Help with preemie

Anne's rabbit farm

Chillin' with the herd
Joined
May 7, 2020
Messages
20
Reaction score
20
Points
36
So, my first time doe kidded unexpectedly this morning to two bucklings, one dead and one alive. They seem premature, but I'm not exactly sure how much. I ran the buck with my does (all Nubian mixes) starting December 5th, so the earliest due date would be around May 4th. I didn't see any action with this doe until the day before Christmas, so I foolishly thought I had more time.

It took me a few hours to get the live one warmed up, and fed some colostrum. He doesn't have a great sucking reflex, so I can only get a little in him at a time. Unfortunately, a tube feeder was the only thing on my kidding supply list that I hadn't got around to buying yet(ordered now). Is there anything I can do about that? Tractor Supply only has tube feeding kits for calves in stock at my store, and I'm thinking that will be too big for him. He's only about 2.6 lbs and the other kid seemed about the same. Mom is fine, but has no milk and no idea what even happened.

He's breathing well on his own and gets pretty vocal when I bother him. He can hold his head up for short amounts of time. His teeth are still in his gums and his hooves are super squishy. He can't stand, although he has a bit of control over his legs and prefers to keep his front legs folded underneath him. He did crawl around on his knees in a small circle when I was trying to dry him off, to try to get away. His eyes are partially sealed shut. I've been working on them with a warm washcloth.

20210502_144000.jpg

20210502_144017.jpg

20210502_144036.jpg
 
Last edited:

Anne's rabbit farm

Chillin' with the herd
Joined
May 7, 2020
Messages
20
Reaction score
20
Points
36
Does anyone know anything about what to do when you don't have a lamb/goat feeding tube on hand? If you're reading this and don't know, can you link someone else who may know?
 

Jesusfreak101

Herd Master
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
2,867
Reaction score
7,128
Points
413
Location
Texas
@B&B Happy goats
Sorry i havent had this happen. But i would get as many kid boosting pastes as i could down him probotic paste and selenium and vitamin e and als vitamin paste. He not to early as today is the 2nd but its clear he isnt doing well. Do you know anypne near you who might have goat colustrom or milk might help.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,199
Reaction score
38,763
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Any syringes in the 2-3 cc size???? You can put them in his little mouth with milk in them and SLOWLY push the plunger so he swallows as you do and get a little more in him that way. Have fed many new babies over the years with syringes filled with milk or electrolytes......
Be very careful of tubing at that size, you can get it in the lungs and drown them so easy. I really hate to tube anything.... I would say he might be as much as a few weeks early, especially if she has no milk.... if the one was dead, her body was trying to expel it and she had them both. Calf tube is way too big...
Good luck. I'm not an experienced goat person, but have had sheep, and all new babies like that require the same basics....
 

Anne's rabbit farm

Chillin' with the herd
Joined
May 7, 2020
Messages
20
Reaction score
20
Points
36
Thank you guys. I ended up contacting another local breeder, and she lent me a tube feeding kit and a different type of nipple (big gray kind). She told me to try the nipple first, because she's never had to tube feed while using those. The buckling ended up taking the nipple really well and I ended up getting at least 2.5 oz into him this evening (Yay no tube feeding). I gave him a dose of jumpstart, and that really helped with his energy. He even tried to stand up, but is still a little too weak for that. He ended up wearing himself out from wiggling and crawling around, and now he's sound asleep.

Farmerjan- what you said about her maybe having given birth early due to the other one dying sounds just about what we were thinking may have happened.
 

Latest posts

Top