Momma goat died, 3 day old doelings, help with bottle feeding

[nathan104]

If you havent read my other thread "Two kids on the ground, how long can they go without sucking". Our oldest doe, died last night after having complications after kidding. So, we have two 3 day old doelings to raise. We have never bottle raised goats but have done a calf.

We are going to rig a small pen by the house and move them closer. We have a bag of uni-mama milk replacer, but aftering searching this forum and reading online, it sounds like we will be a lot better off just buying gallons of whole milk from the grocery store. Is that right?

Also, is it fine to warm up the grocery store milk in the microwave? We have some of the black goat nipples that slip over the end of a plastic coke bottle. When you turn them upside down, nothing comes out unless you pinch the end of the nipple. Should I wider the openeing so that it drips out when turned upside down?

I know with calves, its better for them to be left hungry than to be fed til full. Is this the same with goat kids? One of them has already learned to drink water from a pail, we will keep fresh water in with them, and hay. Anything else?

Thank you for the help.

[suzyhomemaker09]

Yes...you are right about the milk form the store...it has always worked well for us.
If you warm it in the microwave do so in a separate container...stir and check temp before feeding just like you would a human baby. I prefer lambar nipples but the black ones work well and are usually easier to find...cut the opening a bit to make it easier flowing.

Fias Co Farm- Feeding your goats

If you scroll down the page a little you will see a general feeding chart for bottle baby goats.

Sorry for your loss...but good luck with your bottle feedings.

If you have water in the pen with your little ones please make sure it's a flat type pan and not a bucket that they could possibly drown in.

[andabigmac]

I would also add a pinch of baking soda to the bottle one feeding a day. Good luck and wear old clothes while they're learning.

[bluefish]

If you want, and you transition slowly, you can get them on cold milk. I do it with all my bottle babies at around the 2 week mark.

[Cliff]

I personally wouldn't use a microwave. It alters the proteins in foods. You would be microwaving everything those babies ingest for weeks and weeks. Besides, milk will heat just as fast in a pan on the stove.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I would heat the milk in a pan, I would definately not feed cold milk to baby goats & yes, I would buy whole milk from the store from them.

Babies at 3 days old still need a heating pad, heat lamp, etc. to keep their body temperature steady. I would not keep them outside unless your days & nights are really pretty warm. If they body temp. drops don't feed them until you get them warmed up.

I am no expert on bottle babies because like a lot of others here I would rather the dam raise them but I wanted to say how sorry I am that you lost your doe. It didn't sound good for her in your other thread but it sounds like you were doing everything you could for her but it still always sucks when you loose one no matter what or why.

[Cliff]

As long as they aren't premature and have full stomachs 3 day old goat kids don't need supplemental heat.

[nathan104]

Well, we got momma goat buried and the two doelings moved over here by the house in a pen under a roof. We put an old blanket that their momma laid on going to the vet yesterday so they have her smell over here. I put a shallow stainless pan of water in with them since it was reccomended not to use a bucket. I will heat the milk on the oven instead of the microwave, its a gas oven so will heat it quickly and evenly. Im in Texas, we are in the mid to high 90's during the day and in the low 70's at night. I think if they lay together on the blanket, they will be fine especially being under a roof. My wife is picking up milk so they will get their first bottle feeding around noon. I know they are very hungry since they havent eaten since yesterday evening, they are trying to suck on everything. At least they got their first two days of mommas milk and colostrum.

This is defintly not in the plans but life (and death) happens. Just got to deal with it.

[Cliff]

Have you looked up how much to feed and how often? If your nipples are the stiff ones I'm thinking of sometimes it's hard to get baby goats to suck on them. People seem to have more luck with the pritchard nipples or even human baby bottles.

Oh and don't squirt milk in their mouths to try and get them to drink... they will aspirate and get pneumonia. At most maybe dribble a couple drops so they taste it but they have to suck to drink.

Good luck with them.

[nathan104]

If they do not take to these nipples when we try them today, well pick up one of the others you suggested tomorrow.

There is a feeding schedule on the fiascofarm.com site

[thaiblue12]

I microwave the bottles and have for years, I do not have the time to do it on the stove for 3-5 bottle kids or I may walk away and forget I am heating them. They have no ill effects from microwaving.

I did have one bloat from reducing the temp by a few degrees so no matter the age or outside temp I kept the bottles the same warmth till weaning.

I use human bottles with an X cut into the nipples, I have mainly have Nigies and they use them better them a large nipple. I would cut a larger opening for them in the nipples you have. If they are not drinking well from tem you may have to get another kind of the human ones.

They are only 3 days old so they should transition well to bottles. If they fight you lean over them so they feel more like they are on their mom, wag their tails a bit.

Sorry you lost their mom, good luck with the girls.

[prairiedog]

I always fill the bottles and put them in the bathroom sink of hot water to heat. We use the black nipples for new babies you need to make the hole bigger. We spend time in the off season stretching and working the nipples to make them softer. Never liked the pritchard ones

[nathan104]

Well, just got done with the first feeding with whole milk. One of them took to the bottle like a champ. The other wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Tried for about 30 minutes and it wouldnt have it. This was the one that has been drinking water out of the bucket so we poured the milk out into a bowl and she attacked it. She sucked the bowl dry within a minute and was trying to lick the bowl. SO, looks like one will be bottle fed and the other fed in a bowl.

Both are perky, hopping around wagging their tails. The one that drank the milk out of a bowl spent two minutes trying to chew the leaf off a little weed in there.

I will try to get pictures on here this evening.

[nathan104]

Here are pics.