Bottle Babies?

[muscovy94]

Hey everyone I am wanting to get some goats and was wondering if anyone on here has ever gotten bottle babies? Because I'm wanting to get them young and bottle feed them. Are they hard to feed? How many times a day do you feed them?

 

[azelgin]

It has been many years ago, but we started our sheep days with bummer lambs. I don't remember how often we bottle fed, but I know we never slept a full night without getting up to give a bottle to a hungry lamb. It sure is easier when mama does the feeding. The definitely grow faster and have fewer health problems too.

 

[Chatychick]

If you get them make sure they are taking a bottle well as its a challenge to get them on a bottle if they have been on momma a while. It can be done but is alot harder. When my doe died last year it took 2 days to get the doeling to finally take a bottle with me trying 4 to 5 times a day...Yes and if you do get some feed them either goats or whole cows milk.

 

[Haviris]

Buy one that is already on a bottle, it is not a good idea to buy one that has been on it's mom and put it on a bottle, especially if it's over a week old (and you are inexperienced).

Bottle babies are a big committment, and very time consuming. Depending on the kid's age you will probably be feeding 3-5 bottles aday, although you do not need to feed them through the night (sometimes you do w/ a weak newborn, but I would assume you'd get one past that). Up to 2 weeks I generally feed 5 times aday, then depending on the kid if they are ready I push them back to 4 times, and keep them there until 8 weeks. Then 3 times until 12 weeks, then start weaning. Although alot of people seem to get bottle burn out after about 6 weeks, so I recommend getting one that is 4-6 weeks old already.

I'm feeding 4 right now, the oldest three will be here til they are weaned, they younger one is going to his new home at 6 weeks.

 

[rooster0209]

I just started bottle feeding two lambs. This article has a lot of great information for beginners. I am using the self feeding method and so far, its going good. I bought a 3-nipple bucket for $19. You can buy the nipple seperate and cut holes in a bucket yourself.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/sheep/410-023/410-023.html

 

[Indiana hens]

Do not buy day-old goats at auction! Make sure they have had colostrum. Like a baby they start feeding a little at a time many times and work to 2-3 times a day. If keeping indoors diapers are a must! Here is a picture of our kittens. Unfortunately her mother did not make it through delivery. We had colostrum already from another goat. She is a favorite around here.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I've gotten a few bottle goats. The easiest ones to feed were the ones that never nursed on mother ever. They just milked out the colustrum and gave it to them from a bottle. The hardest ones to get on the bottle were the week old ones that they had just taken off mama that morning to bring to the auction. Make sure they are healthy and have gotten colustrum. If you are new to it I would start with a goat already on a bottle and doing good on it.