# newborn buckling won't nurse



## kath2003 (Oct 3, 2003)

This is only our second kid born here on our farm.He was born early this morning.I spent about 3 hours down there with him and the doe and he just wouldn't nurse.I tried showing him the teat,rubbing milk on it,then on his mouth.Nothing! I gave him a little with a seringe,still not interested.What should I do? Thanks for any help.


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## MoBarger (Mar 5, 2003)

Make sure he is warm.
Get him standing and rub his little butt ( no really! this is what mama does too). His tail should start wagging.
Get the teat in his mouth and squirt. For me this is a 2-handed effort. One hand is for the teat and the other hand clamps the kid's mouth to the teat. You may have to tie the doe to the stall or fence if you are alone, a piece of baling twine works nicely and we all have extra 
You can also try a bottle (of his own mama's milk) but if he goes much longer you may have to resort to tube feeding.
Good luck and let us know how you make out!


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Sometimes it does take awhile to get them started, and it can be very frustrating. The books say get that colostrum in them the first hour, and that's just not always doable when you get one that's not immediately interested. Has he nursed yet? If not, I'd try again before putting a little in a bottle for him to try. Sometimes it's easier with a baby bottle, because you can hold them just so, and hold that bottle in his mouth. After the first nursing, he'll be stronger, and more inclined when you direct him again.
If the doe is not standing very still for him, that could also be a problem. I put a less than patient doe on the milkstand while I work with the kid.
Good luck. Been there, done that, and know how frustrating it is.
mary


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## Milking Mom (Oct 2, 2004)

I had a goat one time that had twins. The doe took to the teat just fine the little buck was just ignorant. Seemed like the more I tried to help him find his way to the teat the dumber he got. It seemed like the more I tried to help the more frustrated he got. I went in the house and left them alone with mama and went back outside an hour or so later and he finally found it on his own. If he hasn't eaten within 2 or 3 hours Tube him about 8 ounces of that colostrom and then put him back with Mom. Like mentioned above once he has some food in that tummy and gets some strength he will probably be more aggressive at rooting around for the teat.


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## kath2003 (Oct 3, 2003)

I just came back up from trying again.He still turns his head away from her teat.She is standing real good for him,and me.She let me get a little in a bottle.I made him take a little bit but its so wierd,he seems more interested in the hay that mom is eating.Hes not real weak or anything yet,could he be scared when I'm there?My husband says maybe he is nursing when left alone so when I keep going down to check hes full! The buckling that was born three weeks ago was nursing like crazy right away.I guess I'll check him before I go to work tonight and see how hes doing.I'll leave them alone for a few hours.Thanks guys for the help,


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## Milking Mom (Oct 2, 2004)

Feel his little tummy. If he is full it will feel like a little water balloon on the bottom right in the middle. If he is thin and hollow and you can't feel anything then he is probably not nursing. Can you just sit a ways away from him and mom and just watch for a while?


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## rhjacobi (Feb 21, 2005)

Hi,

Sometimes it seems that if I try too hard to get a reluctant one to nurse, it turns out not to work. Sometimes just a little support underneath and working towards the teat rather than actually forcing him on the teat does the trick. Other times, it seems like a battle you can't win. The main thing is to get the colostrum into him. Force him onto a teat, milk the teat into him or milk mom and bottle feed/drench or tube the colostrum into him. Feeding him has a number of remedies, but no colostrum really doesn't.

Bob
Lynchburg, TN. 



kath2003 said:


> This is only our second kid born here on our farm.He was born early this morning.I spent about 3 hours down there with him and the doe and he just wouldn't nurse.I tried showing him the teat,rubbing milk on it,then on his mouth.Nothing! I gave him a little with a seringe,still not interested.What should I do? Thanks for any help.


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## kath2003 (Oct 3, 2003)

How will I know if I got enough collostrum in him? I did use a syringe and maybe got about 4cc's in him.Not very much.


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## Milking Mom (Oct 2, 2004)

He should have at least 16 ounces of colostrom in the first 12 hours of life. Have you milked your goat and put it into a bottle? It is very important to get this colostrom into your baby goats. If he will not take the bottle you need to tube feed him. Check out this link.
http://www.goatworld.com/articles/kidding/tubefeedingrw.shtml

Did you check his tummy to see if he has been nursing when you are not out there? Does it appear weak at all or is it very energetic?

If you have a bottle full of milk, hold the baby in your lap reach around it with your free hand and stick your index finger into the side of his mouth and open it up just enough to get the nipple on the bottle in the holding under his chin with one hand and holding the bottle with the other hand try to get him to take the bottle. You may have to enlarge the hole in the nipple some. If it gets a taste of the milk it should nurse. The main thing is to make sure that he isn't eating off of his mom when you are not out there. Have you set and watched them for a while without messing with them? Just stay back and watch them and see if he is eating. Wishing you lots of success....
Chris


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## kath2003 (Oct 3, 2003)

Well,he seems to be eating now!!!  I went down after work this morning and he was banging on her udder,sucking.Thanks everyone for the help.I'm keeping the bottle on stand by with some frozen milk,just in case. Thanks again guys!! :worship:


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## MoBarger (Mar 5, 2003)

yay! Now where are those pix? :-D


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## Milking Mom (Oct 2, 2004)

Yippeee!!!! Did you get a few gray hairs over that one?? :haha:


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## kath2003 (Oct 3, 2003)

I sure did get a few grays!I want to show you a picture of him.How do I do it??


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