My doe that had such a hard time kidding this past Monday (had 2 live and 1 dead doe kid)is still not eating well. She is eating hay well and will pick at her grain, but isn't eating more than 3/4 lb. per day if that. She will eat apples and bread, but I only offer those when it is not feeding time in the hopes that she will eat grain at feeding time. She seems chipper enough and is very loving to the kids now, but she just isn't interested in grain. I did give her a vitamin B shot on Monday to try to stimulate her appetite. Should I try that again? Any suggestions?

Oh, and I have to tell you that my other doe kidded today and she also had triplets, but hers were all bucks. This is triplet year at the ranch! I wonder what my ewe will do in May.... I am a little worried about this doe. I was just stopping in on my lunch break from work when she kidded and I had to get back to work, so after she had spat out the kids and there was a bit of afterbirth coming, I left. I couldn't find any afterbirth in her pen at all when I got home from work, so I'm assuming she ate it, but, of course, I don't know that. She's happy as a clam, eating well and all. I did milk her this evening and that produced nothing (except colostrum, of course). I have no lutalyse and we all know that these things only happen on Saturday nights! Would she already be having an adverse reaction if she retained, or is it a delayed reaction? I would rather be paranoid and prepared than not! :)

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), March 17, 2002

Answers

Do another vitamin B shot, actually, you may just do that for a few days in a row. probios, hotwater with molasses. Does she have any temp at all? Seems like the one doe I have just goes off feed for about hree days after freshening. The two first timers were the only ones that were little piggies soon afterwards.

As to the other one, I may be wrong, but I'm thinking if you saw it coming out that it did and she ate it. I'd take her temp and smell really carefully to see if therre was any odor that wasn't right there. But I bet she ate it. Best to you!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 17, 2002.

I'm betting she ate the afterbirth. Most of my does do (but I had one who didn't, but maybe because she delivered outside and the placenta was in the dirt).

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), March 17, 2002.