Lets talk about goats!

[FishMtFarm]

one am feeding are kicking my rear I am hoping I can stop feeding at night soon.

I wouldn't feed at night. Give the last bottle before you go to bed, and give their first bottle as soon as you get up. I usually did a 10 or 11pm bottle and then start at 6 am. I would also say increase the bottles to 6 to 8 ounces if they will take it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

one am feeding are kicking my rear I am hoping I can stop feeding at night soon.

Ahh okay

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I do 6oz already they would take more if I let them. However they both eatig grain and alfalfa and drinking water.

 

[FishMtFarm]

I do 6oz already they would take more if I let them. However they both eatig grain and alfalfa and drinking water.

The majority of their diets should be milk as the rumin is not developed yet to digest grain so I recommend 8 ounce bottles and not so much grain intake. At that age mine nibble but aren't really eating it yet.

 

[cassie]

The majority of their diets should be milk as the rumin is not developed yet to digest grain so I recommend 8 ounce bottles and not so much grain intake. At that age mine nibble but aren't really eating it yet.

Until the baby goat can digest the grain, it won't eat it. I fed my kids all the hay and grain they would eat until they were a few months old. By having it in front of them all the time they won't overeat. Since I was raising a lot of kids, mine just got fed milk twice a day. More frequent feedings would have been better but I just did not have the time. As I remember it was 20 oz. per feeding and they did fine on it. I have friends that feed their kids free choice cold milk and their kids do really well too. The kids on free choice milk grew faster than mine, but by the time they were adults there was no difference in size. Mine were full size goats, not minis.

 

[FishMtFarm]

Until the baby goat can digest the grain, it won't eat it. I fed my kids all the hay and grain they would eat until they were a few months old. By having it in front of them all the time they won't overeat. Since I was raising a lot of kids, mine just got fed milk twice a day. More frequent feedings would have been better but I just did not have the time. As I remember it was 20 oz. per feeding and they did fine on it.  I have friends that feed their kids free choice cold milk and their kids do really well too. The kids on free choice milk grew faster than mine, but by the time they were adults there was no difference in size. Mine were full size goats, not minis.

Actually that's not true, they will eat it. We did a necropsy for our internship in college of a few baby goats that had died and we had to identify what had killed them. We dissected the rumens on them and there were a couple that were 3 to 4 weeks. They indeed had grain in their rumen but that's not why these perished. They can be offered a little grain but if not fed enough milk and they are hungry, they will eat processed feed and some begin to prefer it over milk. Not all, but some will.

 

[TroyerGal]

Okay, i took little Jamie to the vet this morning... They lanced and drained the abscess. The vet is gonna test for CL but didn't seem concerned about it at ALL. he told me to separate the kid. So i am going to bottle feed him... How much should a nigerian dwarf kid drink per day at 4 weeks? Do you have any other advice for me? We are worried about infecting the other goats...

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Actually that's not true, they will eat it. We did a necropsy for our internship in college of a few baby goats that had died and we had to identify what had killed them. We dissected the rumens on them and there were a couple that were 3 to 4 weeks. They indeed had grain in their rumen but that's not why these perished. They can be offered a little grain but if not fed enough milk and they are hungry, they will eat processed feed and some begin to prefer it over milk. Not all, but some will.

mine do eat some but not much and I imagine they learn to eat from older goats when in a herd. Our oldest is two months old I keep thinking three he was born 1-23-17. He completely off milk and eats grains(two part barley, two part oat, one part sunflower, one part calf manna) and alfalfa (when he gets old enough I switch him to hay), hay. Now he eats alot and forages, the girls eat some but not nearly what he does and they mostly prefer milk I am sure if give the chance he would as well since he comes running when I feed the girls.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

OK I have three Nubians (full size) one buck(1-23-17) two does one (3-4-17) one (3-6-17). I keep doing research and from what I understand they are seasonal breeders. I have then all pen together. I would like to keep them that way. We could separate if we absolutely had to. But that means buying mor fencig and building another house for them. I am fine with that but would prefer not to as we do have limited space until we move. (Moving date not set) I and my Husband have seen him attempt mounting the girls so I am concerned about that. If we separate could it be temporary or would it have to be permanently? (I have not interest in getting a wether however would consider getting a another buck)

 

[moomoodiddy]

Many breeders separate until breeding season