Posted by Leah on April 13, 2002 at 19:45:51:
Hi everyone,
I have a question about caring for a doe after kidding. Don't laugh but I didn't give much thought to the fact that she would be having a lot of discharge in the days following kidding. I don't know why I didn't think about this. You'd think I'd know having recently had a baby myself!! Yes, it takes a while sometimes, but eventually the light bulb turns on! :o)
My question is this:
We recently built a barn with a large open stall for the does complete with loafing area as well as a closed stall for kidding and for housing the kids afterwards. I wanted to implement a strict CAE prevention program, which would involve taking the kids from the mother right away. I had planned on leaving the kids in the closed stall at night (and during the day unless I could be outside with them on supervised "outings") and putting mom back in with other doe and LGD. However, now that I think about it, if she is discharging substantially, should I try to keep her in a closed area at night to deter predators? And if so, what should I do with the kids?
Thanks!