Hi I rescued some nubian goats and we just had a little one. I'm going to try to find it a good home but I need a little help. First I took it away from mom right after it was born. I got the colostrum but he sure doesn't seem to want a bottle. How much should he eat and how long should it take him to adjust. I'd leave him with mom but I want him to be bottle trained for him new home also his cord is about 4 inches long. I have iodine should I tie it with thread and cut it off first or what. I'm sure it might get torn off the way it is Thanks all. Nancy

-- Nancy Steele (nsteele@theofficenet.com), April 13, 2001

Answers

Kids will seldom take to a bottle naturally. We hold them between our knees or on our lap, hold the neck of the bottle (just behind the nipple) with your forefinger and thumb, pry their mouth open with other hand and insert nipple. Hold the palm of your hand and free fingers around the muzzle and stroke the back of their head with the free hand to stimulate nursing. We've had some really stubborn kids who would just sit there doing nothing, but normally they will figure it out really quick and start sucking. It usually takes two to three days to train them to take the nipple without help. Be persistent and make sure he gets at least 12 ounces or so of colostrum within the first 12 hours after birth. Newborns should get about 12 ounces of milk every four hours for the first four of five days. After that you can back off to every six hours until they are about four weeks old, and then go to twice a day feedings of about 16 ounces per feeding until they are least eight weeks old. After they are two to three weeks old, offer them a little grain and hay and they will naturally make a transition so that it will be easier when you decide to wean them. We bottle feed our show doelings and bucks for a full twelve weeks.

Hope this helps.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), April 13, 2001.