Help with bottle Pygmy goats.

[PinupMomma]

We just got go three 10 day old kids yesterday. Breeder sent home enough goat milk to get through the night and we got kid milk replacer from duMor. Tried mixing milk and formula 1/2 and 1/2 but two of the kids won't eat unless we pry mouth off and put nipple in and then only 1-2 oz. they were eating 4 oz of goat milk and we did feed them at breeder. It's not been 24 hours so I'm probably just freaking out over nothing. They are still playing, jumping, curious, etc. Of course some diarrhea but I expected that with stress and switch of milk. Help! Oh yes, never had goats before, ha!

 

[Stacykins]

We just got go three 10 day old kids yesterday. Breeder sent home enough goat milk to get through the night and we got kid milk replacer from duMor. Tried mixing milk and formula 1/2 and 1/2 but two of the kids won't eat unless we pry mouth off and put nipple in and then only 1-2 oz. they were eating 4 oz of goat milk and we did feed them at breeder. It's not been 24 hours so I'm probably just freaking out over nothing. They are still playing, jumping, curious, etc. Of course some diarrhea but I expected that with stress and switch of milk. Help! Oh yes, never had goats before, ha!

Shouldn't have gotten the milk replacer. Milk replacer is actually one of the worst things for kids. It causes so many kids to scour (get diarrhea) and they do poorly on the diet (click this sentence, it has a link, btw), sometimes milk replacer can even kill kids. In lieu of real goat's milk, whole cows milk from the store works so much better than milk replacer.

Are you using the same nipples that the breeder was using? Are the kids warm when you are feeding them (without a thermometer, just feeling if their mouth is warm is a good indicator. If their mouth is cold, they're too cold to eat properly)? Is the milk at a proper temperature when you feed it?

 

[PinupMomma]

So like whole vitamin D Milk? Even tho it's been pasteurized? I'm using the silicone baby bottles that she recommended.

 

[Stacykins]

So like whole vitamin D Milk? Even tho it's been pasteurized? I'm using the silicone baby bottles that she recommended.

Nothing wrong with pasteurized to feed kids. The milk replacer you are using is pasteurized. So yes, whole vitamin D milk from the store. Must be whole milk, not 2%, skim, etc. Kids will thrive on the stuff.

So the breeder was using the exact same bottle nipples when you fed them with the breeder? Because if it was anything different, it will take time for the kids to get used to the new texture.

 

[PinupMomma]

I noticed she used silicone nipples. I didn't bottle feed my kids so I'm sort of clueless about this. Breeder said not to use multi-species formula, just goat milk formula. One of my guys has horrible runs right now, so switching to the whole milk will hopefully clear this up. We are currently under a heat lamp and letting them get nice a toasty and will try feeding again. Wish us luck!

 

[H Diamond]

If you're using the same nipple as the breeder was using (and these kids have been on the bottle right? You didn't pull them off mom? ) it's the formula. Kids hate switching to the milk replacer. They will transition over to whole milk a LOT faster than replacer. The scours are more than likely from the replacer switch, but if they don't clear up very quickly after switching to whole milk, there could be other factors at hand.
And I'm sure you know, but make sure they can get away from the heat if they want. Getting too hot can cause scours OR constipation.. kinda like baby chicks with pasty butt, lol.

 

[PinupMomma]

Got some whole milk and goat electrolytes. The boys are eating like champs now. They keep acting like they are starving but we have fed them. They are little finger suckers! Now if I can master the diaper on them would be fantastic! One walks on hind legs with diaper on, one houdinis right out of it and the other just lays down and Chills out.

 

[H Diamond]

Wonderful! Scroll down this page, you will find a feeding chart for kids. Pygmy is in [brackets] after the full size amount
http://goat-link.com/content/view/94/76/#.VT2IiJMTveY