Help needed for new babies and bottle feeding

tltater · #1 04/22/06, 05:43 PM

Today I am in a fix. My husband and I a working on a job that requires us to work all night and when we got home this morning, we found two new babies in the goat pen.....one left out in the rain by the fence the other in with the other goats in the goat shed. Tried putting momma and the babies up in a stall and momma is rejecting her babies. She wouldn't let them nurse so we forced her to stay still and got one of them to nurse for a short period of time and couldn't get the other one to nurse(just couldn't keem mom still any more). Decided to leave them in the stall with momma and see if she would take care of them if we left. She just does not want to be in there and freaks out trying to get out. Steps on the babies and just has nothing to do with them. So....we are trying to bottle feed and it's not going so good. I did finally get them to nurse some, but don't think the milk is comming out of the bottle fast enough. Put more slits in the nipples and will see if that works. I have them put up in the stall with a heat lamp on. Is that going to be warm enough for them? Any suggestions on the bottle feeding? We are milking mom out for them and she is staying still for that....weird goat!!!!! Anyway, any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

As far as them being warm enough, the weather is rainy and in the 40's lows in the 40's next few days then dropping into the 30's for a couple of days all rainy.

I need all the help I can get on this one.

PS. They are sooooooo adorable!!! They are Nubian/Pygmy cross!!!
Thanks,
Tracy
Southwestern, NY

dk_40207 · #2 04/22/06, 05:49 PM

Tracy,

I am sooooo far from being an expert here, but we have new babies. They will take the bottle a bit better if I hold their heads(gently). If not they will squirm

I'm still not having a lot of luck, either.
I'll be interested to read the replies on this one...

Blessings,
Christina

Teacupliz · #3 04/22/06, 06:09 PM

Hi- I use a human baby bottle to start.. See if you can get them to suck your finger then slip in the bottle. When the nipple is in Rub their butts like the mom would do to get them to suck. My kids are much more patient them I am, feeding a stuborn kid. They will eat whent hey get hungrey.. I am in NY too not to far from you and if they are dry they do nto need a heat lamp at all. Pics?? Liz

mpillow · #4 04/22/06, 06:19 PM

I do the same as Teacupliz....and I do make the holes just slightly larger...the milk should be around 100-105 degrees....usually after a couple times they will get real good at getting on the bottle

My bottle kids(8 days old) were in the woodshed with a plastic tote from walmart turned on its side with a piece of board insulation under tote and it was only 22 degrees this morning here in Maine...they were fine but hungry!
Heat lamps scare me....

Freeholder · #5 04/22/06, 06:45 PM

It takes a few days for new babies to get proficient at the bottle. It also depends somewhat on what kind of nipple you are using -- my kids like the kind that goes on the big calf bottles better than the pop bottle nipples. You often do have to cut the holes in the nipples bigger, but be careful -- if they end up too big, the milk runs out too fast and can just about drown the babies. A Pritchard valve nipple is good for getting weak newborns started, then switch to the other nipples as they get stronger.

As long as they are dry and out of the wind, they shouldn't need a heat lamp at those temperatures.

Sounds like you have yourself some Kinder goats! They make good milkers, or are also good small meat goats -- what are you raising them for?

A lot of people will tell you to feed several times a day, but it really isn't necessary after the first few days. I'll feed them three times a day for the first week or so, then they go on twice-a-day feedings, and do fine. Mine get 12-16 oz. of milk at each feeding (Kinder babies -- full-sized babies get more) once they are on twice-daily feedings, and start having access to good hay by the time they are a week old. By the time they are eight weeks old they should be eating solid food just fine and you'll be able to wean them (gradually -- take away the morning feeding for a few days before taking away the evening feeding).

Kathleen

Edited to add: I only give warm milk for the first few days -- then they start getting it cold from the frig, unless the weather is REALLY cold. They do fine, just don't go switching them back and forth from warm milk to cold to warm to cold again. Be consistent.

TexCountryWoman · #6 04/23/06, 12:13 AM

Congrats on your kids!

I would go to a feedstore and by the red and yellow "prichard" nipple. I started off with human baby bottle nipples but the little goat was aspirating milk into the lungs and developed pneumonia which had to be cleared up with antibiotics. When i got the prichard, it was MUCH better.

Twice a day is not enough for a baby goat, IMO, three times a day, or four, is best for a small one. Frequent small feedings are better than fewer large feedings. Stay with three feedings a day as long as you can. I am bottle feedin 4 kids that are 6 weeks old and they get 3 bottles a day and I still warm their milk. I just feel like they do better. I plan on bottle feeding til they are at least 3 months old. They also get alfalfa pellets and grass hay and browse, minerals, baking soda and water.

I also bring them into the house if I think the elements are bad...and I am in Texas! Your set up may be better than mine though.

Store bought whole cow milk from the grocery store is fine as long as they got colostrum from the momma. So if milking the momma becomes impossible, you can switch. I do it slowly, by mixing it half and half etc, but I know of some goat breeders who don't, they just go right ahead and switch to the store milk after the kids get colostrum.

Good luck with your kids! Enjoy!

witchysharon · #7 04/23/06, 11:20 AM

Quote:

I would go to a feedstore and by the red and yellow "prichard" nipple. I started off with human baby bottle nipples but the little goat was aspirating milk into the lungs and developed pneumonia which had to be cleared up with antibiotics. When i got the prichard, it was MUCH better.

exact opposite here. tried prichard nipples and no go. tried human baby bottle nipples and worked great! Did have to make the hole much bigger though. actually cut an X in the end of the nipple so milk would flow faster and they wouldn't have to suck so hard. They were very hard to switch from being tube fed to a bottle. They had no sucking reflex at all but would rather 'chew' the nipple (the guy who had them before me was tube feeding since mom's were too young and didn't know what to do). but persistence paid off and they were drinking and sucking from a bottle in two days like little pros.

Did the stick finger in mouth, they start to suck then stick bottle in the mouth trick. also rubbing their little rumps like mom would do. also warming the bottle nipple in HOT water to soften and warm it. milk at 101-103 degrees. but the key is persistence!

tltater · #8 04/23/06, 08:24 PM

Thanks so much for all the replies. We do have them eating from the bottles fine now and we decided to bring them in the house for a few days. They were shivering something aweful out in the stall so really didn't want them to get chilled. Trying to hold her to let them nurse is near impossible....even on the milk stand. They would probably get knocked off! She just does not want to have anything to do with them. Very strange to me, but it does happen. I got her at an auction and was told she throws excellent kids....didn't ask if she took care of them though. She may have never had to take care of them before so she found it weird to care for the herself...I don't know. Regardless they are quite adorable! I'll try to get some pictures posted.

Again....thanks so much for everyones help!

Tracy
Southwestern, NY