I have a method for reviving a very chilled newborn goat (kid).
Sharing of my method is not intended to replace veterinary advice.
Planning the breeding of a goat to ensure kidding occurs during warmer weather is optimal, but sometimes the best laid plans do not fall into place. A dam may become confused with twins, triplets, or she simply may lose interest (or never gain it with a newborn). What that being said, there is a necessity for knowing how to revive a very chilled newborn goat kid.
Facts first:
- Normal goat temperature is 102-104
- A newborn kid will not retain its own body heat until it has nutrition in its digestive system (colostrum)
- A newborn goat kid must receive sufficient colostrum within the first 4 hours of their life (to retain body heat, get their digestive system working, immunities built, and to protect from health problems that can occur within their first few days or weeks)
- A very chilled goat kid cannot, and will not, nurse. Do not attempt to drip liquids down their throat. If they are very chilled, to the point they cannot nurse, the liquids will more than likely reach their lungs and drowning can occur, or pneumonia will set in very rapidly.
A thermometer is the best method for taking a goat’s temperature, however, inserting your finger in a newborn’s mouth, touching the back of their tongue area, is a very good indicator of the kid’s temperature.
When a chilled newborn kid is found, depending upon how cold they are, how wet they are, and if they have had any colostrum, they may exhibit signs of near-death such as extreme legarthy, slow respiration, drawing of the head to the left, or a weak heartbeat. In all of these cases, run, don’t walk, to begin reviving the kid. Minutes are left in the newborn’s life!
My method:
- Place the kid in a sink of water (as close to normal goat body temperature as possible). Keep the newborn’s nose and mouth out of the water. Maintain the water as close to temperature as possible. If the kid is very chilled you may find the water cools down quickly.
- Maple, corn syrup, or molasses. I keep a bottle of maple or corn syrup in a cabinet next to the sink. As I hold the kid in the water, I pour a couple of teaspoons of syrup into a small bowl. I dip my finger into the syrup and rub a small amount into the kid’s cheeks. Repeat several times.
- As the kid’s body temperature nears a safe level they will begin to jerk or shiver. Until the kid begins to do either, their body temperature is probably not climbing.
- Once the kid is more alert (temperature nearer to normal) I pull them from the warm water, quickly wrap them in a dry towel, and begin drying their coat with a hand held hair dryer. Caution, light massage is a good thing, but never be overly rough with towel rubbing, etc…, kids can only take so much when they are already exhausted. When drying the coat, to avoid burning the skin, do not hold the dryer too close, or in one position. Use sweeping movements. I try to gently massage with one hand, while holder the dryer with another.
- Once the kid is dry their body temperature has probably increased greatly. They should be more alert, but will likely still be showing signs of impending death. At this point I administer liquids through injection. Using a 20 gauge needle, 1/2″, I begin injecting Dextrose (use the 5% solution, and/or the Dextrose solution manufactured specifically for injections), SQ (under their skin), in the area between the shoulder blades. Pinch the skin to form a “tent” and inject just under the skin. The kid can survive off of the SC liquid for several hours. I normally inject 3 ML Dextrose, repeat, until a “hump” has raised between the shoulder blades. Within 15-20 minutes you will notice the hump going down. This means the body is absorbing the liquid, a very good thing. If the kid has not revived fully, revive this process as new fluids are needed. The kid’s body will absorb all of the liquids it needs via the injected liquids. I also keep Lactated Ringers on hand (a bag of saline IV solution purchased from the vet). In extreme cases, I will rotate my injections between Dextrose and Lactated Ringers. Keep the kid wrapped in a dry towel, and make sure they are in a warm location.
- Again, do not try to force liquids down the kid. They will develop pneumonia, and they cannot nurse (or swallow properly) until their body functions resume to a normal level. Once the kid is hydrated and their body temperature is normal they genrally want to nurse.
Revival of a chilled kid is a gradual process. Do not expect results in 5 minutes.
Once you have had to do the process several times, you begin to notice the heartbeat (just by touch), respiration (by watching the nose and chest), and how the kid looks in the eyes as you go through the revival process. Goats have what looks like an angry, not bright, look to their eyes when they are not well.
One last note, always keep frozen colostrum on hand. You never know when you will need it this type of emergency.
If you need help with anything I have said here, please let me know!
Do not forget to talk to the kid as you work with them. They respond to voice. Goats give up easily when they do not feel well…your voice may just be enough reassurance to help them cross the bridge to a healthy long life!
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
Good information Mary! Don’t you just love those pritchard nipples?!
Amy
Yes, Amy, I love them too. I buy them (cheaper) by the dozen from Jeffers Livestock.
You’ve just given me a healthy respect for goat raisers. My method would be to run around in a circle and cry; I think yours is more productive. Good advice like that can be well appreciated, I’m sure.
Debbie
Debbie, the panic is about gone from me. A person knows they have to step up to the bat and do what it takes. Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Mary, thank-you for posting this so well. I will refer anyone asking me about kids or lambs needing assistance to this post. Everything you wrote is appropriate for lambs too. Just yesterday our shearer’s daughter was telling us of an inexperienced shepherd whose sheep had triplets that the mama would not care for. Not only were the triplets chilled, but the guy worked darn hard to get a LOT of fluid down their throats and by the time he sought our shearers’ family to help out the lambs were gurgling and practically drowning in the fluid .Reading this BEFORE lambing and kidding could be very useful and life-saving for new shepherds and goat-keeps~
There was a time when I thought using a small dropper, to get the milk down a kid, would work. When they won’t nurse, they generally cannot nurse (when extremely chilled). I wish I did have a way of preventing others from making the same mistake…so I try to write.
Mary,
Awesome life saving article. I read somewhere that you can also place the kid in a big garbage bag with their heads sticking out. That way they are warming up with out having to get soaking wet. Done know if this works but just thought I would add that.
