Hey I've been talking about getting a bottle baby goat and keep hearing the world colostrum. What is this?
Colostrum is the first milk made by any mammal mother. It lasts for about 48 hours, and has different nutrients than later milk. More importantly, it has antibodies which the offspring can use to create immunity for themselves. Often called "liquid gold" by breeders.
It's good stuff! check out backyardherds.com I WUV IT! Post pic's when you get the lil buggers... What kind are you gonna get?
I want to get two pygmy bottle babies. If I get them, can I feed them regular milk you buy at the grocery store or do they need a special kind?
If you feed them cow's milk, they are not going to do well. You need to go to your local feed store and goat/lamb milk replacer. Goats are generally easy to tame, you may want to skip a bottle baby. Bottle feeding is a "cute concept" but, it not the easiest thing to do. It is VERY easy to over feed a baby lamb or goat. Enterotoxemia will kill them so quickly, you may never know they are sick until it is way too late.
Quote:I agree - if it is the first time you are raising a species of animal you probably want to start with an adult. Then you can always go from there - even breed your adults; watching babies grow with their mommas is awefully adorable also!
Yes if you bottle feed feed them whole cows milk or goats milk....replacer will starve them to death and most stores will sell you the wrong kind and its to high in protien and they need milk to curdle in the tummy for any benefit and grow. I dont use replacer as I used it the first yr and talk about the cronic scours...not good and lots of problems. Whole cows milk or goat is best...Colostrum is the first milk out of the udder and it thick and sticky and very sweet...got immunities in it and without it they dont thrive well at all.