# At what age do babies generally start being interested in grain, etc?



## want less (Feb 28, 2013)

We've been following the Fias Co Farms with our mama LaMancha and her doeling (she only had one). We started separating them at night when baby turned 2 weeks and that is going well. We've been leaving a handful of grain in the stall with baby (along with water, a little hay, etc) every night.

Baby is 3 weeks old today and I'm seeing no evidence that she's interested in the grain. It still looks like the same amount in the feeder when I go out in the morning. She's a BIG doeling, and with no sibling competition during the day she is getting all the milk she wants. She looks great and is VERY active lol

I cant really find any info pertaining to when baby should start showing interest in grain... she nibbles all kinds of things during the day... dirt, grass, sticks, etc. so I assume it will come in time. In general, when do they start being interested in grain?

*Edited to add: I dont know how this got posted in the diseases section... opps.*  I'll repost it in the feeding area. How do I delete this one?


----------



## Mamaboid (Feb 28, 2013)

Mine started nibbling hay after about 3 days.  At 5 weeks, they are eating grain and hay readily.  We haven't started separating them at night yet, cause it is just too darn cold here for me to want to milk.  Hopefully that will change in the next week or two.


----------



## ksalvagno (Feb 28, 2013)

Mine usually start nibbling at 2 weeks old. But she will get it. They aren't truly eating down grain at that point.


----------



## larryj57 (Feb 28, 2013)

We have meat goats who stay feeding on their months for up to 6 months ,but i have seen them eat grain and hay at about 2 weeks.


----------



## larryj57 (Feb 28, 2013)

I meant to say Feeding on their Moms. Sorry I got fat fingered there


----------



## OneFineAcre (Feb 28, 2013)

If she's getting all the milk she wants from Mom when they are together, I would not be concerned.

They start nibbling things at a couple of weeks old, mostly imitating their moms and the other goats.

Don't really start truly eating hay and grain til 4-6 weeks and then not much


----------



## Renegade (Feb 28, 2013)

We have one now trying to eat moms food. She is 6 days old. She was nibbling hay at 3 days. She's a singleton and I know she's getting enough milk. She's just a little piglet.

Donna


----------



## julieq (Mar 1, 2013)

Our bottle kids are about two weeks old and are now nibbling on alfalfa hay.  We don't offer grain to our kids at all, as they're plenty fat with just the alfalfa.  Our does get introduced to grain on the milk stand (slowly), but that's it.


----------



## secuono (Mar 1, 2013)

If they are anything like sheep....

My lamb ewe just started to be interested in oats, just a bit. She's almost a year old, but still very uninterested, she prefers hay and grass...
I'd say, if you hand feed grains while they are babies and growing up, then they will love the stuff. But mine didn't see grains until she was about 9mo old. Other sheep go after it like crazy, but she just stares at them and walks off for grass.


----------



## bonbean01 (Mar 1, 2013)

Sheep here too...and our lambs start copying their Moms and nibble hay within 3 days of birth...at two weeks they are at the feeder like chow hounds eating the sheep/lamb pellets with their Moms.  They tend to choke when they eat so quickly which scares the heck out of us...so...we have the pellets wet with water which slows them all down and no one chokes being a piggy.  All the while, nursing on their knees as they are growing so quickly.  They also will check out the water with a few sips within a week too...besides milk, hay is available all the time...can't wait for green grass, although that means strict timing on that to avoid bloat at the beginning.


----------



## elevan (Mar 2, 2013)

want less said:
			
		

> *Edited to add: I dont know how this got posted in the diseases section... opps.*  I'll repost it in the feeding area. How do I delete this one?


This has been moved to the feeding section...please do not repost.  Report your own thread and ask it to be moved if you ever post in the wrong area.  Thanks!


----------



## goatboy1973 (Mar 9, 2013)

My Spanish goat kids usually start nibbling at feed at 2 weeks of age. My kids are now a month old and are eating a good bit of feed and getting all the milk they want and then some. Same with the hay.


----------



## SillyChicken (Mar 11, 2013)

How do you encourage a bottle baby to start on other foods?   Mine has pellets, grain, loose minerals and hay in his pen but he won't touch it.   I have been taking him outside to explore and he all wants to do is nibble dirt.  How long do I need to bottle feed?  I was told 6 to 8 wks.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Mar 11, 2013)

They learn a lot from their mom's or being in a group.  they will be later if their are no other goats to teach them what to it. Just keep putting out a little each day. I would start cutting them back on number of bottles at 7 weeks but keep them on at least one bottle a day, while they learn to eat grain and hay, ect... Alfalfa hay is good for young kids, it offers a lot of protein.  Mine start eating grain at 2 or 3 weeks, by 5 weeks they are running for it.  I would suspect you will see an increase by 6 to 7 weeks of his interest in other foods.  Just a little young still.


----------