Thanks, Jenny. I have read about putting the kid in the bag too. But, when I have them floating in the very warm water I hope it might comfort them back into their beginning state. I am giggling at myself for saying that, but it’s true. Seriously, and then I see results from the hair dryer as well. Slight activity, nothing rough from me, but stimulation. It keeps them moving, with activity surrounding them.
Mary, the city girl in me wants to be a country girl. I love reading your posts and cherish your moments with your boxers and goats. You are a wonderful and caring woman. I hope to make it to Ohio one day!
Melissa, I was a city girl a short 9 years ago. My lifetime dream evolved around several things, one of which is animals. I’ll say it again, it is not glamorous, it is very hard work, but it has its benefits. I hope to set it up some day where I can involve others in my daily farm life here. But my lips are sealed on that aspect for now. I think it would be good for people to be able to get involved that generally cannot live this lifestyle.
Wow! The closest I’ve come to a situation like this was the time I helped our vet IE one of his cows. And that’s not even close. That’s incredible information there, and I admire you for the care you give your goats. Interesting. Have a good week, Mary.
Hope you have a good week too, Debbie. Thank you so very much!
Simply wonderful info here… thanks. I hope it will print out so I can put it into a goat file for future reference. Yes, as you already know, I am hellbent for a goat, or two…. and even if it’s only once, I would love to see some little ones born. They’re just so dag-blasted cute! And, like said before… this brings an whole new appreciation to the goat farmers.
Good morning, Lynnanne. Goat kids are amazing how they come out (most of the time) walking, nursing, etc… . We had triplets born yesterday, one (boer) newborn only weighed 2 lbs. He is so tiny. Normal is 3 or 4 times his size. His dam was taking care of him as the other two nursed. I didn’t want to remove him from her, yet, reality told me he would not survive. He could barely hold his head up, let alone nurse. He is much better now.
Mary, When we first raised goats, we knew nothing when it came to kidding season of our first Min-Nubian but our good neighbor and her husband came over, she raised horses in the past and showed us how to milk, etc. but that was when they lived a mile down the road from us but I did all the kiddings myself the last time in 2007! We buy bulk of pritchard nipples from Hoegger’s, our one cat ruined some of our nipples too!
Amy
The nipples are expensive now, Amy, as you know. With a discount they are 1.65 a piece. And you know how hard kids are on them, ha!
I had no idea this was even a problem. But it sounds as if you are rather experienced with this type of situation. So I guess it is quite common.
Darn that buck for getting loose!
It happens. Last year I did not deal with it at all. I didn’t think I would this year, but ended up with 2 or 3. It is amazing what patience and diligence can do when you find a chilled kid.
I always prefer my kids born in the colder months for a variety of reasons, so sometimes this is an issue (I normally end up just living down at the barn pretty much, instead :-).
Instead of IV we’ve always used a kid feeding tube. This has worked AMAZINGLY and is really, really easy! I feel more comfortable putting colostrum in them in for their first food, but the other stuff works well too.
I had a kid who was born at 2 lbs once and couldn’t heat itself for over 2 weeks and couldn’t stand for 4!!! That was an experience, but he made it in a box by my bed on a hot water bottle eating every 2 hours! He was a precious baby. How special…
There is so much goat stuff that comes with experience. I love hearing other breeders!!!!!
Sometimes I think we get situations that are mild or grueling (like the 2lb goat kid) so we know what to do in the extreme situations with an important crisis is happening!
Enjoyed the thoughts and post.
Hello, Bethany. I tube feed from time to time. Once I went into the lungs instead of the rumen. It turned me off from doing it. When they are so chilled that their bodily functions, organs, are not working properly I feel better with the IV. I agree with you, it is good to hear other goat and sheep owner methods!
The 2 lb kid is doing well. He cannot nurse much at each feeding, about an ounce, compared to another small kid that is downing 12 ounces each sitting. But he is walking, nursing, the entire works. Just tiny, and not as skinny now. He was definitely the runt of the triplets.
Thank you for your comments, filled with thought!
Hi, I’ve tube fed quite a few weak kids in the last 10 years. I use a small size catheter, they seem to work best. A trick I’ve learned is once you have the tube down them, put the end in a glass of water. If it bubbles you’re in the lungs and if not you’re in the stomach. Also if the tube goes into the lungs it will not go near as far down as it would if it were in the stomach.
This is excellent advice!
Tube feeding can save a life, but it requires such careful attention to make sure we are not inserting the tube into the lungs (for those that are learning).
Thank you, Rebeccah, for your tips.
Mary
I’ve read that a doe can have a second heat, even when she’s pregnant and get another egg fertilized. This makes the second fertilized egg(s) premature because once the older fetuses release the birthing hormone, all the babies are born.
I have researched this and I am not sure it can scientifically happen. Once a doe is pregnant, her hormones shift from implanting the egg to nourishing it as it develops and grows. I am leaning more towards an underdeveloped kid, along side a twin that grows without health issues, which often happens, than I am an egg fertilized 21 days later, implanted and developing separately. I am not saying it is impossible, I’ve just not seen evidence that supports it. It is an interesting thought!
Mary
What a wonderful, informative post! Thank you, Mary!
I’m printing this out and adding it to my “Goat Notes” binder.
I’ve got another month before I expect my girls to start kidding, so hopefully we’ll be on the rebound for spring by then! 😉
Best wishes with you kidding season!
What a GREAT post! We have two Nubians. Your info will help me keep my head when and if something were to happen down the road! Just found your site and am enjoying it!
Thank you, Jen. I am not an expert. I share what works for me. And if I can help someone else, that much better.
Have a beautiful day!
As I was again perusing your blog, it dawned on me that you are the lovely lady who helped me “keep my head” when our goats had babies! I did and those “babies” just had their own babies and I felt confident both times! Glad to have found you again.
I appreciate that you let me know, Jen. I am glad that I was able to help!
