Got My Baby Today (:

MaryW · #1 01/06/05, 04:40 PM

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][B] Got my new baby today. This morning when I went out, I found that she was just born. Boy, am I glad no problems. It's a little girl. I just am so happy that all is well. I have looked at everything and all looks well. A friend says that I should worn my mother now. I guess Ill go to the CoOp in the morning to find out what is best. I am new at this and i'd like to do things right so all goes well. the little one looks a week old and is standing so good. I could have not asked for anything any better. She had the baby fine no problems at all. Seems to be so proud too. Should I let baby stay on mom or should I milk her to feed her. I got the mom to have a milk goat. I was thinking to leave the littleone a few days then milk her and give the baby the milk. Thing is how much is too much to feed the littleone? Should I give her as much as she will drink? Somebody help like I said I'm new and so excited. Can't wait till I have more babys. You think I should buy another littleone to put on her too?

elly_may · #2 01/06/05, 06:23 PM

Glad that all went ok and that your doe and little one are doing fine.

If it were my kid, I would leave her on the doe (unless of course the doe has tested positive for CAE). Since she only had the one kid, chance of the doe rejecting it for feeding are pretty slim.

If for some reason you would want to bottle feed, do not overfeed her on milk. A lot of first timers learn the hard way (I certainly did). It is best to give frequent small feedings than all she can drink at fewer. What happens is the overload of milk in their stomach upsets it, they have a hard time 'digesting', the milk curdles and leads to acidosis of the fourth stomach.

When the baby sucks, the milk goes right to the fourth stomach and from there to the intestines. If the milk goes to the rumen, that can cause some problems too as the rumen is not functional at such an early age. I believe the rumen takes about 8 to 10 weeks to be fully functional where they can start eating hay.

My bottle feeding routine is:

birth to 2 weeks- 3 to 4 ounces, 6 times a day
2 weeks to 6 weeks - 4 ounces, 5 times a day
6 weeks to 12 weeks- 4 ounces, 3 times a day

6 to 8 weeks I put hay and baking soda free choice for them to start nibbling on.

I would prefer kids left on the does (as the old saying goes 'momma knows best'). The doe knows when to feed and when to wean. Mother Nature really knows her stuff (lol).

I am sure others will jump in with their feeding routine as well.

Tracy in Idaho · #3 01/06/05, 07:54 PM

Trish, what kind of goats do you have? My Alpines would starve!

Mine will take a 20 oz bottle three or four times a day. They usually aren't totally full, so maybe more like 16-18 oz.

what I actually do is make a 20 oz bottle of colostrum for each kid. That may take 3-4 feedings to get through the first day or so. By the time they are a few days old, they will take pretty much that amount at a single feeding. They are all on lambars after a couple of days, and the first week (or sometimes two) they get fed 3 times a day, then I go right to twice a day. They get all they can eat at a sitting on the lambars as long as I have enough milk. If I am tight on milk, girls eat first. Boys get what's left. I've had no problems since I started doing it this way. I would try cold milk free choice if I lived somewhere it wouldn't freeze solid.

Tracy

Sondra Peterson · #4 01/06/05, 08:12 PM

Even my mini's and ningi's get basically the same as Tracy has stated. Only the first 2 to 4 days and usually then it starts off with 2 to 4 oz a feeding every 3 or 4 hrs 1st day and then as they increase the amount I increase the spread of time.
However because of what your statement says and that you indeed went out and found the baby. (you weren't there to pull this baby immediately from mom) then the kid has already drank from mom. So I would leave the kid on mom after 2 wks put the baby up at night milk the mom in the morning and put the baby back with mom. You have the best of both worlds. NO BOTTLE FEEDING and milk for your family, plus you only have to milk once a day. Also if your going to be gone for any reason then just leave baby with mom.

MaryW · #5 01/07/05, 05:05 AM

Elly_May you say to take the baby from mom? I thought I was to leave it with her. Now I guess this means that she will smash it. Boy, hope she is fine this morning. I can't wait till daylight to see. Are you telling me to seperate for how long and how many times a day? Sorry for all the questions I'm new to being a first time mom. Oh! what the worming the Mom? What do I give and when? Got to get the stuff today. Help!

#6 01/07/05, 06:57 AM

I would leave baby on mom exclusively for two weeks then separate mom and baby for a few hours and start milking mom just once a day then reunite momma and baby. She'll give you plenty of milk for the table unless you have more than 5 in your family or a baby. Be sure to spend time holding the baby goat so she learns to trust (and adore) you . She will likely grow faster be healthier and eat hay, grain and chew cud more quickly if left to nurse her mom. I do both bottlefeeding and natural rearing and I think the natural babies do better but its important to handle them so they dont become wild.