how much milk to feed a baby goat

Kids need milk for a minimum of two months, or in the case of my Nigerian dwarf kids, until they weigh at least 20 pounds, which is about 1/4 to 1/3 of their adult weight. Or you may be forced to bottle-feed because for one reason or another the dam cant or wont let the kids nurse or a kid is too weak or compromised to nurse. Growing kids can have alfalfa, but once wethers are done with their fast growing, they dont need the calcium and protein in alfalfa, so they should be switched to grass hay around the time they hit 30 pounds. We got our hands on some goats milk and started feeding them that, however, one of the goats has developed scours. Should I be using milk-replacer as well? Corid kills coccidia by depleting their thiamine, so if youre giving B vitamins while using Corid, youre counter-acting the effect. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/. Thanks for all the information. Well, it turned into her walking around the pen while I was trying to milk her and me crawling around on my knees. I had a fecal done a d it came back positive for coccidia. The vet said that should solve the problem and sent us home. It is just meant to be a supplement used to fatten up livestock. They are so adorable and cuddly! Help! I have a 23 day Nigerian Dwarf. If she does reject him, she should be very cooperative about being milked because a full udder is very uncomfortable, so shell be happy to let you milk her. No doubt there will be lots of screaming. but i havent quite gotten very far. Im guessing this slipped through the cracks at the vet office. I have tried looking this up so many times and I am not finding much of anything! We are concerned about this little guy. She should have been close to 10 pounds by that time. What do I do? Is this too much milk or too little? For this last choice, it is important to be sure its kid colostrum replacer and not calf or lamb replacer as the nutrient needs are different for different species. A strong kid will generally be hungry and start sucking enthusiastically. The kids get the rest. When hes a little older he will appreciate a larger hole because the milk will flow faster, but initially they can choke on the milk if its flowing too fast when theyre learning. For the first few days, moms do stand there for a crazy long time while the kids are learning to nurse. I would not attempt to give more than about 10 ounces per bottle. I agree you should leave them together even if you decide to start bottle-feeding. Im still milking the mama really good at night and then just enough to relieve the pressure in the morning. Lucy only took to one of her babies and left the other two. We brought home two 5 week old bucklings on Sunday. I expect my kids to be 5+ pounds at one week of age unless theyre 2 pounds or less at birth. The 5% is merely for survival, which is not ideal. He also hasnt drank as much today as normal. It takes three weeks for the coccidia to go through their life cycle and cause coccidiosis. If they care, they will say yes and help you. I am very concerned that they are not eating much. So theyre born into a pile of poop and get it in their mouth and theyre infected. Tammy. I did want to get some advice- I have nigerian quads born yesterday morning. It was confirmed that they both had coccidia, and we are on day 3 of Albon treatment. 5) Faith- the little girl. Coccidia are also very opportunistic, meaning that they thrive in bodies of goats that are already sick with something else. Hopefully this worked out for you. If this kid was born into conditions where she could get infected with coccidia that day, who knows what else she got infected with. Shes making up for lost time right now, but still try to stick to about 11 ounces. Check their mouth every 15 minutes until it feels warm, then work on the things I mentioned about getting the colostrum into them. Wow! My neighbor is a vet and had goat colostrum so thankfully it survived. In other words, its probably not going to work. Later last night his temp was 103.1 and this morning 102.9 (He is on whole cows milk. Ok to start bottle feeding and keeping them outside in a shelter? Im pretty sure they are from two separate moms. If they are getting diarrhea earlier than 3 weeks, then it could be something bacterial. *A mix of Goat & Whole Cow's Milk is acceptable if goat milk is not accessible during the full 3 months* During week 2, offer grass hay, mineral & water. Could the mom have gotten pregnant 2 different times? The more often you try, the faster he will learn. You should have hay available for them, although dont expect them to eat much at all. I should also add that if your does had such small, weak kids that they probably have some nutritional deficiencies that need to be corrected. Its not clear how long ago you got started, but anything less than a week ago, and youre doing great! I just created this video three days ago about this very topic. So the raw goats milk is pretty expensive at the local grocer at $10 for 1/2 gallon. Ive supplemented dozens of babies with other mamas milk, and Ive never had a doe reject a kid that she was bonded to. You can use a kitchen scale or a hanging scale to weigh her. This closely mimics the stance the kid goat would take while nursing the doe. And I would not worry about a random one a little bit above 103 as long as the goat seems otherwise fine. She cant seem to take more then an ounce at a time either. , second born, and she left him for dead. You really need to be using a Pritchard teat so that you can squeeze the bottle and at least get the milk into