My Goat Just Had Babies And One Isn't Drinking her Milk

Question

My female goat just had twins she only seems to look after one and the other doesn't really get any food or attention. What are ways to get him to drink, please help me!

Answer 1

The kid needs to get colostrum (the mothers first milk) with in 24 hours! That is critical. You can milk the mother and feed the other kid separately. You dont have to totally take it away from the mother just supplement it. It might start going better once it has some nutrients. If it did not get colostrum you should call your vet and see what they recommend you do from there.  

Answer 2

hi there when my goat did exactly what your goat has done all i did was got a babys bottle and got some milk out of my female goats udder and put in the babys bottle and bottle fed her until she was old enough to eat solids.

Answer 3

That happens sometimes, especially if it is her first babies.  They don't always recognize that both babies are theirs to take care of.

First of all, try tying mom up short (don't give her much room to move), and then get on one side of her and hold her up against a wall or fence while she is tied.  Have someone try to get the baby to latch on & nurse while she's tied.  Be patient, it may take a while.  If the baby nurses, go out & do 4 or 5 times a day.  Eventually the doe will most likely start letting him nurse on her own, because he will smell like hers when he is drinking her milk.

If he won't nurse, you have no choice but to bottle feed.  He will need many small meals throughout the day for the first few days, and then you can gradually increase amounts and reduce frequency.  If you can milk his mom, that is best.  If not, you can use whole cows' milk from the store AFTER he get's one day of colostrum from mom.

He most likely won't take a bottle at first.  The easiest way I've found to teach a baby to take a bottle is to start with a child's medicine dropper & put a few drops of milk in his mouth.  It takes a long time to give a feeding in this way but it won't be long (usually a day or two at most) & he will start sucking the milk out of the dropper.  Once he's taking milk on his own from the dropper, switch to a bottle.  I have the best luck with regular human baby bottles with a clear silicone nipple.  Cut an X where the hole is so the milk flows with a quick drip.

Answer 4

IF you didn't get colostrum into this kid (either by forcing mom to let it nurse, or by milking mom and bottle feeding) call your vet and see if they know of someone who has some frozen for sale and get it quickly.

Good luck

Answer 5

its probably the runt bottle feed it