Boer billy bottle baby

murkerson · #1 02/26/13, 01:20 AM

Okay...I recently became the proud new Mama to a bottle baby. This is my first time and I'm a nervous wreck. I have the Sav-A-Kid milk replacer as the mother wouldn't feed him. I'm feeding him as directed by the bag. It always seems like he wants more but I was told that if he eats too much that it could kill him. Supposedly he is 12 days old today. However...when does his poo turn into pebbles instead of soft? I thought that usually happened at a few days old. Also, when should I introduce feed to him? Is sweet feed okay?

KrisD · #2 02/26/13, 01:46 AM

Congrats on the new baby!
I don't feed milk replacer because a lot of people get floppy kid syndrome etc from it. I feed whole milk from the store. I also feed as much as they want every 2-3 hrs for the first few weeks then slowly reduce the number of feedings per day. It is true if you over feed replacer they can get severe diareah and can die. Whole milk is much safer.

I would offer him hay to nibble on or Timothy pellets but I would not start him on sweet feed. His belly isn't ready for it and they don't need the molasses, it's hard on their rumen.

At 21 days old you will want to start Cocci prevention and give the meds for a full 5 days. Repeat this every 21 days. I stop at 4-5 months old. I use Corid for prevention and sulfadimethox if they get cocci as a treatment.

GoatJunkie · #3 02/26/13, 04:28 AM

Congratulations on your new baby! Being a nervous wreck is part of the rite of passage,

but you are in good company here.... there is a lot of wisdom in these posts....

Please post a picture when you get a chance! We would all love to see who we are rooting for!

Minelson · #4 02/26/13, 07:00 AM

Congrats on the baby!!

Pictures are a must!

murkerson · #5 02/26/13, 03:35 PM

So if I give him whole milk do I dilute it? How long should it take to harden a bit? So at 21 days and every 21 days after I should give him cocci mess and its called sulfadimethox, correct? Is sweet feed not good for him at all or just at this age....because my Nubian and my pygmy also eat it. Pics are coming

murkerson · #6 02/26/13, 03:43 PM

My baby, Billy Bob

Strange Bear · #7 02/26/13, 03:49 PM

Cute boy.

Minelson · #8 02/26/13, 04:12 PM

Awwwww he is cute!!!! Just give him whole milk don't dilute. And here is a schedule and dosing and differrent meds for Cocci prevention....
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/coccidiosis.htm

I don't feed mine sweet feed. They just get a treat of whole oats and Boss. Some say that sweet feed is hard on the rumen because of the molasses in it.

KrisD · #9 02/26/13, 04:20 PM

I never give sweet feed especially to boys. They can get urinary Calculi that are not only extremely painful but often deadly. Molasses is hard on their stomach so I don't use it unless I have a sick goat that HAS to drink some water and then only a tiny bit. I feed my girls dry grain but only if they are milking or pregnant.

I personally use Corid for cocci prevention. Yes every 21 days. I only use the Sulfadimethox if they actually get a cocci infection which is rare.

Do NOT dilute the cows milk. Just pour, warm and serve.

He's super cute!

Jyllie63 · #10 02/26/13, 05:45 PM

He is precious!

murkerson · #11 02/26/13, 06:10 PM

What is Boss? Would All Stock work? I've heard that its too dry for them and can make them sick....

murkerson · #12 02/26/13, 06:17 PM

Corid® Amprolium 9.6% Oral Solution......is that it?

Minelson · #13 02/26/13, 06:35 PM

Boss is Black Oil Sunflower seeds.
I use Di-Methoox Soluble Powder 107 gm pkg
for cocci prevention....

Soluble Powder mixed as follows: dissolve one package (107 gms) in three cups of water. Keep refrigerated. Administer/Drench directly into mouth

Dose:

Give Orally - Administer straight into the mouth using a syringe (remove the needle). Do not just add it to the kid's water because you will not know if he receives the correct dose. Do not add it to his milk because the milk effects the potency of the drug.
Five day treatment- you must treat the full five days. (we have begun experimenting with only treating three days for the prevention treatment.)
Day one: 1 ml per 5 pounds- given orally.
Days 2-5: 1 ml per 10 pounds- given orally.

KrisD · #14 02/26/13, 08:43 PM

Keep him on hay for a while. For boys use grain very sparingly. Like for a treat only to keep them coming to you. Grain for boys is a bad mix. Yes dry feed is better then sweet feed.

murkerson · #15 02/27/13, 12:50 AM

I just need to know the best thing to feed my goats....preferrably something that they can all eat, since they are different breeds, 2 bucks and 1 doe. I've fed the two older ones all stock and sweet feed and it just seems like they do better on the sweet feed. BUT I don't want them to eat it if it's not good for them. We had gotten them for the meat but they are family now and doubt very seriously that they will ever be on a table

I tried to give the baby some timothy hay today and he tried to nibble but don't think he knew how quite yet. I cut down on how much milk powder I was adding to the water and his poo has a little consistency now so maybe the replacer was just too much on his little tummy. Here's a pic of the girls feeding him.

murkerson · #16 02/27/13, 12:58 AM

My Nubain buck, Butterscotch and my Pygmy doe, Lucy....she loves taking pics with my little princess <3

KrisD · #17 02/27/13, 01:02 AM

I feed hay of course to keep them busy. I also feed whole oats and a few handfuls of Black Oil Sunflower seeds. I also feed Timothy pellets since my girls are not crazy about hay of any kind. This works well for several of us and is easier on their rumens.

KrisD · #18 02/27/13, 01:04 AM

They are super cute. Your girls are beautiful!

murkerson · #19 02/27/13, 02:00 AM

Okay...sorry about all the questions but now i'm worried...I did some research and this is what i saw: We recommend feeding a 16% protein goat feed with Decox (Decoquinate) in it. This can be found at most feed stores and may be listed as a Medicated Goat Feed or may have DQ at the end of the name. The Decoquinate helps to prevent coccidia in young kids. Once they reach 4 months old they can be switched to a non-medicated feed.
However, the next paragraph said this: don’t forget to deworm your kids at 4-5 weeks old and to treat for coccidia around 6-8 weeks old (coccidia needs a repeat treatment 14 days after intial treatment). See our page on deworming for more info.
So if I feed them the medicated goat feed, I still need to do the coccidia treatment even if the are getting the medicated feed that prevents it? Confused! Also, what type of wormer is the best, as there seems to be a lot out there. With my older goats, I have only used the medicated worming pellets and not the Ivermectin that most people use. Which is best?

Would the timothy pellets and oats be okay to feed them all once the kid is big enough...or would all-stock and oats work? All-stock is only around $10/50 lb. Where do I find oats?

murkerson · #20 02/27/13, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrisD

They are super cute. Your girls are beautiful!

Thanks