# Getting baby goat soon need some advice



## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

I have a few questions about baby goats,
like how old must they be before I can separate them from their mother and How much does it cost to vaccinate them.


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

you _CAN_ seperate a newborn from the dam right away(though it is not reccommended). It is best if the kid stays with her at least for that first week so it gets all the colustrum it needs. The powdered stuff just isn't the same, and doesn't carry the antibodies that the kid will get from the dam.
Vaccination cost will differ quite a bit depending on where you live, and whether you are doing the vaccinations or having a vet do them.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

> you _CAN_ seperate a newborn from the dam right away(though it is not reccommended). It is best if the kid stays with her at least for that first week so it gets all the colustrum it needs. The powdered stuff just isn't the same, and doesn't carry the antibodies that the kid will get from the dam.
> Vaccination cost will differ quite a bit depending on where you live, and whether you are doing the vaccinations or having a vet do them.


Hey, she's 3 weeks old right now do you think I could pick her up at that age and bottle feed her?


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

oh, I live in Florida and wanted and idea of the price if a veterinarian did the vaccinations.


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## redtailgal (Apr 29, 2011)

.................


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

Definitely! She _might_ have loose stools for a day or two(you can add electrolytes to her bottle as a precautionary measure)... but yes, she can definitely be started on a bottle now!  Land O Lakes comes highly reccommended by me, and others, if you will be using a milk replacer. Just don't use the "Kid Milk Replacer" in the blue bag from TSC... it has bugs in it(at least the bag I got from them did).

ETA(Edited To Add): By the way,  &


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

wow, thanks for the helpful information.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

> Definitely! She _might_ have loose stools for a day or two(you can add electrolytes to her bottle as a precautionary measure)... but yes, she can definitely be started on a bottle now!  Land O Lakes comes highly reccommended by me, and others, if you will be using a milk replacer. Just don't use the "Kid Milk Replacer" in the blue bag from TSC... it has bugs in it(at least the bag I got from them did).
> 
> ETA(Edited To Add): By the way,  &


Land o Lakes milk! what kind half and half or whole? lol xD


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:
			
		

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  No, not the milk or cream  They make a milk replacer powder(like baby formula for goats) click here  to view it & read up on it.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

where can I buy this milk replacer?


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:
			
		

> where can I buy this milk replacer?


You can buy direct from Land O Lakes, I can get it in VT, but other than that, I am not sure...  maybe someone will chime in with other places to get it...  I hope!


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

what about whole milk from the store cow milk?


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## elevan (Apr 29, 2011)

I don't bottle feed so let me get that out of the way right now...

There are many here who swear by regular old whole cow's milk and advise against using replacers.

Next almost all breeders and experts do not recommend bottle feeding a dam raised kid unless the dam dies or has udder issues.  Transitioning to a bottle can cause immense stress on the kid and could cause you problems.

I would highly recommend that you wait until the person you are getting your goat from weans the goat (recommended at 8 wks, but I've know breeders that do this at 5 wks but it is not what's best for the kid).  I know you're excited but you want a healthy goat kid more than anything.

Spending time with your goat after weaning can give you a goat that is just as lovable as a bottle baby.

Best of luck to you and welcome to BYH!


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

There are members of this forum who have been using whole milk from the store with little to no issues...  I personally have not used cow's milk.

I prefer my kids to be dam raised, and if a kid is rejected, then I use milk replacer or milk a doe and give that milk to the rejected baby.  My personal belief is that when it comes to animals, it is best to not give one species' milk to another species.  Again, that is just my personal belief. And I have nothing against anyone who chooses to use whole cow's milk.


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## elevan (Apr 29, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

> There are members of this forum who have been using whole milk from the store with little to no issues...  I personally have not used cow's milk.
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> I prefer my kids to be dam raised, and if a kid is rejected, then I use milk replacer or milk a doe and give that milk to the rejected baby.  My personal belief is that when it comes to animals, it is best to not give one species' milk to another species.  Again, that is just my personal belief. And I have nothing against anyone who chooses to use whole cow's milk.


I completely respect your personal choice in this.

We (humans) drink other species milk (cow and goat)...so I really don't see a difference.  Cow milk is considered a universal replacement milk.  That's my opinion.


