The best way to wean kids?

[Laural H.]

I have three kids, born April 4th, I need to know the best way to wean them , and as I already have them sold, how soon can they go home.
Do I just send em off, or do I gradually separate them from their moms.
If it matters they are NDs. Thanks.

[RiverPines]

8 weeks minimum here for all goats.
Slow is best for both kids and mom!

I prefer to let the kids all wean on their own as they and mom wish.
I sell 'after' I know they are weaned.

Its boys that I will pull from mom at 8 wks so they dont breed her but I continue to let them have supervised time to help get the fullness out of moms udder and so they dont loose weight from the stress and sudden lack of milk. I usually give the boys 4 weeks of this supervised time before they are totally free from mom.

[mary,tx]

I'd say 10 to 12 weeks, but they are old enough to separate at night if you like. Before mine go off, I want them to be nibbling feed, so if you haven't already, start giving them a little before they nurse in the mornings. If they are not interested, stick a couple of pellets in their mouths. Usually they like it and will try more.

The thing you do not want to do, imo, is send babies off that are not old enough to wean, have never had bottles, and are not eating any feed. That's just not nice, imo.

[Laural H.]

Thanks, they have been eating alfalfa for a while now. (and are getting huge)
The moms seem to be vary intolerant of the kids nursing and never seem to allow them to nurse more than a couple of seconds. And, what is totally strange, 2 does had 3 kids and both moms are nursing all three kids...It's like musical teats around here! But again the moms seem to be feed up with the little ones. I'm not in a hurry to wean, I just want to make sure I have the right timing, and do it in away that is not traumatic for any of them! Thanks again.

[southerngurl]

I don't wean before 3 months.

[cathleenc]

I weaned everyone last year at 8-9 weeks and all was just fine. They bawled for their bottles the first 2 days and then seemed to totally forget that bottles even existed. I stopped the evening bottle at 7 weeks and then all bottles at 8.5 weeks. Big healhy kids.

[Rockytopsis]

Originally Posted by southerngurl

I don't wean before 3 months.

Same here.

[ozark_jewels]

Three months is minimum for optimal health and growth.

[shiandpete.1]

I wean at 8-10 weeks and start out slowly on the bottle fed babies. I slowly begin reducing their amount of milk they are getting by adding water. By 10 weeks they are only on water and then I remove the buckets. I found that dam raised babies are easier to wean at 8 weeks as they seem to already be eating hay and grain because mom has taught them this is what to eat...If I plan on keeping the baby then I let them nurse as long as they want.

[southerngurl]

Originally Posted by shiandpete.1

I wean at 8-10 weeks and start out slowly on the bottle fed babies. I slowly begin reducing their amount of milk they are getting by adding water. By 10 weeks they are only on water and then I remove the buckets. I found that dam raised babies are easier to wean at 8 weeks as they seem to already be eating hay and grain because mom has taught them this is what to eat...If I plan on keeping the baby then I let them nurse as long as they want.

Be careful doing that,I let one nurse for like 10 months and she turned out to be a self sucker.

[Laural H.]

Ok, so say I wait until they are 3 months, then what? Do I separate in the day, at night and for how long?? They are Doe raised, and I do not really have a place to keep them away form mom for extended times. I have the doe pen and the buck pen. I think it would be a bad idea to put the doelings in the buck pen.
More than the age of weaning I need to know the process. Thanks.

[southerngurl]

You can try taping the teats with paper tape.

[kreddish]

My mommy goat Bella is just now starting to wean Daisy on her own, born 3/23. Daisy still get a lot of milk... but is nibbling on everytnig that the parents do. Drinking water on her own and licking the salt block. I would give your sweeties an another 4 weeks... This is what I believe it takes for them to become indipendent Good luck!!!