Posted by Nat on May 24, 2001 at 13:54:45:
In Reply to: newborn...HELP!! posted by bobbi on May 23, 2001 at 16:05:40:
Sometimes if you're there during the labor, or close to it, you can take the fresh placenta and rub it on the kid. This can help the mom ID it. I know for the herd of beef cows at work, we have a problem of moms sometimes ignoring a twin, or adopting another calf, but confinement and a bit of O-No-Moe (a powder that is sprinkled on the back of the wet calf which attracts teh cow to lick the calf) usually does the trick. I'm not sure if you can use O-no-moe on goats, but I *think* nasco has it somewhere inthe cattle section and they should say it somewhere on the product discription. I don't see why it wouldn't work on goats. There are other products on the market too that help with grafting.
Sometimes if you can lock up the mom in a small pen with her kids, she will accept the other twin in a few days. Just watch her for agression towards the ignored twin. Worse comes worse you may end up with a bottle baby.
It depends on the age of the kid and size for number of feedings and quantity. Just be sure to have it get plenty of colostrum even if you have to tie up mom. Remember, that the window for colostrum ends at about 12 hrs after birth. The doe will still produce colostrum for a few days but absorbition of antibodies in the kid decreases greatly after that window.
Hope I helped
-Nat's Little Bit Farm