I just received a baby boar born early this am. Mother did not clean him and he was very cold when found. The couple have been trying to give him colostrum and he will not take any, they got about 4 oz in him earlier. They have kept him warm.He is holding his head up now and wagging his tale a little but still cannot stand although he does try. His mouth is very cold. They have been giving him some Nutridrench. I am warming towels in the ryer and wrapping him up. Any suggestions? Thanks, Cindy

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), March 11, 2001

Answers

Is your area selenium deficient?? If so a shot of Bo-Se may help.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001.

4 oz is not very much colustrum but if thats all he had then you will have to make the best of it.The warm towels are great.Get him warm and keep him that way.If he had 4 oz colostrum and Nutridrench he probably just isn't hungry yet.If you have lamb nipples and a pop bottle,try getting a little warm milk in him.If no lamb nipple is available or he is too weak a regular baby bottle will work.If neither bottle works after several hours then it's tube feeding time. Running the tube down the baby's throat is a bit tricky.Be sure it is in the stomach and not the lungs.If nothing else is available(and it never is)new,clean aquarium tubing will work.

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

I just re-read your post and I hope you meant goat as in Boer.If you actually have a male piglet good luck.

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

Thanks, 4 oz was how much she got in him this am. They have worked with him all day.A little here and there, mostly squeezed in his mouth. He is just still so cold, how long till he should warm up.I will keep him in tonight.What are his chances? I have dairy goats and this other family raises boars and they don't have time to work with him.I am using lamb nipples. Should I give him anymore nutridrench? Thanks again, Cindy

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), March 11, 2001.

JT, LOL yes it is goat!!!!! I was holding him and trying to think and type at same time.

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), March 11, 2001.

I'm not a goat person, just know sheep. Hope Vicky answers you soon.We have warmed lambs up in warm water or using a blow dryer. Do you know how to tube feed? If he is not sucking and his mouth is cold, I would do that as soon as possible. Just be careful when you remove the tube to pinch it so on the way out no fluids gets into lungs.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), March 11, 2001.

Hi Cindy, it is actually eaiser to tube than to dribble colostrum into a weak kid. Also using a Pritchard teat nipple on a kid like this is the best. 4 ounces will only be enough if he wieghs 2 pounds, but the intestine closes down its ability to absorb the antibodies in colostrum at 12 hours, though some folks continue to feed it for longer because it does have a laxitive benefit. I would just go to warm 102 milk. If you do try to tube, a great trick is to put the tube after it is down him into a glass of water, if bubbles appear it is in the lung. If you blow on it and he doesn't cough than you are in the stomach, and if you suck on it and smell it without throwing up than you are not in the stomach but in the lung :) that is actaully a vet joke that I think I slaughtered!

It is so important to get nutrition into kids, it helps them stabalize their body temperature, which will get his mouth warm. Right now his core body temp is low, and you would probably be better off instead of towles, to soak him in progressively warmer water, until his temp is up to normal. Then use the warm dryer towles (a great idea) to keep him warm. Be very careful of heat lamps or heating pads as they can dehydrate him. With this being a buck, sorry my diary prejudice is showing, you ought to try your hand at tubing, make sure you have the colostrum or milk really warm, and a shot of coffee in it will also stimulate him (caffine) though my vet would cringe. Nutra drench is great, but he needs calories right now, don't waste his stomach space with electrolytes and gatoraid, if he is still dehydrated than sub q above his sholders or wherever he has some loose skin, lactated ringers. Please do not use milk replacer on this kid, opt for goat milk or grocery store milk for at least the first couple of weeks. It is just so much easier for them to digest easily. You might want to keep the ID-1 colostrum replacer which is the only one I know of that has any "live" antibodies in it, course this is cattle information, if you are going to be going into the baby saving business. If you have the extra goat colostrum and goats milk, you can actually make a tidy little some if these are nice animals! Especailly if you are being paid for your vet skills! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

Vicki and all, Thanks for all your help but Hershey died b/w midnight and 2 am. I fed him with a syringe,he would swallow, and put him in a towel on a heating pad set on low next to my bed. His breathing was terribly errratic and when I woke at 2 to check on him he was gone. I think it was all too late. he was a beautiful red boer buck. I thought this would be my ticket to full blood boer goats. Oh well. My dd cried this am when she ound and now we have to ave a funeral.I have learned alot, I will be getting a feeding tube for the next time. This family raises boers but do not have time to hand raise their kids. Oh and Vicki thanks for the suggestion from an earlier post about BOSS. My girls love them. I am now using cracked corn, oats, BOSS, and soybean meal.

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), March 12, 2001.

Am little off topic. My dairy prejudices are now showing :), do boers typically have 4 teats. He did.

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), March 12, 2001.

Cindy , I'm sorry about your buck .This is a big learning experience .I have lost allot of calfs and it doesn't get any easier .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 12, 2001.

Sorry for your loss. I know it's too late, but for future benefit, the best treatment for a cold kid who is not eating is to immerse in warm water (up to neck) to raise body temperature and tube feed colostrum within first 2 hours. Dry off well and take to house until the kid is standing and sucking on it's own.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), March 14, 2001.