Goat Starter Feed

[georgiarebel]

We recently had a new kid that the mother refuse to take care of, so we feed it Unimilk replacer. It's doing good and putting on weight, but the Unimilk package recommends a goat starter feed after about a week. What is this starter feed? Any help is appreciated!

GR

[dragonchick]

The goat starter feed is hay and maybe a few pellets stuck into its mouth. Since mama shows the baby what to eat and you are now mama, you have to show the baby what you want it to eat. I have 2 week old bottle doelings, they are already eating meat goat developer pellets and hay. Just keep it in front of them at all times and they will eat it. I don't put a lot in the bowl as theyflip it and waste it, just a lttle at a time. When they eat that I put a bit more in.

[AnnaS]

I start my baby does by offering them kelp meal, loose mineral and a coarse ground calf starter feed. They seem attracted to a hard, sandy texture. Most feed mills should have a starter or creep feed for beef calves. I've been feeding my whole milk herd a coarse-ground 16% protein calf feed this year, with very good results.

Kids are picky about feed texture for the early feedings, and prefer whole or crushed grain over fine-ground. Kids generally start ruminating at 3-4 weeks, so hay that is eaten may not be completely digested. Won't hurt them, though.

[betsy h.]

A good calf starter that is medicated with coccidia med like Deccox or bovatec-

[goatkid]

I feed hay and goat developer pellets to my kids.

[hoofinitnorth]

Hay, hay, and more hay is the first step. I don't feed commercially mixed grain rations so my babies only get a little of what mom is eating as they become naturally interested in mimicking her. I don't start feeding them their own grain ration until they are completely weaned (after 12 weeks) and then only if I think they need extra calories to grow, add weight, or stay warm (not likely at my place since I don't breed for winter kiddings due to our harsh winters). Also note that grain does not heat them up like hay, but does provide extra calories to supplement what might be burned off from staying warm, I don't feed grain to a cold animal.