# Advice on weaning kids...pulling them cold turkey??



## Georgiamainers (May 26, 2011)

Our oldest buck kid is 10 weeks and the twin bucks will soon be 8 weeks.  We built a pen today in the back of our wood shed near the mamas and separated them-everyone is pretty content.  It turned out great!  

The kids have been eating hay and kid starter grain for a few weeks, with access to mom during the day.  After separating them today,  we tried to give them a bottle of mom's milk.   They got a little, but didn't show much interest. 

 Should we keep trying with the bottle or let them go straight to grain and hay?  We are keeping one buck for fall breeding and banding the twins.  They are all for meat (boer cross) this fall.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (May 26, 2011)

When my buckling was about 10-12 wks I just pulled him off his dam cold turkey. He screamed for a day or two but then was fine.


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## ksalvagno (May 26, 2011)

I have been pulling mine cold turkey since they are sold and going to their new homes.


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## happydodgefarm6113 (May 26, 2011)

I am a newbie to goats but when we bought our two sibling buck and doeling 5 weeks ago they where dam fed not bottle babies and were started on grain and hay at 6 weeks and we brought them home at 8 weeks. They would not take bottles and went cold turkey off milk. They did not fuss or become deconditioned at all. We always made sure they had warm clean water and they are doing great. No change in poo or weight loss. Good luck.


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## aggieterpkatie (May 27, 2011)

Just pull them. It's actually better to move the dams to a new location so it's not as stressful on the babies, but I've done it both ways.  Don't worry about bottling them if you're going to wean them, that would just confuse them and prolong weaning.


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