Has anyone ever used calf milk replacer for goats?

[MisFitFarm]

We haven't had the best luck with bottle babies on Universal Milk replacer, and whole milk from the store is so expensive. This year, before we even had any kids, we were at Rural King and saw a bag of calf milk replacer that was torn. They guy gave it to us for half price, so a 50lb bag only cost $35.00! We were thrilled, and very hopeful. Well, the twins are just now 4 weeks old, and they are bigger than the ones one their Moms! These are absolutely the best looking bottle babies we have ever had.

[goatkid]

I've never tried the calf milk replacer on goats. Some folks say it's OK for Boers. Personally, I don't like replacer and won't use it. Sometimes the dairy managers at the stores will sell you milk at it's expiration date for a good price.

[dkdairygoats]

I have known several people who've used it with success. I have never myself, but it seems safer than universal or goat milk replacers.

[Starsmom]

I have used it and not had any problems. Used it with goats and lambs and agree, they gained weight well with it.

[topside1]

Why not compare the ingredients of each replacer's label. I have feed goat replacer to bottle calves with no ill effects. I think the goat replacer is just another way for companies to milk us homesteaders wallets....

[Jcran]

I had a horrible experience with replacer this year. I started with calf replacer (no soy) and mixed it exactly as said on bag-1lb mix to 1 gallon water-I went by weight and so mixed 4 ox mix to 1 quart water. I then fed according to Jack and Anita Mauldin's website recommendations. Kids started scouring. After fighting with pepto and everything else under the sun, I decided it was the replacer and slowly switched to kid-lac. Third day on that, I killed three kids of the original 10. One bloated and two went down from entero, despite having been given cdtet antitoxin, 5 ccs each when they came to us. I was really down. I sold three of the remaining kids to a friend in exchange for a breeding from her buck and kept the remaing four, switching over to expensive whole cow's milk/evap/buttermilk. Immediate cessation of scours and finally started growing. I would sure love to know how folks make replacer work for them. I sure did a lousy job of it! Needless to say, I ate my shorts on the money side of things, but learned a lot.

PS friend fed her three on whole milk, then switched back over to replacer. She called the first day, all was well. By third day, all with horrible scours. She now alternates whole milk recipe and one feeding a day of replacer, just to use it up. No problems using this approach.

[MisFitFarm]

Joan, that's the experience we had with Universal Milk Replacer. This year, I was so worried about trying it, but we simply cannot afford to buy whole milk for them. If they all do as well on this, we will use it on all of our bottle babies from now on. Its Calf Milk Replacer, from Rural King, apparently its their store brand.

[MamaDee]

>>I have never myself, but it seems safer than universal or goat milk replacers.<<<<

O.K., now I'm officially confused. Why on earth would calf replacer be better than replacer especially for goats? I looked everywhere for replacer specifically for goats, thinking I was doing the right thing. I pay a pretty penny for it, I might add. And it seems everyone hear thinks it is a death sentence.

I thought I was picking the better option (since the whole milk/buttermilk thing is so expensive) I went with the very best replacer I could get. Or so I thought.

Ugh.

Dee

[topside1]

Folks, why in the world the milk industry make milk replacer for goats? Well maybe just to specialize products and make a tad more money? Regardless do you really believe milk replacer manufactures are asleep at the wheel and their final product is making your animals sick? I once again suggest reading the label on the bags and see what's ingredients are in each bag.....Good luck.

http://www.lolmilkreplacer.com/kid.html

[kristisprinkle]

Here's what you do - whether you use calf milk replacer or goat kid milk replacer, just try this formula - it's always worked for us and no scours.

1 part whole milk
1 part milk replacer (mixed to spec)
1/4 part buttermilk.

Buttermilk's expensive, so buy ONE small carton and one whole gallon of milk. Put about a cup of the buttermilk into the gallon of milk (remove some so it fits). Leave it on the counter until it's thick, thick, thick, then use it in the quantities in this formula.

Then just use this formula. Our kids always turn out really well with this formula. I have one of those electric hot plates on the counter with a conductive, sous-vied (temp remains constant) pan (steel). I fill it with water, put a gallon of this formula in it (making two gallons every day) and let it warm up. Keep the lid off it and make sure you mix everything REALLY well. I used to just microwave the formula when we had a few goats, but we bought 12 recently - all bottle babies, so this has worked so far.

So in brief:

Mix the formula above, heat it up (in whichever way fits your style), shake it up, give it to the kids.

As a side note - we buy lambs nipples that fit over soda bottles (using quart bottles, not half-gallon style) and put them into one of the metal bottle holders for cow's calves. Works great. The nipples are sometimes hard to get on, but after a while, you get used to the whole process.

Good luck!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, I believe that most milk replacers are bad for ANY of the animals who consume them. They are made from by-products of other industries. Nasty stuff.

Those of us who have been on this forum for a while have read more disasters from milk replacer than success stories.

Baby goat digestion is designed for milk products, not soy based industrial garbage.

I think there is ONE goat milk based commercial milk replacer out there. http://www.calvetsupply.com/product/...acer_Colostrum

If whole milk from the store is too expensive, find a local goat breeder (with a tested herd) with extra milk.