However, my biggest concern is that it looks like CottonDandyBubbleFun wants to pull a kid from their dam just so that they can bottle feed it and that would not be what is best for the kid.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

> I don't bottle feed so let me get that out of the way right now...
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> There are many here who swear by regular old whole cow's milk and advise against using replacers.
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Sounds like a better Idea. I just hope she will still be attached to me.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

I just didn't know it would harm the goat to seperate it from it's mother and bottle feed her, my grandma just offered me the goat. and it is really cute I just thought maybe we would build a stronger bound together if I bottle fed her I'll wait until she is 8 weeks old then.


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:
			
		

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I will say, my little doeling Cali is the most personable goat out of our herd, and she was dam raised. If you have Black Oil Sunflower Seeds she will climb over you to get to them! and she still(even in her late pregnancy attitude) will come over for a good cuddle. So there is nothing to fear about keeping/building the connection.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

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yea, I'll w8 until she gets all the nutrition from nursing b4 I take her home <3


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 29, 2011)

I hope she gets along with my chickens in the backyard lol, my chickens are sweethearts tho so it should be fine.


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 29, 2011)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:
			
		

> I hope she gets along with my chickens in the backyard lol, my chickens are sweethearts tho so it should be fine.


I have found that my goats and chickens have quite the symbiotic relationship. the chickens eat the goat poop..  , and the goats give the chickens warmth over winter!


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## Roll farms (Apr 29, 2011)

This probably doesn't really matter to you, Livinwright...
Replacers are made w/ cow milk, not goat milk....
So even when you're feeding a kid replacer...you're giving it cow milk.  Processed, reconstituted (and chock full of additives) cow milk to boot.
Just an FYI....

To the OP...pulling a kid from it's dam early once she's been feeding it is hard on everyone...the kid, the dam, and the new owner of the kid who can't get it to take the bottle b/c it's used to the 'real thing'.  If it starts on mom, and she's feeding it / healthy....it's generally best to end on mom, in my experience.

As long as you handle her and love on her a lot when you get her, she should still adore you.  My first goats were dam raised, I snookered them into taking bottles of milk after I brought them home and they thought I was the bees knees.

As far as pulling kids vs. dam rearing, it depends on who you're talking to as to what's recommended / best.

Everyone has their ways of doing things.  
I'm not one to say what's best for others, only offer opinions on what I know to be true from experience earned from years of doing this.

I pull at birth, raise them on heat treated colostrum / pasteurized milk w/ a bottle, and they do just fine.   My does don't suffer weaning stress (they bond to me instead of their kids), the kids don't miss what they never met, and I get all the milk I want.  

When I have more kids than milk to go around, I use whole milk from the store.  If bought on sale / as cheaply as possible, it costs less than good replacers.  Cheap replacers can be had...but the problems w/ them aren't worth the money saved.

For those who aren't blessed w/ a lot of time to spend milking / bottling, or just don't want to.... then dam rearing is best.

As far as colostrum absorption, which isn't relevant in your situation, but was mentioned earlier...They can only absorb antibodies for the first 24 - 36 hours.  After that time period passes, colostrum is not beneficial.


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## babsbag (Apr 30, 2011)

My chickens and goats get along just fine. The chickens actually ride on the goat's back, it is really cute. I have new kids on the ground and the does will chase the chickens off when they get to close to the kids, but that is just them being protectives moms. There is absolutely no aggression between the species.

You might want to think about 2 goats. They really are herd animals and need company of their own kind. 

Good luck with you new baby.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 30, 2011)

Pulling a kid at 3 weeks when it's not necessary to do so is WAY more trouble than I'd volunteer for.  Bottle rejection is a serious matter.  I know it seems like common sense that if an animal was hungry enough it would take the bottle, but it just isn't always the case.  I do bottle raise, but I pull them around 24 hours old.  Roll's method of pulling them at birth is different from how we do it, but also backed up by sound reasoning IMO.  I feed cow's milk from the grocery store if goat's milk is in short supply.  I've never fed replacer.

Yes, chickens and goats can live together BUT you risk contamination of your goat's environment.  Chickens have a habit of roosting and pooping in places you'd prefer they didn't.  They can quite easily track parasites and bacteria from the ground into the feed by hanging out on the manger and scratching around in your goat's feed trough with dirty feet.  This includes cocci which is of particular importance for your new baby.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2011)

I 3rd and 4th the opinion of not pulling a 3 week old kid from mom, unless mom is sick and you have to. 

 8 weeks is a good age to wean, I would also make sure the farm the kid is on has spent 2 addtional weeks adjusting the kid to feed/pasture after weaning and then go pick up the kid and find out what they have been feeding him, offer to buy some grain from them and a bale of hay so the kid has the same type of food, or find out what exact feed they are using and go buy that at the feed store, then transition the kid over a 2 or 3 week time period to the kind you wish to purchase, or what is available in your area. 

