I probably made a BIG Mistake!

GoatJunkie · #21 02/21/13, 02:59 PM

Out of the 18 bottle babies I raised last spring, two (sisters) never did the groove to bottle feed easily. Every feeding was a struggle to get them going until they weaned. One bit through more nipples than I could count. She did it fast, started to suck, then ground it with her molars. In one swipe the nipple was ruined. I'm just letting you know it could be worse!

Lots of good advice here. Hunger is a great motivator... stroking their back end like the Mamas do.... the temp is important... I pinned the difficult one(s) between my legs, facing away from me, forced the nipple into her mouth and squeezed the bottle at the same time to get things going, then covered her eyes with my hand, or reached under my leg to stroke her backside. Once she started nursing I just held the bottle, and could release the grip with my knees. Sixteen baby goats were a joy to feed. Two never were.

If the person who sold the buckling had only had good/easy experiences they probably thought they were telling you the truth. Color me an optomist, but I always give people the benefit of the doubt. In any event, you will have this experience as a tool in your "arsenal" for future successes. When I hear of babies having a hard time taking a bottle, I always feel confident that I could get things to work. When you have conquered this, you will have that confidence too!

It may not look like it now, but it's a good experience to have in the grand scheme of things.

Pony · #22 02/21/13, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowfaxFarm

Why do so many people have trouble starting bottle babies? I don't understand? I'm not trying to sound snarky I just genuinely don't get it.

I've frequently pulled lambs or kids off to bottle feed at 2 weeks of age and greater and it hasn't taken longer then 2 days TOPS to get them going good on a bottle. At 1 week old let them go 8 hrs before the first feeding (assuming they are otherwise healthy) and make sure the milk is warm. I like to start with a baby bottle first because I can squeeze it a little to get the milk taste in their mouth. After they have had a feeding or two with that I switch them to a glass bottle with black lamb nipple (I do make the hole a little larger then the way it comes) and they don't usually have any issues with the switch. If they are 2 weeks old let them go a full 12 hrs before their first feeding and usually start out straight with the larger black nipple unless it is a ND. I just started 2 two-week-old ND bucklings on a bottle without difficulty this week. I personally can't stand the pritchard nipples because they can push them out of the side of their mouth without moving their heads.

growing up we lived on a sheep ranch that my dad was foreman/manager for with 700 head so we frequently would have bummer lambs that us kids would be responsible for even up to 4-week olds that we had to start on a bottle if something happened to their dam.

I would suggest that your success is based on your experience. We all tend to think that something to which we have been born should be easy for others.

It's not.

6e · #23 02/21/13, 05:18 PM

With some it does take time. Don't get frustrated. Some are just that way. And it does sound about normal for a week old kid. I've found prichart nipples to be far and away the best baby goat nipple and easier to get them to take.

Pony · #24 02/21/13, 05:18 PM

Emmich, how's the little doober doing today?

ShadowfaxFarm · #25 02/21/13, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

I would suggest that your success is based on your experience. We all tend to think that something to which we have been born should be easy for others.

It's not.

thank you, I hadn't thought of it that way...I hope the kid is doing better taking a bottle today!

KijahWolfe · #26 02/21/13, 11:58 PM

I'm new to goats myself having just gotten my two nubian babies, one who was bottle raised after losing his dam and the doe was dam raised right to the point we went to get her. She had nursed from mama right before we got her so I did what I did with my other critters I would have to switch to bottles. Let her get hungry. While Nick was super eager for his bottle Bailey wanted nothing to do with the rubber contraption I was holding out for her, it wasn't mama. For two days I had to open her mouth and let her taste the milk before she started to willingly take from the bottle and now she is as eager as Nick. Being on so many forums at the moment I forget where it was that I was told by many others that you can indeed get a dam raised baby on a bottle. Bailey just turned two months on the 16th and had never taken a bottle until the morning after I brought her home. She went a good 12 hours without any milk. When I called the lady I bought her from the morning after we got her to tell her that little Bailey drank from a bottle she was astounded that it could be done having never messed with it before aside from Nick. She didn't think even an older baby could be switched. Sometimes with many of my animals the case has been that its just simply not mama which they are used to. Others I have had just have to be stubborn LOL Hope your little one catches on ^_^