I would like to say I just came into a similar situation 18hours ago. My Sanaan bred to my Lamancha had triplets (no surprise there last year was her first freshening and she had triplets) this time it was different my girls came out at a good 4-5pounds but the brother and second born came out weight 1.2pounds….I didn’t think he would make it through the night, I managed to warm him using a dryer…but he was still showing signs of weakness despite raising his temperature…he couldn’t stand or walk….so i sat and talked i got 2 syringes of colostrum in him…through patience. I am still having trouble with him taking a nipple this is myh first bottle baby. if i move the nipple he suckles at least but VERY small amounts…he cries to let me know he is hungry, I have a heating pad set for him on low, but my cat who has two babies is cuddling him and cleaning him and trying to keep him warm as well, but hearing someone saying how theirs didnt regulate for two or stand for four gives me hope…the vet gave him a B12 vitamin injection. And said “he isn’t in the clear yet and may not make it”but reading these posts gives me hope…
I hope you “special case” newborn is doing well. It takes some work, a loss of sleep sometimes, but it is worth it to save a life. Take care.
Thank you so much. Your blog saved the life of my little baby kid who was born yesterday and got chilled during an extremely cold night. He was lifeless this morning and cold and wet. His mom was standing over him looking perplexed. I wrapped him in a towel and ran to the computer, where I found you blog.
I have pictures of him on my blog
http://dianehutchinson.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-new-addition.html
Diane, I am glad your new bucking is doing well now. Thank you for letting me know that my writing helped.
I did visit your blog. I love your artwork.
Have a beautiful day!
We actually lost Marty the next day, I think he was under developed, Toggenburg had triplets, she nursed the boys not the girl, this was two weeks ago… found the girl gasping and practically dead couldn’t even lift her head or open her eyes…KNEW she would not make it is what I was told…I warmed her up, I managed karo and warm water via syringe and tube…and a dose of straight black coffee. Within moments she was up and taking to a bottle, this was two weeks ago, Bella now runs around the house in Pampers, takes a bottle without question….and is simply a wonderful little girl… I may have lost Marty despite best efforts but Bella fought and is here…though she is outside right now trying to be a goat 🙂
Occasionally the little ones are born that unfortunately do not make it despite our best efforts. Bella sounds like a blessing. Love the happy healthy kids that start as “special needs.”
Funny how your words ring so true. “Trying to be a goat” seems to almost be an an antedote to a goat. As long as they have that spirit, they are true fighters.
Bella is a blessing, noone in the house figured she would live. I put so much love and effort, but we are her herd now, the other goats from day one wanted nothing to do with her…they still don’t I play with her, and I mother her. She has no mama out there to cuddle with, her Mother is giving me a gallon a day of milk (First freshener) so I just jar what I need and set a little aside for Bella (For the record when her Mother was going into Labor I decided to stay despite my friend coming to get me for Olive Garden both boys were breeched I had to pull carefully… Bella got colostrum when she came, anyway my favorite drink is Peach Bellini tea hence Bella..yes I was craving olive Garden)
She has personality we went through EVERYTHING, right down to bad scours…By the way I have realized scour halt for hogs (follow the directions) then a dose of probios is FANTASTIC and better then benedryl for scours of little ones or adults!
It sounds like pure goat love to me.
I have a special one in the barn this year too. She is very dairy, a nubian. She reminds me of her grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. Even though I thought she was not nursing at first, she is. She is thriving. I pick her up several times a day just to keep her acclimated to me. A sweet doll.
I love the name Bella, and like how you chose her name. I am sure she will continue to bring you joy.
[…] Reviving A Chilled Newborn Goat Kid […]
Thank you for this blog. I Googled you up when my goat was chilled and needed some fast advice. I think I hit the jackpot with your blog posting here. If I hadn’t found it I would have been trying to pour liquids down my goat. Instead, I got him warm and then fed him with a dropper. It took a day, and he was not even interested in the dropper, let alone a bottle. But today we took him out to the barn to his mother and he went right for her and started nursing. He was so weak when we brought him in he could hardly stand up, and would take a step and crash to the ground.
I made him and another little girl born the next morning a little jacket out of the sleeves of an old sweatshirt. It’s 40 degrees here in NYS now, but that’s still cold. I expect more babies in the morning.
I only have four nannies and they are each having only one baby apiece so far this year, but that’s fine. The babies are big and extra healthy to make it in this cold damp weather.
Thanks again for an extremely helpful post. Too bad I didn’t know this stuff before.
Thank you so very much for letting me know the post helped with your newborn kid.
When we choose to breed goats, or any animals, we know there are always going to be situations to learn from, and sometimes we cannot learn enough, or fast enough. If I can help someone get beyond some of the learning, I’ll do what I can do.
The sweatshirt sleeve coats are so helpful, aren’t they? And they wash beautifully.
Again, thank you for sharing your story! I truly appreciate it.
[…] Please note: if a newborn kid is chilled, unable to nurse, never attempt a forced feeding. To ensure the organs in the body are warm enough to function properly, the kid’s internal temperature must fall within the correct range. I outlined the steps that we take on our farm to assist chilled newborn kids in a blog post here. […]
Thank you for your reassurance, we had a set of twins this evening, one 9.3 lbs, the other 4.4. When we found him he was chilled and limp, I warmed him slowly with the blow dryer and dripped karo syrup and warm water down him, no IV available, after about 2 hours he was wanting to stand and his temp was at 100, took him out to mom, she accepted him ,but he’s still too weak to really stand and eat, we milked her and fed him with a dropper, that got him all excited, so now we wait and hope. A sleepless night of running out to the barn ahead.
Vicki, I hope getting the colostrum into the newborn, which is the thing they have to have to survive, worked for you.
When the kids get seriously chilled they have difficultly swallowing, which means anything we give to them orally can go directly into their lungs. The injections help, so do the warm water baths, until their body is warm enough to respond on it’s own (allowing them to swallow and nurse).
Hi, My first nubian goat Gigi just gave birth to her first kid Ginger yesterday. Gigi is a great mother who give Ginger every amount of attention BUT GINGER WONT EAT! I walk out every ten minutes and she will not nurse. I got her to nurse a little when she was first born and now she refuses it and is quickly going down hill. Gigi the mom stands and stands and encourages and nothing. The vet was over this morning and suggested bottle feeding but the kid doesn’t want the bottle either. Have you ever had issues? You can see my blog on candyhillfarm.com on wordpress as well. Anyone? Advice?
