Milk replacer vs. whole cow's milk

[Cheekygreek]

We are getting two Nigerian dwarf goats in the next couple of days that will need to be bottle fed. We don't have access to goat's milk so we need to use something else. There is SO much controversy over goat milk replacer vs cow's milk. I'm so confused and frustrated and don't know which one to use and how many ounces to feed them at a time (there's mixed information about that too). Sometimes the Internet is a huge burden of information overload!

 

[H Diamond]

Well, this is my opinion.. I've used both - replacer and whole cow milk from the store. I've never had anything but problems with the replacer. Kids seem to take to the cow milk more quickly than the replacer also. Then you have the mixing... easier to just pour from a jug. When I was using it, the replacer was much more expensive also.
If you do use a replacer, use a GOAT replacer, not a cow, not a sheep, not a multi-species.. GOAT replacer. Boil the water before mixing as it keeps the scours away.

This is a great resource for instructions on feeding the little ones. If you scroll down the page, past the section on nipples to the Guidelines section, it gives you good info how much to feed. The amount you will need for your Nigies is in [ ] brackets after the number of ounces for full sized kids. It also gives you instructions on how to adjust the amounts if needed.
http://goat-link.com/content/view/94/76/#.VSqGTZMTveY