New baby goat wont eat. Help?

[Stanb999]

We had our last babies born yesterday. Well the new momma seems to be taking care of her little girl well. She even seems to want to care for the boy. But he just seems unwilling to nurse. Like he is just to lazy. So we brought him in last night. And tried to bottle feed him. He would eat a bit and then just refuse the bottle. In the middle of the night we got up and tried to feed him. But he just wasn't interested. I even tried to force him a bit. He just lets it run out of his mouth. This morning he ate some... Like 6 oz. Then at around noon we put him back with momma to see if he will nurse.... Nope. so we put momma up on the stanchion. Held him to the teat. He ate like three gulps. That was it. He just sits there.

He is up on his feet and walking. He is pretty alert. He even tries to jump a bit and do the one leg ear scratch. So it's not like he's unable to get around.


I've never had a goat baby that wouldn't eat after the first few hours. Do you all think he is getting by on so little? Should I try to force him more? We are about to just leave him in the stall to let nature sort it out.

[Summerthyme]

Did you get sufficient colostrum into him? And do you know how to check him for dehydration?

I'm not as familiar with goats and sheep as I am with cows... what is NORMAL intake for a healthy kid? I know with calves, if we let them eat too much from a bottle in the beginning (we basically feed-to-appetite colostrum, but make sure they get a minimum of a 2 quarts within an hour of birth, even if we have to stomach tube them)... they may go a day or so with very little appetite.

However, we've also had two calves (in 30+ years) which NEVER did suck... we used a stomach tube 2x a day until they began grazing. We couldn't get them to drink from a pail, nipple pail, or bottle. Ever.

I do have to say that one which "tries" (the three gulps) but quits often has something organic wrong. First thing I'd check (because it's what the problem turns out to be more often than not) is his heart. I don't know of any reason a goat kid couldn't end up with patent ductus ateriosis... AFAIK, all species CAN have it happen.

If that's the case, you'll hear a "roar murmur"... a bad one can even be felt with the palm of your hand, if you know what you're doing. It sounds like rushing water... a bad one will almost overpower the normal "beat" sounds of the heart. Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can DO about that particular problem.

If he's not dehydrating, I'd try feeding him (even with a tube, or using a syringe to drip milk into his mouth) and give him a day or two. A lot of somewhat weak newborns "wake up" and do just fine after 48 hours or so...

And watch his temp... sometimes you'll get a "hidden" infection in newborns, which basically doesn't show up as anything you can really SEE.

We had a calf one time which seemed fine at birth, but never really got started... hubby had me check her out because she'd drink about four swallows at a time, then quit.

Well... when I checked her, I about had a cow... her heart rate was TRIPLE normal... almost 180 BPM... but worse, it was STOPPING for 10 seconds at a time! I couldn't believe it! When I checked her temp, it was 104°. Bacterial endocarditis- and yet, her navel was soft and clean, and there was NO sign of any infection, except that fever- and the stopping heartbeat.

I loaded her up with penicillin and steroids, knowing there was basically two chances of her surviving- slim, and none.

She's due to have her second calf here in a couple months. They can be tough little critters...

Summerthyme

[LONER]

Some times, just like human kids, they have a weak suck reflex. If he's active and seems to be doing well and there is nothing obviously wrong, I would continue to bottle feed. I always kept mine in a playpen in the kitchen, because it was nice and warm there. I had three like this when I had my Angoras. One was too weak and was mashed by the herd on a cold night, even though she was about 6 weeks old, one died at a year old, for an unknown reason, and one was a fat little booger that ended up being the herd leader.....so ya just never know!

[Stanb999]

Thanks for the quick replies.

We went out and put momma on the stand. He did good this time and filled his belly. Maybe he just isn't that hungry all the time. It is very distressing tho.

I had thought about tubing him as you suggested, But he was wide awake and moving around so I did think it was the appropriate action. If he keeps not eating or we see him getting weak It will be the next course of action.

[Yooper]

As long as he has a suck reflex, you don't want to tube him. If this is a standard sized goat, it is not uncommon for them to eat only 4-6 oz of colostrom the first few feedings. As to bottle feeding (this is how we raise all our kids) we have to literally force the newborns mouth open and hold the bottle in it until they get it. It's sometimes tedious, but after 3-4 tries, they eventually start to suck it down. And then another day of feeding until they readily recognize the bottle right away.
Is there any chance that he got some colostrum without you seeing?
Hope the little guy is doing better. Let us know, OK?
Darlene

[Little RedRidingHood]

The first born doeling did great from the start. So did the second born, a little buck. But, the third was born breech and although she drank with the first bottle after that she did what your little guy was doing.
I left my tubing in Montana and my vet is 50 miles from here each way soooo I just used a syringe, without the needle, and slowly and very, very carefully fed her. I did force the issue for nearly 24 hours until she nursed well on her own.
She is now the first to give the door the bum's rush when I go to feed! She has the biggest voice ... scream, when she is hungry.
I was really worried about her, and she flat refused to nurse on her own for nearly 36 hours total.
A very good and wise goat breeder told me that when that would happen she would give 2 cc of Pen cause she thought maybe the babies had SORE throats. It always worked for her and within 6 hours they'd nurse. Don't have anyway to prove the theory but she owned hundreds of goats and ran a goat dairy for 10 years and a cow dairy before that. She gave up the cows when she reached 60, then missed the work and started the goat dairy. She finally gave it up in her late 70's and moved to the bush of Alaska where she'd been raised.
She is sorely missed!
Glad to hear you're kid is doing better.

[momof23goats]

As long as he has a suck reflex, you don't want to tube him. If this is a standard sized goat, it is not uncommon for them to eat only 4-6 oz of colostrom the first few feedings. As to bottle feeding (this is how we raise all our kids) we have to literally force the newborns mouth open and hold the bottle in it until they get it. It's sometimes tedious, but after 3-4 tries, they eventually start to suck it down. And then another day of feeding until they readily recognize the bottle right away.
Is there any chance that he got some colostrum without you seeing?
Hope the little guy is doing better. Let us know, OK?
Darlene
I agree, but I would keep him in the kitchen. I have a vage I use . a big dog cage. and I feed them .
Did yo u give him a shot of Bo se? nutri drench , for goats from TSC, works well also in perking babies up. just squart in to mouth. I really hope he got his colostrom . sounds like he did, if not he would be a goner by now.
I have had t owork for hours, to get some down a new born. buit once they get the idea to eat, when they see the bottle here they come.
I have had them only take an nouce or 2. then I wait a couple of hours, and try again. sooner or later they come around.
also rub just at the end of the tail, kind of ticklie where the tail and the back join, that is where mama does to get them to drink, usually they will open and start sucking as long as you do this.

[Stanb999]

Well the little guy did good!!! :-)

Here he is on pasture.

http://images50.fotki.com/v1512/photos/8/830687/3112314/goat-vi.jpg (http://public.fotki.com/stanb888/farm_pics/goat-1.html)Hosted on Fotki (http://www.fotki.com)

[Limner]

He's lookin' good, Stan!!!

[LONER]

YUP!! Ya done good! He looks like a BRAT!!

[grower]

Nice looking boy! I'm glad he did okay.

[momof23goats]

say, he turned into a really nice looking buck .He is filled out real nice. glad he made it. you did good.

[Israeli]

You're killing me!
I miss goats!!!
Hardest job I ever loved!