Oh gosh, I hate it that the vet did not realize the kid would not eat even when on a bottle. Did the vet give any treatments? Do you have any white syrup that you can rub inside her mouth cheeks to help perk her up, to try to interest her into eating? I would also give her an injection of vitamin B complex. The thiamine may help increase her appetite. I would also call the vet back. Let them know that the kid will not take a bottle.
I wish you the best of luck. It never is easy when a kid is born that needs extra TLC.
Never had a kid that wouldn’t take a bottle but I can get anything to eat though, I even got a 3 day old Mini-Nubian (our 1st Mini-Nubian to be born on our farm) to take a bottle after being on her Mom, it’s a long story about the Mom being taken away from her kid. But I was able to get Rosie to take a bottle when she was just 3 days old and after being dam raised too!
Amy
i have a doeling born on the 24th- 4 days ago. Yesterday morning we woke up to her looking dead away from the others who were under the heat lamp. When I picked her up Peaches made the tiniest squeek. Before this she didnt want to nurse from mom there for she had became a bottle baby and has a personality that makes her stand out from the others. After reviving her to the point where she was standing, wabble walking, and even nurses for a little bit yesterday. She started off and on spasming last night and this morning she was again totally limp. Why the crash? I have been working with her this morning again and she is now breathing regularly again. She has no appitite which was her strong suite before she got cold struck. I have been giving her molasses & 1/4 milk/water. I put Airborne Nighttime tablet in 16oz of the above water/milk/molases. This is what I gave her yesterday and she was doing great. It has vitamin A,C, E, Magnesium, Zinc, Seleniu, Maganese, Sodium, Potassium, and herbs. She was doing so good. She slept inside lastnight in front of the heater in the kennel. why did she weaken? I dont have an IV, what can I do to help her?
I hope your little doeling is doing better today. It sounds like you have done a lot of very helpful things to boost her back up. I wonder if she has pneumonia, something that requires a strong antibiotic.
My very old doe that I had hoped to retire from kidding (12 – 15 years old) was unfortunately found by our buck after he was testing new fencing last fall. Anyway, she just had twin boys late yesterday. After a very cold night, I checked on momma this morning and found one twin doing ‘okay’ and had to look through the hay for the other. This little guy was very close to death. I wish I had stumbled upon your site earlier – I thought of a warm water bath (that sorta hit me like a lightbulb coming on above my head) and then had to use a hair dryer to get him dry but wanted the little one so badly to take some of his mom’s colostrum that I hope I have not begun a pneumonia battle on top of extreme hypothermia that I think he is past. He is sleeping in front of a space heater wrapped in my coat I was wearing when I ran with him from the barn. He did actually suck on the Pritchard nipple bottle filled with his momma’s colostrum ~ so maybe I’ve dodged a pneumonia bullet and got him warmed up enough ahead of the colostrum feeding. I did hear him sorta sound congested which has me worried about pneumonia. He has cried and acted like he wanted to stand. He is sleeping ~ soundlessly breathing by my chair as I post this.
Thank you for all the great information – – My heart goes out to anyone who has ever worked with goats and baby goats ~ trying to save their sweet lives. (Just got through burying my favorite doe after she gave birth to twins on the first of March). I’m bottle feeding her twins ~ so bottle feeding this little guy as well won’t be a big deal. I just hope he DOES make it!!
Thank you again for all your information and kind heartedness.
Elaine, I agree, my heart goes out to anyone raising goats and dealing with trying to save newborn goat’s lives.
I hope your tiny tots did well.
Thank you for your kind words!
Not to be critical of otherwise decent advice, you should not give 50% dextrose subcutaneously. It is not isotonic and would be painful and most likely tissue damage would result after repeated administration. You stated IV, but forming a tent behind the shoulder blades is SC.
Thank you so much for your input!
When I stated IV, the meaning behind my words was that we used liquids that normally were injected via an IV. I did not state forming the tent was an IV.
As far as the solution is concerned, I would love to hear what you recommend.
I think dextrose is best given orally. Saline and Ringer’s etc, are all OK subcutaneous as you described. You may be able to find dextrose in a subcutaneous formulation and it probably is <5% in saline.
Hello Dave –
Thank you so much for your advice. I’ve never experienced problems with damage to the kids when following the instructions that I gave in the post, however, room for improvement is not out of the question! After completing research, I found that dextrose is available in a veterinary subcutaneous formulation. It would definitely be one of the “kidding supplies” for people to have on hand prior to expected birthday dates. I updated the post accordingly.
Thank you –
Mary
My little bottle kid will be 2 weeks old on 3/26/13. He was the first born of quadruplets to my Nigerian doe. I was there to assist, but he was so small he couldn’t maintain his body temp. He nursed a tiny bit at first, but weakened quickly. I brought him inside (around midnite) and warmed him by the wood stove. Dripped a little coffee/ karo in him, and a little colostrum milked from his mom. Took him back out, he nursed a bit, so left him with his siblings on a pet heating pad. Checked at 2 am and he was sprawled in the middle of the kidding jug, flat and lifeless! Brought him in again, warmed him again, and got a little more coffee/karo in him. Used a syringe to get a little more colostrum in him. I kep him in a basket by the wood stove. I couldn’t take any milk from his dam, since she has 3 others to feed, so started him on whole cow milk and Ensure. He developed diarrhea, so talked to the vet. Rx’d Bo-Se injection and antibiotic injection. She needed a weight, so I finally got around to weighing him-less than 1 1/2 pounds! He still had diaries for the next day, so we tried Pepto Bismol. It cleared up in 2 doses! He is running around the house now, and goes for visits to the barn. It is just too cold to leave him out there full time. I have also found a source of goat milk for him, which he much prefers over the cow milk! I am so glad I could save his life! I hope anyone else who needs inspiration to try will get it from his story!!
