bi1ly: How many times per day does a mother goat let babies have milk?
Adopted a mother Boer Goat with 2 two week old babies. Concerned the babies are not getting enough milk. The mother keeps turning the babies away when they try to get milk. Did see mother give milk once this afternoon but not for long. The babies appear to be healthy with lots of energy. Should I start to bottle feed or give them more time.
Answers and Views:
Answer by thedruidess81
Whenever they want it
You may need to check the mom’s teets to make sure they’re not infected or something. Maybe there’s something there that’s causing her pain when the kids are nursing.
I’m assuming a typical mother would let her babies drink as often as they feel they need to.
Also, is she getting enough food and water, etc?
Answer by IvyGo here and ask:Answer by rzezniksrunaway
My doe did that with her babies, but you can’t watch them 24/7 to see if they nurse at other times. If they’re healthy, happy and active, without digestive issues, they’re fine.
You can do a check of your doe’s udder for anything odd. Take a clean, white bowl/bucket down to her (I had to use bowls, all my goats were pygmy or dwarf) and milk a small amount out of each teat into the container. Inspect it for blood, any ‘flakey’ feel, anything that doesn’t look like normal milk. Ropy milk can be a sign of a bacterial infection, which you can find the ‘ropes’ by straining it through a dark colored piece of cotton (like an old t-shirt.)
Your doe might not want you to touch her bag at all (my one would kick. She wasn’t even 2 feet tall, but it could still hurt)
Also, inspect her bag for any cracks or sores, anything that could cause her to not want to nurse. Its better to be safe than sorry, but it sounds like she’s fine.
Weigh the babies, and if they’re not gaining weight (which is an almost daily thing) I’d be concerned, but it sounds like the way my doe’s always were. They don’t want the babies constantly nursing, its annoying.
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