2 week old goat question

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The diarrhea is probably from being taken off mom and put on formula, but it probably wouldn't hurt to get a fecal done. I don't think it would be from the hay.

I have to think the breeder was mistaken, if she's 1.5 years old and her kid is 6 months, she would have been 2 months old the first time she was bred, and would have been bred right after kidding!
 
Sorry I have been busy with my little girl. Someone from an area swap heard about my problem and called Monday night and suggested that I put her on whole milk and water. I also emailed a goat farm that I googled and they suggested that replacer is probably what is giving her the runs. So I tried the milk/water solution and she loves it. In fact this morning she drank 5 oz. Much happier little girl the pass few days. She is still eating some hay off and on.

My next question would be when do you start to introduce pellets or sweet feed to her? at what age? And should I start thinking about maybe needing a fourth goat so the other two since they are mother/son will not be mean to her when she is old enough to go out to the goat pen/house?

Again a big Thank You to everyone for your help. God Bless!
 
Sounds like you got it figured out- I worked on a farm for six years, and we always had lambs and kids on bottles, feeding them was one of my favorite things to do. Once they take to the bottle, they know when they see you coming with it! I also found that baby goats who were being bottle raised through no fault of their own (such as the mother died, or was unable to care for it), they often weaned themselves. One day, just decided not to take a bottle. If you get to that point and they are eating grain, then so be it. It was the babies who were bottle raised because the mother rejected them, often because they were sickly or the runt of a set of twins/triplets, who would take a bottle forever if you let them.
 
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if she will drink from a bowl , feed her from a bowl. you have to be patient giving them a bottle. she will figure it out . An ounce is not enough, you are heading for trouble. spend as much time with her as possible in the beginning weeks. i give mine vegitation too. just like a baby, put it in her mouth. good luck:thumbsup
 
Sounds like you've got her on the right track now! I also use whole milk, never replacer.

You can start offering grain, hay, and water now, she'll pick around at it, and slowly take more as she gets older. If she was w/ her mom before you got her she had probably already sort of has the idea.
 
I just picked up my 2 week old Nigerian Dwarf goats this morning and am having the same issue with neither of them taking the bottle. I have to put my finger in their mouth and pry it open and then fight to keep the nipple in their mouth. They are very skittish right now, in a new home with no other goats and they are used to 10 other goats and their momma. It is very hard for me to corner them to catch them to feed them which I am sure doesn't help trying to feed them. Any suggestions?



 
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I use three quarts of whole milk plus a quart of cream to make a formula that is closer to goat milk, and they do much better than on replacer. If you keep them in a small pen for a while, they will be much easier to catch. Try different nipples, human baby nipples or, there is a red nipple with a yellow plastic screw on that fits soda bottles. After a day or two, they generally get the idea. You should bottle feed until they are at least 8 weeks. They will drive you crazy following you around.
 

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