them, even if it is drop by drop. Any advice is welcome! Ive been bottle feeding them for almost 2 weeks. One year we had a ewe lamb with twins, and I saw another ewe in the pasture with her and thought nothing of it. He doesnt like the bottle at all. Many years ago we wound up with a doe that was only producing on one side by the time the kid was a week old because we didnt realize he was only nursing on one side. I have a 1 wk old Nigerian dwarf who will not take to a bottle. If she is still alive at a week of age, obviously her plumbing is put together correctly, so you have nothing to worry about. If you are concerned about them getting enough, Id suggest weighing them so that you know theyre fine. This is why I prefer the Pritchard teat. Her poop should be solid. If it looks like you squirted mustard all over their back end, then youre giving them too much in one bottle. What should she be drinking and what should I do about mom. If you dont have fresh goat milk for bottle-feeding baby goats, then your choices are goat milk replacer or another species of milk. Llama/Alpaca Feed Shop All. It has nothing to do with them having milk from a bottle. (I live in Ga). Our supply is running low. I have just bought a two month old billy. I tried testing her to see if she was giving any milk and got nothing . Did bloodwork (everything was normal) and another fecal. Im transitioning him to whole cows milk. They just get diarrhea, which looks like someone squirted mustard all over their back end, but they seem totally fine otherwise. The feeding schedule the breeder gave us caused severe diarrhea. He almost froze twice with his mother. If she is a second freshener, Id be weighing the kids every day to be sure they are all gaining about the same. I mix up whole milk, evaporated milk, and buttermilk. I though he might be constipated so I called the vet. They couldnt stand, and were very weak. I was able to save the little weak one and shes doing awesome. Do you reccomend to keep bottle feeding them whole milk for the doeling? Hopefully your babies are taking more milk now. Stories like this make me so sad. Is this normal? They are two almost three days old and are eating about 1-3 oz every few hours is that okay? Were very concerned about her and were trying to make sure she has a shot, I will say she is doing so much better than she was doing in just the few days weve been caring for her. this may be a hefty one. It isnt. There isnt anything you can do to make them eat. If you have them in an open area where the kids can run away, they should be fine. Were also doing probios. Is this normal or should I call the vet? I know its the water. Hi! Today he has eaten very little and doesnt have much energy. I have seen goat milk replacer recipes but the advice I get from my veterinarian and goat mentors is that whole cow milk from the grocery store is more adequate and appropriate in the event that I dont have, or dont want to use, powdered replacers. I didnt know i shoukd NOT bottle feed my baby goathe has had two weeks of bad diarhea , and didnt give him milk so I gave him water and gaideraid, then we changed to homo milk and 2 days later all better But I have still been giving him lots of water in a bottle and his urine is red today for the first time. Thank you. Since he has had zero exposure to anything, he should be fine. It's rich in antibodies that protect the foal from infection until their immune system fully develops. He was on mama until today. And while they are learning, you are getting some milk into them, even if it is a few drops at a time. I am currently bottlefeeding two male pygmy goats that are both seven days old. Do not substitute any type of homemade replacer at this stage and dont try to get by with regular whole milk. I have two bottle kids and they are a month old. So iam thinking it may be best to make the 5 day old a bottle baby how often should i feed her and how do i get her to take the bottle. Weve used both with equal success through the years. Over the next couple of days, the girl and then one of the boys died. Any feedback is so greatly appreciated. Work with your veterinarian for testing. Ive got a timing question, and am hoping it wasnt addressed in the comments I tried to review them to see if any of them answered my question, but couldnt find it. She was doing a good job cleaning them up but was taking too long (she delivered in 20 degree temps and outside the pen we had for her). He took 2pz of colostrum like it was candy. Thank you. Just dont give more than about 11 ounces. Any help on whats wrong and if I should keep it a bottle baby?? At about 2 months of age, babies usually take 4 to 5 ounces per feeding every 3 to 4 hours. When you look at the manufacturer directions, it looks like someone at your vets office just got all of the numbers mixed up. Is there anything else I should be doing ? I can switch the girl to a bottle, but want her to still be around her mom and brother. If the baby is too weak to suck, you may need to feed a few drops at a time through a medicine dropper (be careful not to put too much on its tongue or in the side of its cheek at once or it could go down the wrong tube and into the lungs). If her udder does wind up with edema, which is pretty rare, you can put hot compresses on it while you milk. Would I picture help identify what breed goat they are? What does your feed curve look like? When we found the babies they may not have been fed for 2-3 days. Baby has been inside since, she cannot keep a good temp outside. Coccidiosis is caused by coccidia, so no worries on milk causing that