Bottlefeeding

[CookingPam777]

In Febuary I will be bottlefeeding 2 goats. A doe and a buck. What do you all find is best for milk on a tight bugdet? I guess I am asking what is the best for the best price. Around here goat's milk is $5 a gallon which I can't afford. And someone told me to never use milk replacer or powder. Any ideas or suggestions?

[GoldenWood Farm]

Vit. D cows milk from the store (Whole cows milk) works good for kids if you are on a tight budget. Careful switching them on to it as I have had some kids get the runs from switching to fast.

Justine

[CookingPam777]

I had a friend who suggested cow's milk was for only cows. I tought it would be okay. Very confused now hehehe!

[CookingPam777]

Do you know of a good way to get it cheaply it's 3.50 in our area.

[firefly81]

there really isnt any cheap way to raise bottle kids unless you have a goat in milk

[CookingPam777]

I am finding that to be very true. Thanks for all the help! What is your opinion of milk replacer though? He did not say why it was bad just said it was. Sorry I am such a newbie in this area of homesteading.

[topside1]

Just a thought, do you have any dairys nearby. If you do see if you can work something out....you never know unless you ask.

[ozark_jewels]

Do you know anyone with healthy family milk cows?? I raise all my bottle kids on raw whole Jersey milk from our family cows. It raises beautiful kids.

[renegadejrt]

I have meat goats but have raised a few bottle babies when the moms refused. I used whole milk from the store on one and goat milk replacer for the others. I thought the milk replacer gave better growth but was definitely- more expensive. If you are going to use milk replacer make sure it is specifically for goats and not an all livestock replacer or for sheep. Goats need copper and sheep do not. Just to let you know. If done right goats are not cheap to keep. Will you be able to afford the feed, hay, vaccines, dewormers, LGD, barn, etc. they need later.
HTH
Donna

[mygoat]

Goats and most other animals , IMO, do not do well on replacer. Find someone with a family cow or talk to a local dairy (that tests for Johnne's disease... VERY important!) and see if you could get gallons of raw milk purely for animal consumption. Cows milk is much better for goat kids than replacer. However, goat's milk is the best. If you talk to a local goat dairy they may be willing to sell you some goat's milk cheaper than store cost... just make sure you pasteurize before feeding it to your kids and also make sure they run a clean herd.

good luck!

[Jcran]

I am only one feeding in to a bag of milk replacer so my experience isn't one, yet. However, if all goes well, I will be paying about 1.49 per gallon for the replacer (it was about $73/ 50# and I'm mixing 1 lb to 1 gall water). In the meantime, I'm trying to contact a local dairyman to see if they'll sell raw milk for the babies. Someone around here said Calif is awful hard to find raw milk as the regs are tough; maybe a dairyman could get in trouble even tho I'm only feeding to goatios.

[goatkid]

What is bad about milk replacer is that kids usually don't do well on it. They are more prone to scours, bloat and general unthriftiness. They don't seem to develop the proper immunity even when they get good colostum their first few days. The year we used it, we had problems with entero in vaccinated kids and also had problems with cryptosporidium (I know because I caught it from the babies) and cocci. We haven't had this problem with babies raised on goat or cow milk. You might want to put the word in with the dairy manager at your local supermarket. They have to throw out milk when it reaches the expiration date. I was able to buy some of this milk at a dollar a gallon and had enough to freeze to be able to keep it longer.

[Standupguy]

Ive used whole milk from the store with great results.... Noah

[Jcran]

Originally Posted by goatkid

You might want to put the word in with the dairy manager at your local supermarket. They have to throw out milk when it reaches the expiration date. I was able to buy some of this milk at a dollar a gallon and had enough to freeze to be able to keep it longer.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!!!!!!! I think THAT might just be the ticket! Thanks!

[CookingPam777]

Thank you so much for all your help! I really like goatkid's idea. I will of course buy milk regular price anyway if I can't get it. We also know of a lady that sells goats milk for $4 a gallon. I was going to talk to her and see if I can't get it for $3 a gallon for 5 gallons. I am shooting for goats milk and if not that I'll use goatkids idea! Ozark in my state it is illegal to sell raw milk so I would not be able to get it. At least from what I have heard I may be wrong though. Renegadejrt I am aware that goats are exspensive to raise. However with a tight bugdet I am just trying to get the best price. Again thank you all. You have been such a help!

[goatkid]

It wouldn't hurt to talk to the lady who sells the goat's milk. Around here, among us goat people, baby goats take priority when it comes to selling our milk. We sell it to each other cheaper when it's to feed kids and even barter for it.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

It's cheaper in the long run to purchase the kids weaned or purchase a milker at the same time. Milk her, pasteurise the milk, then if you don't want her afterward sell her as a family milker. In reality, other than your labor, you milk is then right over $1 a gallon to the kids, and much better than replacer.

If you are going to use replacer, no soy, no unimilk, and follow the directions exactly, never dilute with more or less water, never give them more than the container suggests, and get them eating as fast as you can. Replacer is not less expensive than grocery store milk or purchasing feed milk if this is your first bottle babies. Vicki

[susanne]

yes $1 per one gallon milk plus your labor, twice a day milking and heating energy to pasteurize the milk, plus the initial cost for the milker which is about $250 to $350. for $250 you get 83 gallon of cows milk already pasteurized. only needs to warm up a little bit. a kid will drink about 1/2 a gallon per day.
for me to buy a milker only to supply the milk for kids i buy, and sell her after i'm done with the kids, doesn't make sense. buy a milker with the intend of keeping her? absolutely.

[coso]

Yeah, but if you could sell back your milker and get the $250-$350 back out of her. Then you only have about $1.00 a day in feeding the milker which will feed a couple of kids. They said milk replacer was $1.50/gallon. Thats $45.00 over three months, plus being able to use goats milk instead some kind of substitute that they may not grow out as well on even if it did take a little more time and effort.

[susanne]

coso you are right. if you find a buyer for her you get the money back