I love success stories.
There is a lot of hope for the weak and little ones. It takes a lot of work, and often-times sleepless nights.
Thank goodness your little guy is happily scooting around in your house!
Hi, thanks for the post! We had twins born tonight to one of our Boer/Nubian dairy does. Usually we pull the kids immediately but the camera was on the piglets instead so we didn’t see her kid but we think they were about 15 minutes old. It’s so cold here in Missouri right now so the smaller one was very chilled even though she was in the barn. Her temp was 98.5, and she wasn’t shivering, but she still had a strong sucking reflex. It took about 30 minutes of alternating warm colostrum and Caro syrup on my finger while sitting under a heat lamp with her and she started to shiver and shake and she’s finally perking up and maa-ing some. We rarely miss a kidding so this was the first time with a cold kid and I found your post through Google. Thanks again, you helped us save a potential milking doe 🙂
I love hearing this!!! Good job goat herds-woman!
[…] Reviving a Chilled Newborn Kid […]
We have gotten the newborn’s temperature up to 102 but is still lethargic and not wanting to eat.. we do not have LR to hydrate. What would you say the next step is to trying to get the newborn to eat? Thanks!
Do you have molasses or corn syrup? I would rub a small amount onto the gums. If you have a syringe on hand, try giving a small amount of warm coffee inside the cheek, not in the back of the mouth or throat, no more than 1 ml, and not all at once. The sugar and/or the caffeine may add just enough energy and stimulation.
Thanks so much!
You are welcome, any time.
I wished I would have read your information before my first Nigerian dwarf goat kidded. She had three kids but the first one had all the symptoms of your article. The baby buck died a couple of hours later. It was very sad for the whole family. Thanks for the info. Now, I know what to do if it happens again. I will have another doe kid in a couple of weeks. Very good information.
I am so sorry. This very cold winter has been a tough one for newborn goats (and their owners). I wish you the best with your upcoming births.
Mary
Hi. I need advice. I have a doe who kidded when it was 10 below zero…of course. I found the kid yesterdy very close to death, stretched out and barely breathing. I warmed her up in a bucket of warm water, and used Karo syrup on my finger in her cheek. Brought her in the house and my husband tubed her with colostrum an hour later. She started to perk up and will hold her head up and stand, but sleeps most of the time. I have been trying for the last 12 hours to get her to take a bottle, but she seems to be unable to suck. She will swallow if the milk drips in. Any suggestions?
I also suggest 1/4 (of one) CC of CMPK, which might help if the stress of the chilling led to a calcium imbalance. Administer the CMPK in 1/4 CC doses, very slowly, orally, over a length of time, until you have administered a total of 1 CC per pound of body weight. This is probably not going to be easy if the kid refuses to swallow. Very small doses and a lot of patience will be key.
Administer 1 to 2 CC’s of fortified vitamin B complex, and repeat several times a day.
Continue to tube feed until the kid does begin to nurse.
If improvement is not seen, consider getting a vet involved.
A wish you the best,
Mary
Hello –
I replied twice but see it only posted once.
In my first response I said: it sounds like you did well with reviving the kid, getting the colostrum in through tube feeding.
How is her temperature? Is the inside of her mouth warm?
Has she been urinating?
See my additional comments below…
I have a newborn baby goat that was born outside in frigid temperatures. Revived him and warmed him but he is still not taking the bottle. It is late and I was not prepared. Thought I had another week but boy was I wrong! I do not have any of the things to inject you have mentioned I have used the syrup on the gums and given colostrum on my finger Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
. Its not looking good for the little guy its been like 5 hours now.
Thanks J
I apologize. For the first time ever, I was extremely sick and relocating, so I was unable to answer any comments. I hope things went well for your newborn kid. If you need anything, please let me know.
God Bless,
Mary
We winged it although we definitely made some mistakes along the way!
Our Doe gave birth to twins a week earlier than we were expecting! When my husband got home from work he went to the barn to check and she had one baby healthy and cleaning her up. As he was leaving the barn he spotted two legs under the building still in his afterbirth and freezing. It was in the 20’s. He cleaned him off with his coat and wrapped him in his shirt. The house was too far from the barn and since we thought she was not due for another week everything we needed was in the house!
I got home about 40 minutes later. He had the kid wrapped in blankets in front of the wood stove. He was limp and had hyperthermia. It took six hours to get his temp to normal! I had given him molasses several times inside his mouth. Once he was warm enough we tried to feed him but he did not take much. I gave him a dose of B Vitamins and about 800 mg of vitamin E. I was up til 5 am with him. We gave him CPR 5-6 times through the night.
We had pkg. colostrum and gave him this for the first 24 hours. He was not taking enough in to sustain him so we fed him thru the skin, and gave him electrolytes as well in between. Finally he ate the colostrum until he refused it. we then gave him cows milk which was good until we gave him moms milk then he got diarrhea! We had to get meds for scours and gave him probios, and electrolytes off milk for 24 hours. Appetite better diarrhea gone but during the night he got diarrhea again we started the whole process again for 24 hours. Day 6 he may actually make it! Diarhea gone appetite good. He is now on 4 hour schedule, poops gone. He is walking around wagging his tail appears to be gaining some weight. Note: He pooped regular poop last night but no poop since. Is this normal or is he now constipated? All this took 6 days.
We tried on the 3rd day when he was able to get up and stand for a little bit we introduced him to his sissy and mom. Mom was not having any of it. she stomped and head butted him knocking him down.
So he is still in the house because it has been snowing and raining for past few days very cold. Hopefully the weather will warm up and we can get him out.
We were going to re-introduce him to his sissy while moms in the field.
Any advice you can give us would that you think would be helpful we would welcome it!
Thank You,
Jaye
You did so well!!! Congratulations!
