancy and kidding does take a toll on a doe. That is why they should only be bred once a year.
The kids were twin buckings about 8 lbs each. I'm not sure how long the labor was-I was a school. She is nursing the kids. As for exercise, she gets some, not as much as I would like her to though. Her temp. is normal. She is drinking and eating very well. Her BCS is about 2.5-3. I thought it was probably normal but was just being a worrywart.
They do drop a lot of weigh when they kid. But shouldn't be super thin.
With the stress of kidding, some get worms and cocci, so doing a fecal helps determine that.
She sounds fine. [emoji4] It's better to worry than not at all! Just keep an eye on her and maybe run a fecal in two weeks to see if she needs to be dewormed.
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