i would be interested in hearing from anyone about feeding baby goats. How much do you usually feed? Do you notice any difference in your bottle fed babies and your Momma fed babies? Any help is appreciated.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), July 03, 2003

Answers

This is exactly how much milk I am feeding, but I have a friend who showed up with Dam raised kids and they were twice as tall and much fatter. I also don't wean until three months.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), July 04, 2003.

How much of a parasite load can a baby goat build in 3 months? For most of that time they aren't even eating from the ground. Anyway we just wormed and innoculated everyone 3 days ago. Hopefully that will help with the problem. Personally I agree with you about bottle feeding versus Dam feeding. I think the bottle fed kids make much better animals when it comes to cooperating with their handlers. Bucks are far more easily handled when bottle fed. My friend who was staying with me told me that she feeds three times a day until they are two months old. According to her, the babies she raises are just as big as dam raised babies. Any thoughts on this?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit (littlebit@brightok.net), July 05, 2003.

I gradually increase to about forty oz. a day as well Kathy. Jeanie you didn't say how old your kid is. I usually like to get them up to at least 40 oz. after two or three weeks. You might add a third small feeding if necessary. I start my kids by feeding them four times a day. I usually start them at 4 oz. four times a day. Then I move them to 8 oz three times a day about three days old. Then I move them to 10 oz. three times a day at 1 week. Then twelve oz. three times a day at 1 1/2 weeks. Then finally to twenty oz. twice daily at two weeks where I keep them until I begin to wean at two months. By twelve weeks I wean completely. That is my feeding schedule. I would be interested in hearing everyone else's schedule.

Little Bit Farm

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), February 24, 2004.

They should have hay, Free choice. You should also provide perhaps a cup of grain. Make sure, and wait until the grain is actually gone before giving them more. They should not have more than one cup at a time until their bodies get used to it, then GRADUALLY increase the grain.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), May 08, 2004.

First of all, you just have to keep trying. Squeeze the sides of their mouth, until they open up(not hard, just gentle pressure), and then cram the nipple in. Make sure that if you are using black nipples, and a coke bottle, that you slightly enlarges the hole in the top of the nipple. Usually the nipple is slit light this: X . I just cut off one of the corners of the X , to make the hol bigger. Once they find out that there is good food in the bottle, they will come around. However, because they are so old, it will be a bit of a fight to get them to switch to the bottle.

Little Bit farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), May 10, 2004.

Hi Little Bit, I am Crystal from Debi's list. We are currently bottle feeding baby goats. On how much you feed them, is this milk or grain?? On the grain it is not much (like 1 cup in the morning), but that is because we have lots of brush for them to eat. ON the bottles, they get a 20 oz. bottle 2 x's a day and they are 2 months old right now.

-- Crystal (quiverfull@gorge.net), July 04, 2003.

LB...I have raised them for years and your program sounds totally adaquate. Perhaps you have a parasite problem?? Dam raised kids do tend to grow faster, but it evens out in the end, in my experience. I find that dam raised tend to be so flighty, that I have a hard time taming them for milking etc., so I raise all my doelings on the bottle and allowed the buck kids to stay on the mom, unless they will be sold as breeders or unless I am needing the milk.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 05, 2003.

I have two very nice tame bucks. One was dam raised, the other was a bottle baby. BUT the dam raised buck was a 4H kid, went to several shows and got LOTS of attention. You can count on a bottle kid being gentle. If you dam raise, you gotta make a big effort to tame. But I have had good success when I have made the effort.

-- mary,tx (mlg@texas.com), July 05, 2003.

I have three bottle babies ranging in age from 1 wk to 1 month. They are on milk replacer. I feed them three times a day, and give them a pint at each feeding. This will graduate as they get older. I find the bottle raised babies have a hard time learning to eat corn or goat pellets but eventually get the hang of it. They are certainly much gentler than the field animals. But, should the mama be a bottle baby that trust you the kid will be more apt to let you handle it. My bottle babies are larger than the field babies but eventually they catch up. I find a definite difference between the bottle billies and the bottle nannies. But then they all have their own personalities. My goats are a cross breed of 100% boar billie and 1/2 to 3/4 boar nannie. I find big difference

-- Pat Essner (billepat@ktc.com), August 06, 2003.

We just had our first twin boar goats 11/16/2003. The momma isnt paying them much attention. How do I bottle feed and what do i feed. Do I milk the momma goat?

-- Teresa (ruewall@yahoo.com), November 16, 2003.

It's hard raising kids. Last year I tried to raise one but it didnt make it. so im tring agan this year. Bottle feeding varies by the kid milk . the first 24 hours are the most important hours of its life. the kids need the mothers milk for survival because of the chalostream. If the mother is still alive try to tie her up while the kid drinks. or try to milk her. If she died, talk to the locle vet. they could tell you the best formula. Try kid milk replacer for goats..

-- crystal, ok (froggie_hop_7286@ yahoo.com), December 04, 2003.

we had a nannie goat who had twins she is feeding one and tried to kill the other. I am feeding milk replacer to the one she tried to kill but need to know how long they should be on the bottle and when we can start feeding her grain? when will she be able to go to a home as a pet? thanks

-- vermont in december (cgomo@surfglobal.net), December 09, 2003.

I have 3 3 day old baby goats and they seem to be doing fine on the cows milk that i pump every day for feeding, but what i want to know is when can i start feeding them some fine grain.

-- ramona (chena1252@earthlink.net), February 13, 2004.

