First bottle baby question

You know, if you read through the responses, you'll see that they are as varied as if you ask a parent how to raise their own children. Nobody is going to agree all the time. I ask for feedback and then I'll weigh it according to how it fits my situation. I would imagine that this is what most folks do. However, there are always those who are convinced their way it the way and are happy to take a shot at someone wanting information. I appreciate what I hear from other's experience and admit I have a lot to learn. I think we all are constantly learning. That said, is it helpful at all to take a shot at someone if they don't agree with you 100%. Apparently it is. The problem there, is that it discourages people from asking for help or for instruction. I'm just not a bobble head, I guess. I have a single bottle baby (gasp!) and thus far, she is doing quite well thanks to the suggestions I've gotten here and some very helpful info from the breeder. I will say, very respectfully, I have had such excellent help from the poultry board and other sections but when it comes to goats.... well, never mind. It just isn't helpful when others try to make you feel dumber than a box of rocks, which I am not.

Sometimes in the winter, when the days are short and dark, we get grumpy.

I am VERY guilty of being short and concise, too. It's a terrible habit from fifteen years of editing high school essays.

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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

Who said I never considered or used the advice given? I am NOT using replacer, I am currently using goat milk from the breeder with instructions on switching to whole cow's milk as recommended. I discussed this issue with the breeder, who is very reputable, by the way, and they had suggestions as well but did not think that there would be a problem as long as the kid was socialized and well monitored which we are doing. The only thing I was not able to do was get a second kid, which I had already agreed was optimal. I take the advice here very seriously. I presented a situation and asked for strategies. I got some very good advice from several people. From others I was ridiculed and was called rude when nobody, absolutely nobody, knew what the ultimate outcome actually ended up being. And, btw, she is also not an only goat. I have a small herd to which she is being added.

I'm glad you posted the follow up. Some of us worry too much.

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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

Oh, dear! I think that everyone meant well. There are a few issues where most people agree there is ONLY ONE answer and this is one of them! Usually, this group will say, "There are as many ways of doing (.....) as there are goats breeders." Candace happened to hit one where most experienced breeders are adamant that whole cows milk beats the heck out of replacer and will not endanger the kids (endangering kids is one of those issues that sends everyone into foaming mouth syndrome)!! Anyway, sounds to me that Candace is making excellent, informed decisions for her herd. Good for her!

I never get grumpy

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https://www.facebook.com/doug.hodges.750

http://spottednubian.weebly.com/

Doug...we will be wanting a second opinion on that!

I asked my wife. She said "LIES"

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https://www.facebook.com/doug.hodges.750

http://spottednubian.weebly.com/

Nope, not grumpy at all here.
My comment was because the OP stated her plans, asked for opinions and when she was told by several folks that there were healthier ways to raise her baby, restated her intent to follow her original plan.
As we all know, it sucks big time to lose an animal (and most of us are so small time it hurts even MORE) and it's much, much harder when it's something that could be somewhat easily prevented.

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" It's better to ride even if you get thrown, than to wind up just wishin' ya had."

Chris Ledoux

Thanks for your opinion. I do enjoy how some of you talk about posters as non-people (OP) when I clearly have a name. You make so many assumptions - I've lost an animal too, I also care very much for my animals. Please direct your critical remarks to those who have also posted that they use replacer, they raised their babies as singles, they raised them in a house, etc. I just like that I was called rude. Sadly, leaving this forum because this type of attitude is not helpful at all. Feel free to continue talking about me as though I am a non-person because I won't be reading this and because it will make you feel much better about yourself. It's really my bad though because I just knew this is what would happen here. Best to you.

Candace, please don't judge all of us on the basis of one or two posters who come out sounding all sharp and critical. Most of us wish you well and hope you stay with us and keep us posted on your new baby and your herd.
We raised our buck as a bottle baby on whole milk. We meant to keep him with our 3 does, but one of them decided she was going to kill him (we have since sold her-she was mean to everyone). He ended up living in our kitchen by day and sleeping in a rubbermaid container on my daughter's bed for the first week or so. Then in the kitchen all the time. He pooped on her bed lol. We actually trained him to pee outside by taking him out when we thought he needed to go. He got into the habit of waiting until we took him out and would even stand by the door to let us know. He finally got banished to the goat pen when he started jumping on the counters. By then he was big enough to at least get out of the way of the mean one.
Good luck.

If you don't like what someone posted, just ignore it! You don't HAVE to read everything ever wrote. That's the beauty of the internet, if you don't want to "listen" to someone, it's very easy to "walk away" compared to real life conversations with people...

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Nancy Boling
Frosted Mini Goats
Alpine and Nigerian Dwarf goats
2 Jersey heifers
1 guard llama
And whatever else shows up...
http://www.swfarm.net/

O(riginal) P(oster) has never been used as an insult that I know of.....

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" It's better to ride even if you get thrown, than to wind up just wishin' ya had."

Chris Ledoux