Grafting the kid back to it’s mother is still possible but would be very tough at this point. She utilizes scent and he now smells like the milk that you have been feeding him. She looks at him as an intruder, and she is protecting the one and only kid that she has in her keep. I have successfully grafted a few kids back to their mother by expressing a tiny amount of the dam’s milk and then smearing it on the kid’s mouth and tail area. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
As far as Sissy is concerned, she will love having a kid to bounce around with! You can release him when the weather warms (I always gauge a difference of 20-30 degrees for the house to barn graduation), and bottle feed him in the barn or in the pasture. He will be close with you because he is a “bottle kid,” and he will also enjoy running with his sister as well.
I would not say he is constipated at this point. He could be, but I would give it another 4-6 hours. If he is not in pain, not hunching up in the middle section, all should be well.
Welcome to the world of reviving a chilled kid and house kid(s)!
Let me know if you need anything. I will be glad to try to help.
Thanks,
Mary
Thank You!! It was a ruff 6 days for sure! He is doing well but his sissy is twice his size now. The kid who is nursing off of mom is only nursing on one teat. The other one looks dried up. We tried cleaning it and milking but nothing came out. What should we do now? We have not been able to build our milking station yet due to the weather. SHe is not being cooperative either. Kicking, trying to bite, run and then lying down so we cannot get to her. I keep telling my husband we need to tie her to a tree and maybe her back legs together so she cannot kick or run. Part of the problem is we have to work and only have two times a day to try milking either in the morning or late evening close to dark. I am afraid she will get mastitis. If she does get mastitis what is the next step.
If I understand you correctly, the doeling is nursing from one teat. The other side of the udder is dry. If there is no milk now, there likely will be no milk on that side this season. Without the pressure building of the milk, and without the kid nursing from that side, I would not be concerned about mastitis developing. Mastitis usually occurs through bacteria entering the orifice of the teat, combined with poor health.
I would wait until her next freshening to milk. Build a stand while (or before) she is pregnant and walk her to the stand at least once a day. Practice getting her up on it and place your hands on her udder and teats as if you are going to milk her. This will get her used to the stand and being handled. When she has her kids, you can milk her once a day if that is what your schedule allows. I always milked twice a day but I have been in contact with enough people to know that once a day does work. She may not produce as much milk as she would if milked twice a day. Her hormones, combined with the milking schedule, will determine how much milk to produce.
Some does will fight you to the end to not get on the stand, and not be milked. I have never had a doe that did not eventually settle into milking. It takes a lot of patience for some, and some seem to take naturally to being handled and milked.
If she does develop mastitis, I would remove the kid and bottle feed her. Administer antibiotics, PenG, and infuse antibiotics into the teats. Let me know if you need help with it, but I doubt that mastitis develops. Maastitis – watch for swelling (beyond fullness from milk), a hot udder, and signs that the doe is ill.
Due to the one dry side, the udder will likely appear lopsided until the kid stops nursing. When your doe gives birth next season you will help even the appearance out because you will be milking from both teats.
I hope that helps.
Again, great job!!! Terrific job!!!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Mary
The milk comes out of the other teat when the kid nurses so I do not think its dry at this point. I believe if we use warm cloths to clean her and get her contained we will be able to milk her. This morning her utter was full and more full on that side.
We will try this evening. I will let you know how it goes.
Had both dis-budded today. Wow, that was tough!
Do you have any insight about neutering a male. I was going to have it done at 3 weeks. My husband knows how to do the banding but we are open to other ways especially if it prevents some of the pain.
The kids had a tetna shot today. I plan on giving them the CDT at 3-4 weeks.
Any information you can give us as to timelines of shots and workers would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Jaye
Hello –
I am familiar with banding, not with castration. For the pain, you can ask the vet to prescribe Banamine.
CD&T must be administered to kids from un-vaccinated dams between 3-4 weeks of age, and boostered between 3-4 weeks. If the dam was vaccinated, vaccinate the kids between 6-8 weeks of age, and booster in 3-4 weeks.
The mom was vaccinated 4 weeks before ( 3 weeks because she gave birth a week early.).
Do you live in a selenium deficient area? If you do, and if the dam was not boosted during pregnancy, I recommend Bo-Se injections for the dam and the two kids. https://anniesgoathill.com/2011/03/02/selenium-deficiency-in-goats/
My doe and the doling are doing well! No problems with either other than the doeling is only nursing one teat and rigging up the other. We cleaned her teats with cloths and put udder balm on them. She was gushing milk after that.
The doling is twice the size of the one that almost died. His behavior last evening I believe seemed from anxiety and constipation. He is now up and has pooped many times. He had a whole bottle of electrolytes and then a whole bottle 2 hours later he had a whole bottle of milk. I left him a bottle of electrolytes when I left for work.
Hopefully he will not have any major problems this evening when I get home! We are exhausted and having difficulty getting anything else accomplished!
If we get through this I will write my own book!!
Thank you for your insight and support!
Jaye
I am so happy to hear he is feeling better!
It is exhausting, both emotionally and physically!
Thank you,
Mary
When I got home this evening the little one is acting like he wants to throwup or trying to catch his breath. I have no idea what could be wrong this time!! Please help!!!
He may have a respiratory infection. I would start with a dose of Penicillin (PenG).
Is he eating? Foaming at the mouth? Listless? Hunched up in the middle, as if he is having stomach pain? Is he walking with a normal gait? Is he running a fever? Does he have diarrhea, or any other bowel abnormalities?
Have you observed any additional symptoms?
Thanks,
Mary
He had a bottle at 5:30 was acting fine playful and happy. At 7:30 he began acting like he was going to throw up or having difficulty breathing, in pain lurching and hunching grunting and trying to poop. We gave him an enema, baking soda in electrolyte water. He was exhausted after about hour and half. I held him and he slept. After sleeping for 30-45 minutes he began crying in pain and then strained out a poop. He repeated the process 2 times.
Now the weirdest thing happened he wanted down he started running and bucking head butting everything including us. Very strange. He is now just standing in his pen. I am at my wits end we finally felt like we were out of the woods he was gaining weight walking and playing eating well and now this bazarre behavior!
We are both exhausted and out of solutions. This is our first time and it may be our last! He is on milk replacer as we had problems with the cows milk too.
