I feel your pain.
When we first got our goats, and they had babies, we had a mother reject one of hers. She was a first time mom, and I figured she just didn't know what to do. We brough the little guy in and tried our darndest to help him. We milked colostrum from the mother for him, tried all kinds of nipples, hugged and petting him tons to make him feel loved.
He did okay at first, not great, but okay. But he was not an enthusiastic eater, and over the course of a week, he just ate less and less, moved around less, and gradually grew weaker and weaker until he fell asleep and never woke up.
It was heartbreaking.
Now, over the course of several years, I have had this happen only two other times. In fact, the only time my goats ever reject a baby, this happened. The babies just grew weaker and died. I have come to the conclusion that the mothers can tell when something is wrong with the baby and that is why she does not care for them, it is kinder to just let it die right away than to try to keep it alive for longer.... I dont know for sure, but that's what I think happens.
Anyway, Thanks for sharing this. It is a sad reality in homesteading, the animals do die from time to time, and it is hard to deal with, especially when it is an adorable baby.
Our little guy, RIP
Awe that poor baby. We try so hard to help them. But really, we never can know if they'll make it or not. I believe it's up to me to at least try (as long as they are not suffering, obviously!). Many people sell/give away bummer babies and they end up just fine. There was more to the story of what happened to little Monroe, accidents happened on that farm and it happened that he was accidentally somehow locked away from momma goat. Maybe she forgot who he was. I don't know. But, more often than not, I believe that they do live. Maybe I was too inexperienced, but I know I did my best and I did more than most people would for a livestock animal.
True.
I always have to try, even if it ends up being a loss anyway. I can't just watch it die...
I know, sometimes the mama goat just is silly or confused and the baby ends up being just fine bottle fed. I guess it depends. My goats are good, experienced mothers at this point, and they always take good care of their young, only 3 babies abandoned over these few years, and every time, they died no matter how hard we tried. Which makes me think that they knew something was wrong. But who knows...