New baby goat.

[slickmike]

3 months ago I bought a pregnant pgymy goat 3 days ago she had 3 small babys. Two did not make it only one did. Very small but long legged. Can anyone help me on the feeding's. Im getting so many different ideas on how, when how much. But I was looking for exactly how much. So how much milk should i feed her and how often. The milk i am giving her is 1 gallon of whole cows milk, mixxed with 1 quart of canned goats milk. Any help would be great. Thanks to all for reading...

 

[Stacykins]

Quote:
I am not much help since I don't have my goats yet, but I really suggest posting on Backyard Herds , a sistersite to BYC. Lot's more people with goat experience over there.

 

[lilcritters]

Are you not letting the doe raise her? You can mix a good substitute by using one gallon of whole store bought cows milk, take 1 cup out and place back 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. I have raised goats and sheep on this mix! I feed 2-3 ounces of milk 3 or 4 times daily for a week or if i see the baby is needing more up the oz during the week as needed. IF this one is a smaller one of triplets it won't be eating much right now. You do not want to over feed will cause the runs. If this happens drop the milk back down. Slowly start adding more milk by 1/2 oz at a time every 3-4 days till you get to about 5-6 oz. I never go over 6 oz with my Pygmys. Drop down to twice daily feeding after 2 weeks. I start weaning at 6 weeks old IF and only IF they are eating grain and hay well. Sometimes it is 8 weeks before i wean. At 6 weeks start dropping the milke down by 1/2 oz till your down to about 3 oz at each 12 hour feeding. Then I do away with one of the feedings completely. Just make sure they babies are gaining weight and eating grain well. Each baby is different.


April

 

[weimanator]

you can also get powderd mix from tractor supply or southern states. works well if you only have a few but gets really costly when you have several. i had to raise 3 black angus calves (one mother died durin birth she was old and the other had twins and paid no mind to either one it was her first year) finally i found a cow willin to milk all 3 of em when they were around 150lbs. but ive always stayed away from the medicated ones, they seem to cause more runny poop. the clostrum that you first give them helps alot and long as they have the proper care and treatments they normally wont get sick. and try to keep the feedin natural as possible. they seems to be an issue with males when you bottle feed them and baby them, they will later try to test you and be dominant

 

[Chicky-dees]

Goat lady here - 100 head breeder of Boer goats.

Why isn't the nanny raising her own baby? If she is nursing her baby, then the mommy is who you need to feed - buy a bag of Purina Goat Pellet and feed the mom and offer it to junior.

Otherwise if you are feeding, baby goats at that age should be getting several ounces of goat milk replacer (from the feed store) fed in a bottle at several times a day. Goats are ruminants. They need to be all-day grazers so simulating this is a great start. If mommy is feeding the baby, let her do her thing. The baby will look like it never nurses much - maybe one or two sucks ever 5 minutes or so and then maybe some lengthy nursing and then two hours without. Mom and baby are taking care of each other just fine at this point - so don't let them fool you into thinking baby isn't getting much. I've bottle raised more goats than I can count. It is so much easier to let mom do the work, and just feed mom a good quality feed. Don't forget the dewormer and the CD&T vaccs!! Scour meds work well if the whole milk causes diarrhea. Diarrhea can also cause low blood sugar and weakness and dehydration. There's quite a lot of work in nursing baby goats - if mom is capable, then stand back and let her do all the dirty work. A good, medicated pelleted feed will do wonders for keeping them both healthy.