Nature provides that animals give birth on their own, but most owners do not abandon their pets at this moment and try to help. After all, even a goat that has given birth many times may have problems, and the first kitten needs special supervision. If a goat cannot give birth on its own, what to do in this case and how to help, this question worries novice owners of farmsteads, especially if there is no doctor nearby.
Causes of the problem
Pregnancy in goats lasts 150 days; if the time of mating is known, it is easy to calculate the date of birth, taking into account deviations of 3-5 days in one direction or the other.They begin to prepare the goat for childbirth gradually:
- The nutritional value of the feed is reduced so as not to overfeed the animal and the kids are not too large.
- Milk once a day.
- Do not massage the udder.
2.5-2 months before giving birth, the female stops milking, increases the nutritional value of the feed and transfers her to a separate, dry, clean and warm enclosure. The animal needs daily walks if lambing does not occur in winter.
There are many factors that influence the severity of labor. The first lambing is more difficult than subsequent lambings, even if everything goes well. A goat cannot give birth in the following cases:
- weak labor activity;
- presence of a narrow pelvis;
- large kids;
- incorrect presentation;
- The little goat's legs got tangled.
Help may also be needed after lambing, during the passage of the placenta, and during the recovery period after childbirth.
What to do if a goat cannot give birth
If labor is weak, 1-1.5 milliliters of “Oxytocin”, “Uteroton” are administered or the animal is given amniotic fluid, which is collected in a clean container at the moment of rupture of the membranes. If the amniotic fluid is cloudy and has an unpleasant odor, you should not give it to the goat. The injection is performed subcutaneously or intramuscularly. If the attempts are normal, but the animal cannot give birth, assistance should be provided. First, you should gently massage the goat's belly in the direction from the belly to the genitals. Then you should put on a rubber or oilcloth apron, wash your hands thoroughly with soap, treat them with alcohol, vodka or cologne and lubricate them with Vaseline.
You should feel the fruit and adjust the legs if they are tangled. Then put a loop over them and gently pull while pushing.You can pull without a loop, with your hands. All manipulations must be done carefully. After giving birth, the goat must be given water. If she doesn’t drink on her own, a rubber bulb will do. Water is taken into it and poured into the mouth from either side, where there are no teeth.
When the goats appear, they need to be examined, their noses cleaned and the mucus wiped off with a towel if the goat does not have the strength to lick them. Then the babies are given colostrum. Kids who do not receive colostrum grow weaker.
After the kids are born, you should wait for the placenta. Normally, it comes out 3-4 hours after labor is completed. If there is no placenta, the Oxytocin injection should be repeated. If the discharge is incomplete, the goat should be injected with an antibiotic (“Gentomycin”, “Azithromycin”).
Important: do not pull or tear off the exposed part of the placenta.
Experienced livestock breeders advise rinsing the uterine cavity with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate or furatsilin solution the day after birth. It is better to do this with the help of an Esmarch mug (a rubber heating pad with a long tube and tip). For several days after (3-7, depending on the condition) birth, the animal is given nettle or given a decoction to drink. Steamed parsley or dill seeds work great.
To give the animal strength, offer the goat some glucose or 1-2 slices of a chocolate bar. The goat should be in a separate pen, on a clean, dry bedding; cats or dogs should not be allowed into the barn.
Prevention
Before lambing, the goat should be well fed, but not overfed. The menu should include vegetables (boiled potatoes, carrots, pumpkin). Compound feed or oats must be introduced into the diet; from 100 grams the weight is gradually increased to 500-700 grams per day.
A month before giving birth, they begin to give the goat vitamins (Felucen, Vitam), strictly following the manufacturer’s instructions. Calcium supplements, such as gluconate, are often prescribed to matron goats. They continue to be given after lambing.
Walking is also an important part of prevention. By walking, goats get the necessary vitamin D. Walking should only be done in good weather.
Of course, giving birth to an animal yourself, in the absence of experience, is possible only as a last resort, if it is not possible to call a veterinarian. Good care and responsibility of the owners make it possible to help the animal even in very difficult cases.