Land O' lakes milk replacer for goats has worked well for us,  As well as whole milk, but I avoid bottle feeding, we dam raise as many kids as possible. This year 32 kids on 16 mom's and not a single bottle baby. That is what I call a fantastic year for us. 

As far as bonding to the kid, they will do that just fine after they are weaned, we show a few of ours at the fair, and we often don't start working with them until they are 2 or 3 months old, giving us another 3 months or so for the fair, and they do just fine.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2011)

as far as the cost to vaccinate, Are you going to have a vet do it? then probably 15 or 20 a shot per goat, plus  a vet visit, so I would imagine 6 0 or 70 bucks,  I would call and price around, we have one vet in our area that doesn't charge for an office visit, if you say all I want is a vaccination of...... they will charge you just for the shot ($15)

If you do it yourself, it is 5 or 6 dollars for a small bottle of CD&T and then another dollar for a needle and syringe. If you can't do it, maybe a friend can or a local farmer could help you. Find out if the people you are buying the goats from has already done it, they should have had 2 shots 21 days apart. But then they would still need one shot every year as a booster.  

Don't let you goats eat your chicken feed, not very good for them.

Plan on getting goat feed, goat minerals and hay for them.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (Apr 30, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> as far as the cost to vaccinate, Are you going to have a vet do it? then probably 15 or 20 a shot per goat, plus  a vet visit, so I would imagine 6 0 or 70 bucks,  I would call and price around, we have one vet in our area that doesn't charge for an office visit, if you say all I want is a vaccination of...... they will charge you just for the shot ($15)
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> If you do it yourself, it is 5 or 6 dollars for a small bottle of CD&T and then another dollar for a needle and syringe. If you can't do it, maybe a friend can or a local farmer could help you. Find out if the people you are buying the goats from has already done it, they should have had 2 shots 21 days apart. But then they would still need one shot every year as a booster.
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Thanks for the info <3


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 30, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> as far as the cost to vaccinate, Are you going to have a vet do it? then probably 15 or 20 a shot per goat, plus  a vet visit, so I would imagine 6 0 or 70 bucks,  I would call and price around, we have one vet in our area that doesn't charge for an office visit, if you say all I want is a vaccination of...... they will charge you just for the shot ($15)
> 
> If you do it yourself, it is 5 or 6 dollars for a small bottle of CD&T and then another dollar for a needle and syringe. If you can't do it, maybe a friend can or a local farmer could help you. Find out if the people you are buying the goats from has already done it, they should have had 2 shots 21 days apart. But then they would still need one shot every year as a booster.
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In my area having a vet do it will cost between $80-110(shot+office visit)
Oh, plus the 2 hr drive round trip's worth of gas expended.
Given that the livestock world of medicine it is backwards from the domestic pet world of medicine, it is definitely cheaper to buy the vaccinations, syringes, and needles(18-22) you will need and just do it yourself. there are people who can come and do the first vacc. for you and show you how & where to do it too. We are going this route. and we are only giving the CD&T... _we want our herd as natural as possible, but still healthy._ 
I agree about the chickens in goat feed/goats in chicken feed & pooping on the goats thing. To prevent this, my family has put up tongue & groove boards over the goats' stalls(the nests are to the front of this "wall" until we build the hen barn), the chicken's feeder goes on top of this platform, the goats are individually fed(usuing 2 bin wall mounted mineral feeders), and the hay feeder is built in such a way as to discourage nesting(occassionally a hen will find her way in and lay an egg(never found any poop) and I move that section of hay to the nesting boxes).


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## elevan (Apr 30, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

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I will reiterate that I do not bottle feed and that all of my kids are dam raised.  My goats are raised primarily as pet stock and are very affectionate.

The method to obtain a loveable goat that this dam raised is lots of individual attention as a kid.  Simple as that.  Getting your goat weaned doesn't hinder your ability to make her/him affectionate.  Start by keeping her in a stall for the first week in the barn or a small pen.  Spend lots of time with her.  After the first week allow short times outside for foraging and reward with lots of affection after returning to her stall.  Do that for another week.  At the end of two weeks you should have an affectionate goat that is able to forage most of the day and will seek out your affection.  This is how I handle "taming" kids that are bought and brought to the farm...it also takes care of the quarantine time for me 

eta:  My chickens and goats get along great!


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 30, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

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  Exactly!


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