Please don't make blanket statements. I have raised plenty of goat kids on milk replacer. Not a single one had a problem. I cannot be the only person who can feed milk replacer to goats successfully. I highly doubt companies would make a product designed to kill. It is all in the manner of how it is fed.
No, it's not designed to kill, just until very recently, it was not designed for goats!! It is only in the last decade that goats have begun to become commercially viable enough for companies to formulate things especially for them. Even now, most medications are off-label for use in goats.
I'm glad you've had a good experience, but all that means is that you have good, really-truly-made-for-goats, milk-based replacer available. Not everyone does.
If something says "sheep and goat", it is made for sheep, not goats. Some goats can squeak by on it, but many can't.
If it is any kind of general replacer, odds are good goats can't have it. There is a really, really good reason that goat's milk used to be known as food for "invalids" and is to this day sought out for orphans of all types - it is the easiest to digest milk around. When something evolved to digest the easiest-to-digest thing out there, it stands to reason that that will be a bit hard to replace.
Luckily, homogenized whole milk from the store not only does the trick, but it's a pretty safe bet that anyone can get it very easily, so that's the go-to for raising baby goats.
Personally, I have found that my bottle raised babies are all bigger, stronger and healthier than those I let their dams raise. I think it's because no matter what, they are getting X amount every day - there's no moody mommy, funky weather or bullying sibling that will change that. It's also ridiculously easy to give them any meds or supplements on schedule.