I feed my bottle babies 20 oz. of pasteurized goats milk twice daily. They grow to the same size as dam raised babies and are tamer. When I first started raising kids, I used milk replacer and had problems with bloat and scours. Since switching to goats milk, the babies haven't had digestive problems. I feed pasteurized milk to prevent CAE. I raise both dairy and Boer goats and all my does are tame enough to milk.

-- Kathie z. (critterwoman13@aol.com), February 22, 2004.

I feed my kid 2 cups of wet nurse replacer in the morning, let her nibble on hay and goat ration and feed her another 2 cups of replacer at night. Her belly usually looks nice and full after each bottle. She will stop at 2 cups always. Her stool is tin with formed pellets but still fused together. Is any of this correct? She seems jumpy and skippy.

-- Jeanie Glover (ninapresti@hotmail.com), February 24, 2004.

I have feed many kids with and without the clostrum and hand good luck, I and now feeding 19 brush goats because the mothers had them in a bad rain and cold and I had to bring them in and well I am now feeding them. They are two weeks old and doing well. I give them about 13 or so oz daily, that is 2 gallons of 20-20 milk formula that is made by Lone Star. I have raised one on 2% cows milk. When I raise 1-2, I give after about 3-4 weeks some goat feed disolved in the milk. You have to make the nipple hole larger etc, it is a pain. I now have water and feed in front of the 19 and hope they start eating. I plan to pour some powdered milk on the feed tomorrow and see if it helps.

-- Ed Pezant (sandlin@eatel.net), February 27, 2004.

Hi were new to this have a 2 week old baby trying to feed tetag replacement milk mixed with whole cows milk can only get the baby to take 1 ounce at a time. please we need help. is there any grain feed at this age and should we force feed her. she up and walking fine but worried, her mom passed away yesterday. so the owner gave her to us because she couldn't take care of it. please Help. Thanks john and Natalie

-- John and Natalie (jiannone@tampabay.rr.com), March 31, 2004.

Hello, I am currently feeding a pygmy goat. His mother would not feed him but feeds the first born he is a twin, My buckling is now 5 weeks old. I feed whole cows milk from the store(WARMED). I use a pritchard nipple which has a valve in it. If you try the nipple when they are away from their mom for about 4 hours to start they will be hungry and more willing. The bootle fed babies are usually fatter and larger. I try to feed every 3 to four hours at least 4 oz. The first couple of days are hard. I keep offering the bottle. It helps to cup your hands around their mouth and sit them in your lap. wrapped in a blanket or a towel. It is o.k to keep them away from mom at night. keep them warm!!after about 3 to 4 days I increase the amount of milk to aprox. 8 oz 4 times a day At 1 week i feed 8 to 10oz warmed milk 4 times a day. offer grain as well. At 3 to 4 weeks I feed I feed 10 oz 3 times a day 7a.m. 2 p.m. 9 p.m. grain in the morning and offer hay and brush. by 3 months move to 2 times a day. then 1 time a day to wean good luck, be patient the babies will love you. Penny

-- penny lillis (diamondlranch@charter.net), April 15, 2004.

if you have any difficulty feeding by bottle and the baby is weak you can use a syringe but, be careful to only give a few drops so they don't get it in their lungs. Also I find a few squirts of the brand (goat drench) It's full of vitamins and a gret head start for babies

-- penny lillis (diamondlranch@charter.net), April 15, 2004.

My pygmy goat just had 2 baby does this morning and one of the babys has been drinking a lot but the other hasn't. The one that has been drinking a lot is very energetic but the other one isn't. We decided to just bottle feed the one baby so that it will get more energy but also because I plan on keeping it for a pet and would like it to be tame. I wanted to ask if it is ok to use the can of goat milk that is sold at the grocery store and should it be diluted with water? Also I don't know the schedule on how much to feed it. If anyone knows please let me know. Thank you

-- Bryan Knight (Guy082586@aol.com), April 15, 2004.

Do baby goats get stomatitis? We have a baby goat that had conjunctivitis that responded to Neosporing Eye drops but haven't had luck with the lower lip sores. Any thoughts? Thanks. Rodger

-- Rodger Orman (rodgero1@comcast.net), May 01, 2004.

Hi my name is Katheryn, We hav two babies that are doing great. They are on a replacer and each eat 4 time per day at 16 oz each, each feeding. They are 4 weeks old. When do I start feeding them. Do I use pellets or grain. They have alfalfa but do not seem interested. Plese give me some suggestions.

Thank you

-- Katheryn Elconin (Suntort@aol.com), May 08, 2004.

We just got 3 baby pygmy goats 2-3 days old - bucks. I cannot get them to take the bottle and am seriously concerned. This is my first time bottle feeding and would appreciate any suggestions.

-- Walter's Mommy (waltersquirrell@aol.com), May 09, 2004.

I responded to this, but it went to the top fourth post down. Sorry for the confusion. I have gone back to my old e-mail address.

Little bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebitfarm@itlnet.net), May 10, 2004.

This is actually a question I would like answered. I live in New Zealand and my brother rescued a little orphaned baby goat from the bush a week ago. I would like to know how to tell how old it is.It wont take a bottle. But yesterday I made porridge with bottled goats milk and oats and it has eaten some of that.It chews on plants but doesn't really seem to be eating much of them.I am worried about it not drinking much (it does drink some of the bath water!) Also does it need a treatment for lice/mites etc.What would be appropriate? It seems to have adapted well to being out of the wild but I need it to put on weight.

-- Becca (gazzabecca@nzoomail.com), May 21, 2004.