problem. We got him from a petting zoo that says he has been bottle fed. But plenty of does have these things happen and bond just fine with the kids. You didnt say what dosage of Corid you used, but a two week treatment is a preventative, which is at a lower dose. So she should be getting a daily total of 8-16 ounces of Does Milk replacement?? Im really curious what you have because a mountain goat is not a goat. Ellen Dorsey of Dills A Little Goat Farm in Chelsea, OK, has raised Nubians and Alpines and says, Ill give them a 1-liter bottle, which is around 38 ounces, three times a day and then gradually reduce the middle bottle once they start eating hay and grain. Some kids just do not have the personality to fight for those two teats, and they dont mind waiting for the bottle. It doesnt matter whose milk theyre consuming. Is putting a small container of water in pen fine or bottle feed some water for first week? All are drinking milk replacer now. The diarrhea will be very short lived only once or twice, then done. There is no substitute for persistence and patience on your part and practice for her. You also have to worry about losing the tiny ball bearing. That kid is unusually small for one month. You can stick them under her and brush their lips against her teat. Ive also had babies that just needed to wake up a bit in order to get the sucking response going, and I find that using a supplement like Nutri-Drench or some Caro syrup or even coffee, rubbed on their gums, is often enough to give them a little energy boost and get them eating. We bought a Nigerian Dwarf from a friend of a friend and they said shes a week old, not exactly sure on weight but I think like 3lbs? This does not mean that they are rejecting them. When you thaw it, it will have tiny chunkies in it, but you make it smoother by shaking it or putting it in a blender. I have two four month old Nigerian dwarf goat wethers. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/what-do-goats-eat-it-depends/, It sounds like you may have her in the house, which is not a good idea. Does he need to be dewormed? Of two remaining babies one still had horrible diarrhea and is skinny the other is plump but has days where he wont take bottle and doesnt want to move then he gets better and worst again. Then this morning one of the two that got better just wouldnt move and was super weak couldnt take his lunch bottle even though he was fine for breakfast bottle . . Today she weighs 3.92 lbs. It has been so informative:). 5 oz ..each feeding each kid .so that is 20 oz each kid per day ..is that too much.. too little .. There are a few reasons for that, but one that is at the top of the list of why people can tolerate goat's milk when they can't tolerate cow's milk is because goat's milk is naturally A2/A2 milk protein. Help! Do you know how many goats this vet sees? My kid is 6 weeks old and I have to force him to bottle feed. I just realized you wrote this three days ago. Should it be one way or the other? Should I keep milking? The idea has been to give Dotties milk to the boy -(Rocky) so Dottie would take to him and she would smell her scent on him so she would let him feed. More liquid just makes them pee more. Milk has lots of other important nutrients. I appreciate any advice. In any case, MannaPro has the smallest bag of minerals available, so you can get that for now. Once the kid is born, it's really up to you to make sure it gets off to a good start. Ive been giving it in the order that I milked her, but I have over 12 quarts stored up. Goats need milk for at least 8 weeks minimum. Blessings, At this point, she has to make up for lost time. Now its two weeks old but weve had it in the house with us it it is the cutest thing, we take it to use the bathroom outside and it totally does but Im worried about socializing it with other goats. at 9 days old. But as the disorder progresses . we have been feeding colostrum powder to her every 2-3 hours; or trying anyways. 1 gallon whole milk Often by this time her enthusiasm has waned and we struggle to get her to eat any more. As she gets used to the bottle, shell take more each time, so you wont have to feed as often to get enough milk into her. Shes using the bathroom normal, her feces are normal, she does have clubbed feet so she does have a hard time getting around and we have splinted her, and changed the splints daily, and do gentle stretches, i know that when there are multiples they dont have as much room to move in the womb. We switched them to whole cows milk. I will read your other post as well. I really hate to put him down if there is any chance for him. Are they getting anything other than milk? What antibiotic did the vet give you and when? Want to learn more on how to raise your baby goats? If its warm and they suck on your finger, then they are fine to nurse. It would need to have half that amount in the first six hours, which would be 2.4 ounces. I really appreciate it! Ive got a 10 week old Alpine mix (I think) rescue and Ive been bottle feeding him store-bought goat milk since he was two weeks old. Thank you so much. One of the girls is timid and is becoming more nervous after each attempt to feed. I hope you have other goats or are planning to get more because goats are herd animals and need another goat friend to be happy and healthy. They do not get worms from other goats. She needs at last 10% of her body weight minimum daily. Oddly they have taken to it pretty well and are improving but I am very new to this and dont know how much to give them. Hi, is it true that a kids rumen will develop better if moms milk