I just do not know how to deal with this new issue.
I have read to give mineral oil or olive oil both orally and analy as well as milk magnesia , karo or molasses with warm water, and or soapy water enema as well as just water analy before feeding. There seems to be a variety of folks that are against using milk replacer??
If you can help I would greatly appreciate any advice but right now I feel maybe we should not have revived him. I know that sounds horrible but the poor guy has struggled for the past week of his life everyday since he was born. It’s been so difficult to watch him struggle!!
Thank you ,
Jaye
I am sorry you are still experiencing problems.
Have you considered having a vet see him?
It is difficult to see them struggle, but know that you have done everything that you knew how to do.
There does seem to be a number of people against milk replacer. I never had a problem with it. I use UniMilk. Make sure the replacer is manufactured for goats, not sheep, to ensure it has the correct nutrient and mineral balance. I feel people tend to overfeed kids, either by ounces or by adding more replacer to the water than the instructions call for. In the case of young goat kids, more is not better. This may account for some of the dissatisfaction with replacer.
Karo syrup is what I use for constipation. It helps loosen the stools and gives a boost of added energy (good for the kids that are tired from struggling). I add a teaspoon to the bottle (to approx 4 ounces of liquid), and I do a baking soda or soap enema. Dish soap can be added to warm warm, a couple of drops to 2 ounces of warm water for the enema.
Kids that do not receive their mother’s colostrum at birth tend to struggle more than those that get the full feeding right away, or within a few hours. These kids do not get the antibodies from the dam through her colostrum. And, a kid born early tends to struggle more than one born full term. All of this, unfortunately, is a challenge when breeding goats.
Thanks,
Mary
We got twin bucklings a week ago. They are a little over a month old. Their mother died of a brain aneurysm when they were 2-3 weeks old. Been giving them milk replacer. The one is perfect, healthy, takes bottle like a pig, and runs, climbs, etc. The other one – not so much. He is half the size of his brother. He HATES the bottle. Tried all types of lamb nipples including human nipples. He doesn’t know how to ‘suckle’. We almost lost him last Monday as he got hypothermia. We had them in a stall of lots of straw, plastic crate to cuddle in within a closed barn, with horses (for extra heat). It got to about 35 degrees in there and the little guy just didn’t have the fat/calories to keep himself warm. Rushed him to vet where they revived him just like you suggested with the warm bath, etc. He is doing well, however he still HATES the bottle. The vet told me to get as much in him as I could. We now have them in our basement with a heater on them. When he’s out of the crate, he just loves to stand in front of the heater. I am lucky if I can get 8oz into him 3-4x/day. He prefers the nipple on the side of his mouth where he will at least chew on it and actually swallow. I try not to force too much. It takes me sometimes 45 minutes each feeding to get a measly 8 oz into him. And I have to hold him between my legs, put my finger in his mouth to open. I even rub my finger on the roof of his mouth and rub his throat/neck to help promote him to suckle. Not sure those things work well though. He looks like he is growing a little, walks around slowly, but when he stands, he scrunches up with his back arched up and tail tucked. He pees and poops fine. Drinks water from a bucket, eats grain and hay. Loves to be held and cuddled and will mouth anything he can find (zippers, tags, etc).
Any suggestions on the bottle feeding? Could I use a child medicine syringe to push a tsp of milk in him at a time? Do they ‘need’ to suck? His belly appears full to the eye and it makes sloshing noises when I pick him up. Trying to do everything we can to keep him going, but worried he that he won’t make it.
Hello –
I had twins that were the smallest kids born one season. Both literally stood at the heater. They thrived. In fact, years later, one ended up birthing a kid that went on to sarn grand champion at the county fair. So, perhaps your kid just likes the heat, as mine did.
The hunching up and folding in of the tail makes me think there could be pain or digestive upset, however, there are no clinical symptoms that you’ve mentioned – diarrhea or constipation. A good probiotic, Probios is one, would cover some of the bases if there is digestive upset.
I would administer Fortified Vitamen B Complex as well. If the rumen is not functioning 100%, it is possible the kid is lacking in Thiamine and other B vitamens. Goats cannot overdose on this, so I would administer, through injection, day one: up to 1 CC 2X, and once a day for the next 5-7 days.
Did the vet perform fecal counts?
You know, he is one month old, I hardly think he is nursing enough, but he is swallowing, and he is eating grain and hay, and he IS drinking water! That is an absolute plus. If it takes a while for him to nurse, it could be that his rumen is upset, or it could be that you will be weaning him at 2 months old, and he’ll not miss it!
Purchase loose minerals that are blended for goats. Goats need their copper to fend from parasite infestation, and make sure he gets calcium through hay or other feeds, to help his bones grow.
I hope I helped. If I missed any of your points, or if you need anything else let me know.
Thanks,
Mary
Thank you Mary. That is VERY helpful.
*Probios – the same as horses get? I have the powder I use on my horses – could that be mixed in with milk? Or is the paste better?
*Vet did not do a fecal count that I know of. He did not give me much advice. He did have lice which I have treated and they are gone.
*I do have loose goat minerals in with their grain.
*Fortified Vitamin B Complex – can I order this online? Where do I inject it? Neck? Rump?
Sorry – I am a first time goat owner – but am willing to learn and do as much as I can to help this little guy make it! You have made me very hopeful!
Hello –
I’ve never used the Probios powder, but, yes, it can be mixed with liquids and feed, kid dose is 5 grams.
I did a quick Google search, it looks like Valley Vet Supply has Fortified Vitamin B Complex in stock. You may also try your vet, or your local farm store. The bottle/label must contain the word fortified, if it is not a fortified blend it will not contain the higher dose of thiamine (100 mg per ml). Inject IM in the lower hip. This is a great injection site link: http://www.theikga.org/how_to_give_injection.html.
Have the kids been wormed? With spring arriving, along with dampness in the pasture or grass, and at the age of 4 weeks old, I recommend their first wormings, and CD&T vaccinations to prevent Enterotoxemia.
