I am asking for a friend.She has several pygmy does to kid,so far two have without trouble.I am expierienced with dairy does,have untangled kids,with limited success..1st one,vet had to intervene,doe lived,kids lived,but doe never carried another pregnancy to term.2nd one,kids lived,doe died 1 week later(i really think something metabolic was going on)3rd one all 3 kids and doe survived.Anyway..she asked me about HOW to help a tangle in pygmys in case one happens.I am not compfortable offering her advice on such a small animal..with limited room.Any experienced pygmy breeders know any advice?Are pygmies more likely to have kidding problems?Is it SAFE to enter a pygmy doe to untangle??Thanks in advance..

-- Michelle (davmic25 @hotmail.com), February 11, 2002

Answers

Michelle, pygmie's kidding problems are one of the reasons I would never keep them. IMO anyone who keeps them needs to know how to untangle them. Small hands are a plus. Frequently you can manipulate with your fingers and don't have to really enter completely.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002.

Michelle unless your hands are bigger than a full size kid, be it dairy or pygmy, why wouldn't you be able to assist? I just had this as a question on the phone today, folks just let things progress so far before deciding to help that its a train wreck! Let a doe push and push for hours with nothing happening, or like today, she pulled on the front legs.................just where did she think the head was going to go except up wedged against the pelvis! When a doe is pushing, insert your hand and see if you feel feet and teeth. Then don't let the legs come to far out without the head presenting also. Slip a shoelace around the head or even laced through the mouth to tug on while you tug on feet if it is stuck. If you pull the feet out it will straighten the shoulder giving a bid head room to come through. Always make sure the feet are connected to the head that is coming, and not like I delivered Christmas................the guy had pulled and pulled on front legs, nothing, well maybe it was because the kids head in the front did not belong to those legs? It was the brother behind! Always keep your hand on the kids body when you go in fishing, make sure the legs, butt, head all belong to the right kid! Get good breeding dates, by only hand breeding, and then use lutelyse to kid out your does so you are there to help, also kidding about 3 or 4 days early gives the does a break on those big kids that grow like bad weeds the last few days of pregnancy! Breed to a nigerian buck for slender kids, and get away from the cinder block pygmy's that are all but animal cruelty! Change the breed standard! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002.