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View Full Version : Why would a mother goat refuse to feed baby after the fourth day?


sumbody
May 31, 2010, 03:11 PM
I have a spanish goat that had a kid soon after I got her, she fed the baby the first 4 days. But after that we have to hold her so the little fellow can nurse her. She is getting harder to catch each time in order to feed him. Thank you for any help!!

Lucky098
May 31, 2010, 07:33 PM
Sounds like she is starting to reject him... it happens. Does she hurt the baby? Or does she just refuse to nurse? If all she is doing is not wanting to nurse him, there could be something wrong with her where its painful for the baby to nurse. Mastitis can set in. Check to feel if her bag and nipples are still soft and normal sized. If they're kind of hard and swollen, then she's got it. Mastitis is pretty easy to treat. Antibiotics clear it up quickly.

If she's just rejecting him, then I guess you get to take over. Bottle feeding is one choice, or continue to force nurse is another. Keep her in a smaller area with a rope attatched for easy catching.

Good luck!