I have a 5 week old Kid that has been bottle raised. My question is at what age do they start to drink water? She is eating hay and grain (growing nicely) and I have water out for her all the time, but she just sniffs it and walks away. is it a matter of learning to drink from a bucket vs the bottle? or is she just not ready for the water. Also, when should I stop giving her a bottle? Thanks in advance.

-- Kelly (yopia1@aol.com), March 15, 2002

Answers

I have mom raised kids, so maybe this is the reason. They start drinking water around three to four weeks. Again, they see mom doing this so I think that be it.

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), March 15, 2002.

Mine usually start to drink water around 3-4 weeks, that seems to be the age for both dam raised and bottle fed. I wouldn't panic too much, some take longer than others, and they can sometimes drink water without thinking they do.

I wean at generally 12 weeks, but with the dairy it has to be 4 weeks. Its a matter of personal preferance.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

Hi Kelly, I don't even put water buckets out in the kid pen until mine are 6 weeks old and move from 3 down to 2 bottles/lambars a day. I have one of those horrid stories of a kid jumping in a water bucket, getting the bale stuck over his shoulders and nearly drowning except my son could jump the fence and saved him. It was so bad that we took him to the vet who put him on oxygen to get the fluid out of his lungs. Now if you are talking summer babies, then I would probably put water out much sooner.

We don't wean until 12 weeks old, and we want them eating, not nibbling. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.

I guess I'm weird!!! I put a pan of water in with them when they about 3 weeks old. They don't drink much, but they drink some. The bucket is a danger-but I guess if you folks wait that long I can.;). I just thought the little things might be thristy in between times and since this is Texas, I didn't want them to become dehydrated.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

Nigerians mature faster so eight weeks is my weaning time. I'm glad I don't have to wait 12 weeks!

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), March 16, 2002.

Doreen in the summer I use those little rubber bowls that Jeffers sells for dog and pig feed dishes for water. For goats not likeing the water, mine sure do play in them :)

Lynn, lots of folks wean dairy goats at 8 weeks. Somthing I have been curious about, for folks who show Nigerians, do they have the same udder points in the ring as full size goats? 35 points, do you start milking the does after the kids are weaned, or bottle the kids and milk the whole 10 months? Or do you just show while the doe has kids nursing her? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.

ummm, if your bottle feeding them , you can "trick them to drink", put about 1/3 c of milk or formula in about 3 cups water, of course , they will never drink it all, but the taste and smell will get them to start, or , just wait, rest assured they will drink water when they are ready.

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), March 20, 2002.