Powdered Milk?

Pony · #1 05/04/10, 12:08 PM

A friend blessed me with several packages of powdered milk.

It's "non-fat, fortified with vitamins A and D."

Would it be okay if I mixed this stuff with the regular milk, say, oh, 50/50? And if I do, should I add some sort of fat to it (butter? oil? I dunno...)

Just looking for a way to save a bit. It's about $4 a gallon for milk around here, and of course, as the kids get larger, they are drinking more.

Freeholder · #2 05/04/10, 12:14 PM

Pony, you could probably safely use one-fourth non-fat powdered milk mixed with the kid milk, but I wouldn't go any higher than that. I don't think vegetable oils would be good for them, and you wouldn't save anything if you added cream....

How old are the babies?

Kathleen

Our Little Farm · #3 05/04/10, 12:14 PM

I think with some extra buttermilk or something it would be fine.

Pony · #4 05/04/10, 01:16 PM

The kids are 7 weeks old.

Buttermilk? Is that less expensive than whole?

Heritagefarm · #5 05/04/10, 01:17 PM

I mixed CALF replacer half/half with my Nubian doe, seemed fine!

**mygoat** · #6 05/04/10, 02:38 PM

It's up to you, if you're willing to sacrifice growth and possible digestive upset. I would probably not use it, just as I'll likely never use powdered milk replacer.

If you have some bucklings/wethers, sell/butcher those to save on cash. If you're raising replacement doelings, you want to put the best into them that you can, so that they will grow and be productive sooner.

Pony · #7 05/04/10, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

It's up to you, if you're willing to sacrifice growth and possible digestive upset. I would probably not use it, just as I'll likely never use powdered milk replacer.

The reason I asked was because I did not know whether or not it would make a difference.

I never said or implied that I wanted to sacrifice the growth or health of my stock.

If I didn't care about them, I would not have asked.

RiverPines · #8 05/04/10, 03:07 PM

I wouldnt do it. That stuff is so processed its only good as a survival food not as a thriving food.

Kids do lousy on powdered formula that has nutrients that goats need added to it.
Highly processed foods just dont do as well in kids as less processed.

Whole milk is the best way to go for the best chance of thriving kids, other than goats milk.

farmmom · #9 05/04/10, 03:46 PM

I was given several boxes as well. I mixed them with my hog feed and fed it to the piglets.

Pony · #10 05/04/10, 03:52 PM

Oh! Hey, there's an idea. I can add it to the chicken feed for more calcium and protein.

No pigs yet.

Maybe next year.