At what age do you wean goats???

[gumpsgirl]

I am curious as to what age goats are supposed to be weaned from their momma's. We have two 6 week old goats (just found out their age today) and I'm not certain that they are supposed to be away from their momma yet. I had no idea they were that young when I bought them a week ago. They are doing great and eating lots, so I guess they will be fine. I am just a bit frustrated that they sold them to me so young.

At the time I bought them, they couldn't exactly remember how old they were and said that they would get back to me on it.

 

[Stacykins]

How do you wean the babies from momma but keep her milk supply for milking?

You should have definitely made a new threat...the last post here was in 2008. Reviving ancient threads with new questions is rather poor forum etiquette, and gives me the opportunity to use this:



ANYWAY. How old are the kids? If they are 8-12 weeks, you could totally wean them. But if they are younger than that, they still need their mother.

I start separating the kids from their mother at night around 3-4 weeks, so I can milk her in the morning. In the morning, I milk her out, then the kids get her for the rest of the day. When I want to wean completely when they are old enough, they just don't go back with their mother one day. They are separated completely into a different pen. BUT they are eating hay and grain with gusto by then, and know how to drink water from a trough/bucket as well. I do not pull them away unless they can do fine without her.

I did have a doe and kid who were rather...tenacious. After the kid was separated for a complete month, she went right back to nursing when she was put back with her mother (I was milking the doe, so she was obviously producing). I had to use a Udder Support Harness. It wasn't to support a sagging udder, It denied the kid access to the udder. Just make sure there is nothing the straps can catch on in your fenced in areas.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Thank you for the encouragement! I had no idea when I bought them. We do love them though and I believe that their circumstances here are much better than they were where they came from. Here's a pic of our babies!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
They eat TONS of feed, grass, and some timothy hay. I just feel bad that we took them away from their momma so early. At least they do have a good home here and are very loved!

 

[joni1986]

They haven't been born yet just wanting to know as much as I can and have no idea how to start a new thread sorry

 

[cassie]

Most people wean their kids at about eight weeks of age. A kid that has been nursing on its mother may flat out refuse to take a bottle. Offer your kid hay and grain. If it eats that it will be OK.

 

[cassie]

He wouldn't drink it. Once a kid decides it doesn't want milk, it doesn't want milk. You can mix a little dry powdered milk or replacer in the grain if you want.

 

[H Diamond]

So sorry about your momma It's never easy to lose one!

As for your babies, it's not the end of the world. Are you planning to keep them or will they be sold?
Either way, put them on a good quality hay. Leave them the browse. Put out a GOAT quality mineral (can be a cattle mineral, just no SHEEP minerals) free choice. If they were mine, I would also slowly put them on a goat grower type pellet as well. Just for the added calories/nutrition. They make pelleted milk replacer that some folks use that the kids will eat. You can add powdered or flaked milk replacer to their grain also, but I'm just not a real big fan of replacers unless absolutely necessary. At this age, it will be a fight and good chance they will never take a bottle. Just make sure you give them all the nutrition they need to replace that good momma milk, and your babies will be ok.

 

[rlshepard]

Thanks! We are keeping them. did some looking around for the milk pellets but there doesn't appear to be any in the area. Got some starter pellets that are supposed to show up tomorrow. the feed guy had to order them. He suggested making a mash outta the pellets and replacer. They already have a block and they are browsing well....

I guess the biggest battle I'll have is keeping them outta the chicken feed... Might have to split up the goat yard and chicken yard

 

[SilkieSmoooth]

Goats do just fine being weaned at 6 weeks as long as they are eating grass or hay. Just because they sold them young does not mean they are not good goat owners. Maybe they are , maybe they are not. But it is just as much the buyers fault for buying them without their research as it is the previous owners. I have goats and take very good care of all my goats. In my opinion, and solely my opinion based on my own experience, and not what I read from the internet. I sell my goats around 8 weeks, but would let them go at 6, if some goatlings are going together. The longer they stay with their moms and the herd, the harder it is on them when they are sold. The younger they are sold the more likely they will bond with their new owners and new goat family. It is hard to let them go at any age, but that is the way it is. And if people did not breed and sell animals then no one would have the experience and happiness that they bring. Saying they misused them because they were sold young is an opinion that may have been based on incomplete information. The goats that I keep and allow the mother to wean on her own often nurse until they are almost a year, of course they eat grass and hay throughout, but they are still nursing.