New Baby Goat Questions...and Pictures

[asparkie]

I picked up a baby alpine/lamancha mix yesterday at a livestock auction. I have two questions:
1. How can I tell how old she is. She is still very small and there is a dried scab where her umbilical cord was. Does that make her at least a week?
2. I started her on milk replacer. She drinks the first 1-2 ounces easily, but then pulls away and acts uninterested. I can force her to drink about 4-5 ounces, and it is a slow processes. It takes about 10+ mins to get her to drink this small amount. Should I cut a larger whole in the nipple? In addition, she nibbles on alfalfa that I have available. Do you think she is getting full on the alfalfa before I give her the milk? Also, I have only been giving her milk replacement for one day, do you think this is just an adjustment period and she will start taking to the bottle better in the next few days? Do you have any suggestion to help her eat more?
Thanks!

[asparkie]

[thaiblue12]

She is over a week or two old, exactly how old I cannot tell from that picture.

Goats do not like to be held or fed the way she is being held in the last picture. If you are feeding her that way put her on her feet and try it that way. Check and see if the nipple it putting out enough, if not then go ahead and make it a bit bigger. Also make sure the milk is warm enough, they do not like it on the cooler side.

I do not use replacer and use whole milk from the grocery store. She may not like the replacer, or have not yet been put on a bottle so it might take some tricks like wagging her tail, putting her under you knee to eat, covering her eyes with a towel and such to make her think she is back under her mom.

She is not getting full on alfalfa. Mine play with things then actually start eating at 2 weeks old, but they barely eat enough to make them full.

[Dreamgoat Annie]

I agree with everything Thai Blue says.

One other thing: she may prefer to eat smaller amounts more often, especially if she's been in a self-feeding situation. She'll gradually adapt but it may take a few days to a week or so before she gets hungry enough between smaller meals and wants larger amounts.

She sure is a cutie! Keep an eye peeled for signs of illness. Buying at auctions is iffy at best, especially buying a baby that young.

Sue

[Backfourty,MI.]

She is a real cutie & I also agree with Thaiblue12. She gave some good advice for you already.

[Lazydaisy67]

NICE fences......OH, the new baby is cute too!

[yarrow]

since you do not know for sure how old she is... Cocci prevention/treatment maybe a good thing to start (it will NOT hurt her to start it early).. first signs of cocci issues.. acting hungry, getting on the bottle.. tummy hurts.. they stop eating (happens well before they begin to show bowel signs)... ALSO... full sized dairy kids don't always like the little Pritchard nipple you are using in the picture... (IF.. she was a bottle baby BEFORE she went to the sales barn.. those folks were probably using a larger nipple... we use the gray nipples meant for lamb bar buckets.. they slip onto any pop bottle and NO leakage.... the nipple size is more like a *real* goat teat...

good luck
susie, mo ozarks

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I agree, get her a bigger nipple, get her on cocci prevention, and get her on whole milk (either from the store or a clean goat).

She sure is a cutie!

[asparkie]

Okay. I'll start whole milk for now. would you still say if she about 2-3 weeks old I should try to get about 30-40 ounces a day in her or what?

[prairiedog]

We feed kids that are that age three times a day about 16 to 20 ounces at a time. Just put the cocci treatment in one of the bottles. Start making hay available too if you are not already.