Let me know if you need help with any of this. I am glad to have been of help!
Thanks,
Mary
Hi
Two of my goats lamb for the first time and they are around a year old, the other one had twin and the other one had just one lamb. But both goats just rejected the new borns and I ended up losing the new borns. I need help what can i do next time. and also the new born were looking weak because I tried to bottle feed but with luck on the day/.
Thanks
I am sorry you lost your newborns. I am sure that is a sad disappointment.
As a general rule: ensure your does have good nutrition, are wormed as needed, and they are not selenium deficient. https://anniesgoathill.com/2011/03/02/selenium-deficiency-in-goats/
If you do need to bottle feed kids in the future, understand the importance of colostrum. https://anniesgoathill.com/2011/04/13/colostrum-the-most-important-nutrition-in-a-goats-life/, and follow a bottle feeding schedule – https://anniesgoathill.com/2012/03/25/bottle-feeding-goat-kids/.
I am preparing to publish my third book, which is geared towards new and prospective goat ownership. You might watch for my book, which should help you greatly as you enter into another season of goat care and birthing. Feel free to ask questions at this blog at any time.
Best wishes,
Mary
Hi Mary, I hope you can help. I work at a vet clinic and we had a person abandon week old goat. He said it wouldn’t nurse but that is all i know. he never came back. the kid is in awful shape, weak, lethargic, head turning to both sides, i am trying to bottle feed however he won’t suckle.
after reading your blog, i doubt any colostrum was manually introduced to this little guy. do you have any advice for me?
Hello,
Even though the window of opportunity has passed for the kid to initially absorb colostrum, try to get some in him. It sounds like it will need to be tubed. Administer selenium once and a daily supplement of Red Cell as well to boost him in case he is deficient.
I am also going to post an excerpt or two that might help you from the goat book that I will be publishing very soon:
Floppy Kid Syndrome (FKS)
Floppy Kid Syndrome is not caused by a specific organism or bacteria. It occurs when the digestive system stops working correctly when the kid overindulges on milk.
Clinical Symptoms:
• Affects kids between 2-10 days old
• Temperature normal
• Depression
• Weakness (flaccid paralysis as the disease progresses)
• No diarrhea (see Notes and Tips below)
• Abdominal distension (as the disease progresses)
• Inability to use tongue (kid can swallow, but appears unable to nurse)
• Does not respond to antibiotics or selenium supplement
• Symptoms come in waves (appearing to be better, than worse – see Notes and Tips below).
• Death
Treatment:
• Remove milk for 24-36 hours
• Pain medication (may be needed in advanced cases, consult with veterinarian)
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, to neutralize stomach condition, see Notes and Tips below)
Prevention:
• Do not overfeed milk
Notes and Tips:
The scenario goes as such: the kid is eating well, appears healthy, and has been happily bouncing all over the place. The next thing you know, the kid is weak, or to the point they are flaccid, unable to stand or sit up. This situation is much different than a newborn kid that is born weak and unable to nurse or stand from the first moments of life. Floppy Kid Syndrome (FKS) has one cause – the ingestion of too much milk.
Resist the urge to force feed milk to a weak kid, one that does not want to nurse, or one that seems to be unable to suckle. Milk will only make FKS worse.
The first step in treating FKS is to remove the kid from milk or replacer, substitute with a baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and water mixture: 1 teaspoon of baking soda, dissolved and mixed completely in 8 ounces of water. If the kid will not nurse on this mixture, you may need to syringe feed. Draw the liquid into the syringe and slowly administer it into the kid’s mouth. Caution – do not force feed, the liquids can enter the lungs and bring on infection (pneumonia). If the kid readily swallows the liquids, continue syringe feeding, slowly, until the belly rounds out (as if he is full). If the kid is very weak, unable to hold its head up, tube feeding will be required (see page ****). Consult with your veterinarian for further instructions.
(I do not think the kid from the comments above has FKS…but it does not hurt to compare symptoms and understand too much milk can produce symptoms similar to a lack of milk or colostrum.)
E.coli (Collibacillosis)
E.coli is a disease caused by the common bacteria, Escherichia coli.
Clinical Symptoms:
• Salivation increase (outside of mouth may appear wet or bubbly)
• Diarrhea (thin, light in color)
• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration
• Hunching up (due to stomach pain)
• Fever (may or may not have fever)
• Cold mouth (in later stages)
• Bloat (slightly bloated appearance)
• Death
Treatment:
• Antibiotics
• Electrolytes
• Fluids
Prevention:
• Sanitation (clean and dry housing and bedding, sanitary bottles and nipples)
• Avoid overcrowding of animals
• Avoid cold milk and irregular bottle feeding (see page ****)
• Avoid stress
• Ensure newborns receive colostrum at birth
• Dip naval of newborn goat (see page ****)
Notes and Tips:
E.coli is most common in kids 1-4 days old, occurring less frequently in kids up to a month old.
With a short-lived incubation period, 1-2 days in young goats, toxins from the bacteria form in the internal organs, and death quickly follows, usually within 12-24 hours of the onset of diarrhea.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling a goat infected with E.coli. Bacteria can be transmitted to humans, especially affecting young children and the elderly.
Due to similar symptoms, E.coli is often confused with Floppy Kid Syndrome (see page >>>>).
I would administer Nutri-Drench, and then once the kid is on the mend, administer Red Cell (both are supplements…I am sure you know that). Nutri-Drench contains the following ingredients:http://www.nutridrench.com/ingredients.html.
Molasses would also provide an energy boost as a supplement to a bottle or even to tube feeding.
I have to leave the computer for a few hours, so please write and let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much and best wishes for the little one! Mary
Just found this article. I hope it is in time. found a baby goat chilled and I thought dead. we have done mostly wrong so praying that we didn’t do damage. Gave milk when she was chilled and left her with her mama for a couple of hours. praying she makes. it.
Awww. I hope your newborn kid came through just fine. If it drank colostrum, it should have a good start.