is limited to him? He does still try to nurse off mom and sometimes if she is distracted enough she will let him. Do I need to be feeding her any kind of grower pellets? Im going to miss him when hes outside full time. However, there is no need to give him water in a bottle. When calculating, remember to convert pounds to ounces. We use a digital kitchen scale with a box on it to weigh kids. I check on the goats every couple days and I didnt see the mother and babies the time before when I came down. It doesnt matter if its in 7 bottles or 4 or 5 just whatever works to get the total amount of milk into her. A few days after the diarrhea is gone, you can offer a handful of grain a day, but thats optional until theyre at least 10-12 pounds. How long does it usually take for a baby goat to become established with the bottle? In the mid 20s at night. You can pry their mouth open, stick the teat in, close the mouth on the teat and hold it closed until the kids start suckling. Her udder is swollen but no milk!! If the kid wants more, thats fine. If she gets diarrhea from too much milk, it is not a big deal at all. Is it too soon to take them from her ? I hope you feel better!! 1 cup buttermilk. He sucks 4 or 5 times and then lets go. Be prepared for her to be very upset because you are the only mama shes ever known. They all got moms milk to start with. I have a 8 day old and a 12 day old. as for now im just going to continue to try and get as much into her as i can, and keep her inside the house, warm. I missed the birth by seconds:(. Thats disappointing that the vet didnt suggest milking mom to get colostrum for the baby or that they didnt suggest you leave the baby so it can nurse. Also, Ive read a website that said to introduce alfalfa at a week and another site said to introduce grain at a week. It kind of depends on which genetics are really coming through. Giving them a CDT at only two weeks simply is not effective. A doe may have more kids than she can feed. Right now, Charlotte is about 5 1/2 weeks and getting a bottle three times a day. So when I go from 3 bottles a day at about 11 ounces each down to two bottles a day, they are still 11 ounce each. Most kids this age even Nigerians and pygmies are consuming 32 ounces per day. Posted on March 16, 2022 by HappyChicken Learning how to milk a goat is not a difficult process. It doesnt sound like this vet has ever raised goats. No. *e.g., a 4-lb kid would need 0.4 lbs of colostrum, or about 6.5 oz (0.4 lbs x 16 oz/lb) The amount of milk a baby goat should drink a day will depends on the age. Dam-raised kids are nibbling at the feed with their mom when they are just a few days old. In those cases, we just take the kid away from mom and exclusively bottle-feed it because it obviously cant go back and forth between mom and a bottle. The mom delivered with assistance a breech stillborn, then the baby we have now. Mothers milk is definitely best, but if you cant milk her, you can use whole cow milk from the store or goat milk replacer. There is NOTHING that has the concentrated protein and calcium that kids need to grow like milk does. She was extremely weak when born, and we had brought her inside to feed with a syringe/ bottle until she could stand upabout a day 1/2. Please remove the diaper. It would need to have half that amount in the first six hours, which would be 1.6 ounces. Shes pretty attentive with cleaning him and keeping an eye on him even though I havent been able to get him to nurse. We just adopted 2, 1 month old bottle baby Nigerian Dwarfs. Leave him with her and watch for at least 10 minutes to see if he really latches on and nurses well. I have frozen goats milk from the previous year. Thank you! Baby goats are either mother-raised or bottle fed, and it's important to know which yours is. What is the ratio for determining getting enough milk for this breed? Just keep trying. A few kids may drink milk from a bowl, but thats also pretty rare. Three feedings a day of 3 ounces? . Hes stonger, hungry and can be with the others until feeding. Thrifty Homesteader is about creating a more sustainable life, but what exactly does that mean? If the kids are really weak, they could probably benefit from a shot of BoSe, which is by prescription only. HELP !!! Its not unusual to have no clue which lambs belong to which ewes. Do you have any advice on what could be going wrong with her? I am worried he will become dehydrated. Anemia is caused only by barber pole worm or coccidia. Yes, they act like you are trying to poison them, but you have to keep trying. This is her 2nd freshening but the farm I bought her from bottle raises all kids so she has never raised her own. We waited two days and tried to bottle feed again and he got diarrhea again. Prices per bale vary from $5 to $20 (up to $35 in Hawaii), depending on location, season, and if anything such as flooding happened to compromise a crop. Its going to be very difficult at this point because she thinks youre her mom. And I can also feel teeth coming in when she is sucking on my fingers. You need to be out there with a towel and a blow dryer. For the little girl- (Faith) we have been giving her Lucys milk so Lucy would take her in. If its not getting that, its burning internal fat stores, and once those stores are gone, the kid will be dead. The 1.5lb doeling isnt able to compete with the other two and isnt getting enough to eat. Thats what makes colostrum liquid gold. Some people refer to milk as white blood because its very similar to blood in some ways, such as having antibodies.

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