Baby Phoenix Lives

Thanks for all of your comments and emails asking how Baby Phoenix is doing and if she will be OK. Today, she celebrates her 10-day birthday. As you can see, she has come a long way from a struggling newborn. From the first day, her mom would not allow her to suck so we fed colostrum rich milk to baby Phoenix with a 50cc syringe for her first 3 days of life. We collected enough colostrum for Phoenix and 1 pint got frozen for future use in an emergency.

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Phoenix, at one hour old.

This baby goat, "Phoenix" was born on June 10, 2011 but was barely breathing. She was so weak she could not stand or suck. When a newborn kid is too weak to suck on it's own, it is very important that you step in and act quickly. Baby goats need to have their mom's rich milk (colostrum) during the first 12-24 hours of life. Colostrum is necessary so their little bodies can set up the defense mechanisms to fight diseases and to kick start their delicate digestive system. Often, the doe will refuse to clean or care for a newborn that is not healthy. Finding a warm place and cleaning the baby before it's first feeding is a good idea and fun! 

Collecting the colostrum is the next step. Phoenix's mom is new at delivering babies and has very small teats. I used the Henry Milker to collect colostrum. 

Feeding the colostrum to Phoenix was easy with a 50cc syringe. We fed  small amounts on a one hour rotation. We'll provide updates on Phoenix and her progress.

Collection of Colostrum using the Henry Milker.