bottle feeding

Julie Gar · #1 02/02/10, 06:26 PM

Just wondering what others do. I have two nubian goats they are about 7 weeks old. they are eating hay and grain but I am still bottle feeding 3 times a day and would like to go down to 2 times a day. What do others do? I read that you should bottle feed until 3 months old. I don't have mother that is why I am bottle feeding? need advise

nehimama · #2 02/02/10, 06:32 PM

It's just me, but I let mine have the bottle 'til way past four months of age. At seven weeks, if they're eating hay & grain, I would think it's okay to go down to two bottles a day.

How much are you feeding per bottle?

Julie Gar · #3 02/02/10, 06:35 PM

I was feeding 12oz. but went down to 10oz.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 02/02/10, 07:03 PM

From www.fiascofarm.com

* Day one- 6 oz. (per feeding) colostrum, every 4 hours.
* Day two- 8 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day
* Day three- 10 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day
* Day four- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 4 times a day.
* For the next week- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) 4 times a day.
* For the next 2 months- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) 3 times a day.
* For the next 1 month- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) 2 times a day.
* 10-12 oz. (per feeding) once a day for two weeks.

Backfourty,MI. · #5 02/02/10, 09:19 PM

Alice if I just figured out that feeding chart that is about 4 months. Is it different if they are dam raised or bottle fed? I can't remember a doe that I have that lets a kid nurse 4 months or longer, seems like a long time to me but I have Nigerians. Does it make a difference if mini's or full size goats?

Alice In TX/MO · #6 02/02/10, 09:21 PM

I'd still go three months at least. I have a Mini-Mancha, and I took her bucklings away from her after three months.

Natural Beauty Farm · #7 02/02/10, 10:20 PM

LOL mine are free choice milk feeders, at three months they are drinking 1/2 gal each per day 2 lbs alfalfa pellets and handful of grain along with free choice alfalfa hay and minerals. They are not fat, but have grown out nicely. I'm happy with them. Tried that chart last year and my girls stopped growing, going to have to wait a full year to breed them.

Julie Gar · #8 02/03/10, 10:47 AM

they are getting about 2lbs. of grain and minerals plus hay.Plus bottle feeding three times a day (10oz.) They are growing fine. I was hoping to go to two times a day, I don't want them to get fat Lol

wintrrwolf · #9 02/03/10, 02:21 PM

hmmm wonder if my job would let me bring a kid in so I can bottle feed it for 3 months?? Or might have to hire a baby "kid" sitter...hehe

Bearfootfarm · #10 02/03/10, 04:26 PM

Quote:

they are getting about 2lbs. of grain and minerals plus hay.

That's more than enough for a large adult.
I'd just go ahead and wean them

goatkid · #11 02/03/10, 05:43 PM

Nubian kids should be able to drink 20 oz at a time. Rather than decrease the amount fed at each meal, I increase the amount and go to twice a day. My Nubians get milk until they are 4-5 months old.

Julie Gar · #12 02/05/10, 07:23 PM

Everything I read says feed 10oz. to 12oz. for three to four months. Does anyone else feed 20oz. at one time to a Nubian? I just don't know...20oz. seems to much. Remember they are also getting grain and hay

copperpennykids · #13 02/05/10, 07:50 PM

By the time our kids are 4-5 weeks old they are drinking 56-64 ounces/day.

30 ounces isn't enough, especially when they are between 2-6 weeks of age, if you want nice growthy kids.

We feed the same whether they are orphaned Boer kids or are our bottle-fed Saanens.

Since yours are already 7 weeks old, slowly increase the AM/PM feedings, while eliminating the mid-day feeding. I would try to work them up to at least 20 ounces/feeding. So 12 ounces increases to 14 ounces for 2 days, then 16 ounces, then 18 then 20. Reduce the midday feeding by 2 ounces and then another 2 and then eliminate.

If they were my goats, they would get a minimum of 48 ounces/day until they were 8-10 weeks of age, and then we start reducing. Some folks feed up to 48 ounces/day, but they are supplementing with grain etc. Ours always have high quality 2nd cutting alfalfa free choice hay available.

Julie Gar · #14 02/09/10, 02:03 PM

Well ...I stand corrected. I bought a great book, Storey's guide to raising dairy goats, and it does say for kids 3-8 weeks old 32oz. 2x aday.
Thank you for all the help

dosthouhavemilk · #15 02/09/10, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

Alice if I just figured out that feeding chart that is about 4 months. Is it different if they are dam raised or bottle fed? I can't remember a doe that I have that lets a kid nurse 4 months or longer, seems like a long time to me but I have Nigerians. Does it make a difference if mini's or full size goats?

Up until about four years ago when Twyla (grade Boer) joined the herd, I had never seen a doe wean her kids at less than 6-8 months old. Twyla weans at 3-4 months. Midge (fullblood Boer) also weaned her doe at 4 months old. It is still just those two does that I have seen wean their kids at less than 6 months of age. Quite a change for us.
I have had to force wean at 10 months in the past.
We free choice milk to our bottle/lambar kids. They'll drink close to a galon a piece a day when they get to be a couple of months old. They are getting some hay, but not much grain until about three months old.
So they can handle more than what they are getting.

**mygoat** · #16 02/09/10, 02:25 PM

Many people free feed their kids, as much and as often as they want. If you work and your schedule does not permit you to feed them several times a day, invest in a lambar or two and allow kids to eat freely. The more milk you feed and the longer you feed the better growth you will get out of the kids. If you want to breed your doelings on the next season, start them off right and feed for at LEAST 3 months, as much as you can afford to let them have per feeding. I go down to 3x a day feedings quickly, as I hate the multiple feedings per day. Not really feasible for anyone's schedule, IMO.