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Post By Cyngbaeld
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Post By Backfourty,MI.
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Post By Pony
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06/02/13, 08:09 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: W NY
Posts: 1,282
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? For those who dam raise
I have a pair of bucklings and a pair of doelings. The bucks were nursing from a doe who is being treated for mastitis. One buckling jumped out of the stall and was nursing from her. I moved the boys to a stall where they can get in with the does now.
My question is the doelings. They steal a meal from any doe! How long must I keep them separated and off nursing altogether before I can let the run with the does and not have them nurse?
Should I just let them all run together and let the does wean them? They are 11 and 12 weeks old.
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06/02/13, 08:48 AM
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homesteader
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: SE Missouri
Posts: 28,248
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Tape the does' teats and keep them milked out. You may need to milk 3 or 4 times a day. If the does are full and uncomfortable they will let the kids nurse.
__________________
I believe in God's willingness to heal.
Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)
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06/02/13, 08:59 AM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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Some persistent kids take six months to get over the urge to nurse.
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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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06/02/13, 09:29 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: W NY
Posts: 1,282
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So I just need to let the little demons steal my milk!
They are gunna be soooo happy!
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06/02/13, 09:43 AM
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aka avdpas77
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: central Missouri
Posts: 3,416
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SJSFarm
So I just need to let the little demons steal my milk!
They are gunna be soooo happy!
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Nope, they are just not going to let you steal all of theirs 
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06/02/13, 10:23 AM
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homesteader
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: SE Missouri
Posts: 28,248
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That is one of the reasons I prefer to bottle raise. You have so much more control over when to wean and how much milk the kids are getting. You are able to keep closer watch on the does and catch potential problems earlier. Also, if you are wanting to do CAE prevention, you need to bottle feed. Biggest, to me is that I don't have time to sit and play with kids, but a few minutes twice a day, feeding them, bonds them to me rather than to their dams. The rest of their lives they are easier to work with. You can dam raise and spend a LOT of time with the kids, taming them, but bottle raising is actually easier.
__________________
I believe in God's willingness to heal.
Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)
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06/02/13, 11:42 AM
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Katie
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Twining, Mi.
Posts: 19,930
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If they are doelings I'm keeping i do let the dam wean them naturally. So far I've never had any nurse too long, usually by 5 months they are done.
If I want the milk I separate the babies from momma at night, milk out in the morning then put the kids back with her.
If I'm selling the kids I sell them when I feel they are old enough to be weaned & I either milk doe after that or make sure she doesn't get engorged if I want to let her dry up. By the time the babies are weaning age she isn't letting them drink all the time anyways.
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06/02/13, 12:41 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,807
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I've done both: dam raise and bottle feed. Six of one, half-dozen of the other, in my experience.
We have not had to spend huge chunks of time socializing the kids. This year, we're doing what Katie described: Pen the kids at night, milk, turn the kids loose. We're all happy campers.
The two doelings Trub had this year are incredibly friendly after just a few minutes a day of talking to/holding them. They come CHARGING up to us, wanting scritches and cuddles. Never saw a Pritchard nipple, but they still like us. <shrug>
Go figger.
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Je ne suis pas Alice
http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/
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06/02/13, 01:24 PM
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II Corinthians 5:7
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8,102
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I always let kids bond with and nurse their dam for the first couple of weeks; then when I want to start milking, I do what others in here do, i.e. lock kids in a little holding pen where they can see their dam but not get to her. After milking the next morning, all are let out to roam together. The kids get milk off and on all day while I wind up with the night's milk. All good!
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06/02/13, 02:36 PM
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Katie
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Twining, Mi.
Posts: 19,930
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pony
I've done both: dam raise and bottle feed. Six of one, half-dozen of the other, in my experience.
We have not had to spend huge chunks of time socializing the kids. This year, we're doing what Katie described: Pen the kids at night, milk, turn the kids loose. We're all happy campers.
The two doelings Trub had this year are incredibly friendly after just a few minutes a day of talking to/holding them. They come CHARGING up to us, wanting scritches and cuddles. Never saw a Pritchard nipple, but they still like us. <shrug>
Go figger.
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Our babies this year are almost 4 weeks old & didn't spend the time with them like we usually do because of putting up knew pasture fencing, etc. & I can't go in with the goats without them climbing & jumping all over me. I don't think goats have to be bottle fed to be friendly either.
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06/02/13, 03:48 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,807
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.
Our babies this year are almost 4 weeks old & didn't spend the time with them like we usually do because of putting up knew pasture fencing, etc. & I can't go in with the goats without them climbing & jumping all over me. I don't think goats have to be bottle fed to be friendly either.
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LOL! Katie, you're just a sweet, loving person, and all your goats know it!
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Je ne suis pas Alice
http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/
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06/02/13, 10:04 PM
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homesteader
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: SE Missouri
Posts: 28,248
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My experience has been that dam raised kids are harder to train to milk and harder all around to handle. I've also had dam raised kids that were nursing at a yr old and mama wouldn't kick them off. It is a real pain to deal with, but some people think bottle feeding is more trouble, so it is really however you want to manage your herd.
__________________
I believe in God's willingness to heal.
Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)
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