# Crooked legged kid



## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

My nigerian doe just had triplet mini nubians yesterday, a doe and two bucks. One of the bucks is huge compared to the others it seems. The smaller buckling has had bowed and bent front legs (one more so than the other) since he was born. The other two kids have straight legs. He will end up in the freezer when he's big enough, so I'm not sure if I should intervene or not. Will they straighten themselves out some? These are my first kids so I'm not sure what's normal. He can get around okay, but not as well as the other two and he also falls down quite a bit. Should I worry about it?

I will try to get some pictures posted. They are so cute! I can't believe that at 24 hours old they are trying to play with each other already!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

doesn't take long for them to start jumping & playing & they are just adorable to watch.
It sounds like the little guys legs are like that becuase they were probly crammed inside momma. His legs should straighten themselves out though & if your going to put him in the freezer I don't think I would worry too much. They are all wobbly & still walking unsteady the first day or so anyways.

Can't wait to see pictures.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

The legs will straighten out. They don't need splints of anything. In a week or less they will look normal.


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

The legs should straighten out in a few days. Don't worry. . .as said above, in a week, his should be normal, too.


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## garyh141 (Mar 7, 2008)

JMO but I disagree. :huh: I think he needs BoSe (selenium). Because he is a triplet, he probably _was_ crammed in there, but also mama may have needed more selenium (are you in a deficient area?).
Also, if he is slower than his bro/sis, he will be the last to nurse every single time and will start falling behind in his eating, thus being smaller. May need to supplement him with a bottle. Even though you are going to eventually put him in the freezer, you still want him to grow.
We had one that was selenium deficient (triplet), really bowed legs and his legs had to be splinted. He did _not_ grow out of it and eventually had to be put down at 7 weeks, even with aggressive treatment. Of course, I don't know how bad your buck's legs are, but mine did need the extra help.








Sandra


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## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

Okay, I'll have to get the BoSe from my vet right? Will they just give it to me? My vet knows nothing about goats but they're all that we have around here. Should I do the other two kids as well? How much should I ask the vet for and how much per kid? They are mini nubians out of a ND doe, so are very small. They are two days old today. I didn't see him fall down at all today. He can bounce and run a little and climb onto my lap. His legs aren't near as bad as the buckling in the picture. Thanks.


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## LomahAcres (Jan 21, 2007)

We had a buck kid born one year very selenium deficient, he was a set of triplets but his 2 sisters appeared normal. When he was born he could not even sit up strait, I didn't know what was wrong with him. But he had good appetite and a strong suck, so I thought I would give it a few days for improvement before putting him down. Out of loss of what to do, I gave him a bo-se shot. With in 24 hours he was able to sit up and stand for short periods of time. His front legs were also terribly bowed. I continued giving bo-se every other day for a week (3-4 shots .25-.5 cc), then once a week for a month, then once a month. Finally by the time he was 6 months old his legs appeared strait/normal. I never believed in splits so I never used them. His growth was very slow and he had a slight off / mis-formed look about him, but otherwise normal. I didn't keep him past 9 months of age - went to freezer camp, wish I would have taken photos! He was also able to walk jump around within a weeks time.

Yes, kids are born with bendy legs that straiten out on their own in a few days, but normal bendy spots do not normally include - bowing out in the front legs, hip area - where the back leg meets the body having a dislocated look, or walking on heels or front ankles as if they were their feet. I have had many like this, at first I played around, I would treat one or two kids in the set, and leave the other(s). Untreated kids would take 1-2 weeks to straiten, or not at all, treated kids 1-4 days. Now I'm slowly up-ing dosages given to does before kidding, trying to find that right amount to have healthier kids.

Yes, you have to get Bo-Se from the vet. Tell him you have a goat kid with selenium deficiency. Many times if you sound knowledgeable enough they will sell you the bottle or dosage. It just depends on your vet. I would give 1/4 cc to each of them and give it a week. If the buck kid still shows signs, try another 1/4 cc for him.


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## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

Okay, thank you for the help!


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