Last year was pretty trouble free for kidding season. But we have gotten off to a bad start this year. We were waiting to get the bought heifers hauled to our rented pasture before we put the goats in the kidding field but they decided to start kidding before we got them rounded up. One nanny had a set of twins on one end of the farm and another had a set of triplets at the other end. It was dusk when I got home and J and E already had the other nannies in the field but we ended up just leaving the 2 that had kidded out because it was too far to try to move them.
Last night Bea was with the twins but this morning she was with the triplets, well one of them anyway. Looks like the mother abandoned it and Bea was laying with it against this tree. What a good dog.
We picked it up and put it with the others but the nanny butted it away.
She just wouldn't have anything to do with it.
And the little baby wasn't at all happy about the situation. We brought it back to the house and went to check on the twins. Even though they were in a large lot and away from the fence, the nanny still managed to lay on one and kill it. J caught her so I could milk her for some colostrum for the triplet. So for the time being it looks like we have our first bottle goat of the season.
4 comments:
Sorry about the bad start! :( That's one unhappy looking kid...I'd cry too if my Mom rejected me! Have fun with the bottle feeding!
I know nothing about goats, so I'm asking...
1. Is it possible or probable that the nanny preferred the kids who look like her & rejected this guy because he's 'not like the others'?
2.Since one of the twins died, is there a possibility that nanny might take the reject as her own?
I've read of instances where a colt is orphaned while one has died & they stripped the skin from the dead colt & put it on the orphan & the mare accepted the orphan as her own.
rough start, hope it gets better. And yay Bea ! what a great dog
Haha jag DÖR vilka sjukt söta djur :) hoppas annars du haft en kul helg.
Om du gillar New England kan du kika in min nya post:)
ha en kanonvecka
LOVE Maria Inredning - it's Swedish for decor
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