Help Bottle Feeding a Baby Goat

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

In my quest to find a new friend for my recently-adopted Nigerian Dwarf Goat Hillary, i got a Nigerian Dwarf wether her same age, and then couldn't resist the baby this woman was offering. So now i have a 5 day old doeling and trying to bottle feed. i'm using pasturized goat milk from the store. i tried using a pritchard nipple with a water bottle, but it was leaking all over. So now using one of those small bottles you buy for orphaned kittens.

She drank from her mom this morning. But so far today i have only managed to get like one ounce down her (although most of it seemed to go on her face). Worried about her not getting enough nutrition. Will she drink when she gets hungry? How can i encourage her?

Is the goat milk the best thing? Or, i read on one site about a mixture of milk, evap milk, and buttermilk - has anyone tried that? i have Goat Nutri-Drench being overnighted from Jeffers, since no feed stores around here carry it. Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[Evermore Ranch]

we bottle raise ours on half and half does a great job! we also use a playtex bottle with the bags. I start off With the slow nipples and within about a week of them getting the hang of it I up it to the fast flow.

 

[Chirpy]

Well, I'm sorry but we cannot possibly help you without seeing pictures (hint, hint and just kidding - well, we do want to see pictures!

)

Just regular whole cows milk from the store will be fine for her.

It sounds like she has been nursing for five days and you are now trying to bottle feed her? I have no experience with that but have heard many times that it can be almost impossible to teach a kid to switch from momma to a bottle after a couple of days. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in and give you good ideas and help.

Good luck!

 

[lilhill]

If she was on the dam before you got her, you can get her to take a bottle, but you've got a fight on your hands and you have to be prepared to win it. I just use Vitamin D milk from the grocery store and supplement with PolyVisol baby vitamins with Iron. If you stay with it, she'll eventually get the hint. Warm the milk to about 102 degrees. You might even have to syringe feed her to get more down her, but use the bottle, too. And yes, you will get almost as much milk on you as you do in her. Good luck!

 

[helmstead]

It's not impossible, but it does take time and towels, LOL.

First off the nipple you're trying to use is way too tiny. Go to the grocery and get human baby bottles. You'll have to increase the orifice with a small x.

Use regular, whole fat cow's milk or half and half. Either is fine. I use half and half when I feel the kid needs the extra fat.

Take your time, sit down with the kid in your lap (on towels, have hand towels ready too). Stimulate the roof of the mouth with your pinky while you gently insert the bottle. They'll get it, but they have to be hungry!

Also make sure the milk is 102. Too cold, forget it, they don't want it...same with too hot.

 

[NancyDz]

hehehe airheart.. looks like you are addicted to goats now?? I saw a Pygora baby on craigslist and thought for sure you might snag her... sounded too cute! LOL

Good luck with your babies... i know nothing about bottle feeding but it looks like you got lots of info being shared with you here!


Nancy

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Yes, i am now officially addicted to goats.

And i'm glad to hear that "covered in milk" is normal. Maybe i should go back to that Pritchard nipple until i can get to the store and buy a regular baby bottle.

Here she is in her pen:

and here she is starting to explore our living room:

i was a little worried when my cats came up to sniff and investigate her. But she reared up on her tiny haunches and charged them. It was one of the funniest things i've ever seen. So now they're all afraid of her, which is probably good.

And, here is our new goat Hillary, and the new companion we got for her. When we first put Billy in with her, she reared up tall and slammed her head into his. He cowered from her for a couple hours. Then after a while it seemed more like a game. Their favorite thing is to stand in the two chairs and put their heads together, like a mock-bunt. i never knew goats could be so entertaining!

 

[NancyDz]

Awwwww very cute... all of them!

 

[helmstead]

Really neat color on the one on the right...

 

[Chatychick]

The can goats milk is awful...Mine wont drink it either and I only got some years ago. Yep whole cows milk or with half/half works wonderfully as that is what I have used when I didnt have any goats milk. The pritchard nipple is kinda tricky with bottles as some dont have a long enough thread. I use a Sunkist bottle with lost of threads or a human baby bottle for Nigis. Nutridrench will give her the trots as it has molasses in it. Get baby vitamins and only give once a day ...got to watch tehm as some have too much iron and will plug them up.
Make sure the milk is warm enough and yes you will have a fight on your hands since she was on her mom for a week. I lost a doe last year and her babies were 2 weeks old and it took me 2 days to get the little doe to take a bottle, the buckling was easier for some reason. Now she has her own baby and I milk her also...She is my little sweety as she is part Alpine.
Lots of patience and towels but when she gets hungry enough she will take to it...Some are more stubborn than others and yes they are very addictive. I am feeding 7 bottle babies right now ...they can become little pirhannas....sharp teeth and hooves...lol...
Very pretty babies you got there too...CONGRATS!