# reintroducing bottle babies to the herd



## bettybohemian (May 28, 2011)

Orchid was born on the 18 of this month, limp as a dish rag. She could not YourLinkGoesHere  stand for her first 48 hours and had to be tube fed. By day three however she was standing fine, albeit still wobbly, and taking a bottle.   By her 5fth day, she was coming around so I started putting her up with the other kids ( 2 nigis,  3 days older) at night and bring her in during the day.

Now, she's in the doe pen with the gentler of my goats for an hour or so and goes out with the herd to browse for about an hour. The Saxon I don't leave her penned is because she's so small she walks right through
The panels and strays off.

Anyway- with the exception of the kids and their dam she ignores the goats, preferring to call for me then go off to sleep when I ignore her. Her dam also ignores the herd even though she was not Bottle fed.

Am I going about this the right way? From your experience,  how long did it take before your bottle baby joined in the herd?


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## rockdoveranch (May 28, 2011)

We have hair sheep, but I will share my experiences.

Our first bottle baby was a ram lamb born January 2009.  We kept him in the house with us and took him for romps outside.  My the time he was 2 months old he was going through the fence to be with the ewes and the other babies.  When he got too big to go through the fence we left him out there and called him for bottle feeding.  We fed him through the fence.  

In April of that year we had another bottle baby, a ewe lamb.  She stayed in the house with us until she was 3 1/2 months old.  I had to put her outside when I could not keep her off the bed.  She has NEVER integrated into the ewe herd and stayed by our doors.  We eventually locked her up with a Dorper ram in a pasture she could not escape from.  She had a lab with him earlier this year that we had to supplement him with a bottle.  They both are locked up with the ewe and their current babies at night, but when we turn them out they both hang around the house and sleep next to the dog yard.

Our current bottle baby born on April 20 was never allowed in the house.  We kept her closed up with the ewe herd and their babies in the over night pasture which is 3+ acres.  We did not turn the sheep out for several days.  Although her mother and the other ewes beat her up for awhile she stays with the herd and plays with the other babies.  In the beginning she looked really lost, but she held her own.  At bottle time I call her and she comes running for a bottle.  If she follows me back to the house I just go in and she turns around and finds the herd.

The ewe herd currently has 19 ewes and 9 babies.


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## rockdoveranch (May 28, 2011)

P.S.

I just went outside to feed the rabbits and put the chickens up.  As soon as I opened the door, April, our April 2009 bottle baby and her son came running up with the chickens looking for a hand out.

Later this evening when I go to put the sheep up the herd will be to the east of our house and I will have to call April to join me.  She and her son will come running looking for another hand out.  This time she will get feed.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 28, 2011)

She sounds like a normal bottle baby to me.  One of the reasons I try not to bottle feed, and if I have to I try to leave them in the barn with other goats as much as possible. She will come around with time the more you are able to leave her out there.


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## bettybohemian (May 30, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> She sounds like a normal bottle baby to me.  One of the reasons I try not to bottle feed, and if I have to I try to leave them in the barn with other goats as much as possible. She will come around with time the more you are able to leave her out there.


She's coming around. Today was her second day outside. I Have to run away, literally, when her bottles out or she'll run out and follow me. But if I run away she can't find me quick enough and decoders to follow someone else. She did well! She still ignores the adults but does follow/ play with the two kids I pen her with at night.

I think after I move I'll build a kid infirm in the goat house so I can keep the babes outside.  Its less heart breaking for me ( man I got attached to that little gal!) And easier for the babes to adjust.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 31, 2011)

bettybohemian said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
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Keeping them in the barn is a good idea, We don't bring any of them in the house any more, We have a sick area out in the barn, for even the weakest of kids.  We have meat goats, and we have to be careful that our children don't get too attached to any of them. So i understand what you are saying about getting attached when they are in the house.


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## jodief100 (May 31, 2011)

I never bring mine in the house unless I must to get them warmed up or something.  As soon as they are better, back out they go.  I try and avoid bottle babies so I only have them in emergencies.  

They stay in kidding stall where they can smell and hear the other goats but are safe from them.  Once they are strong enought to run around and get away about a week or two I let them out with the herd.  They have plenty of hiding places where the big goats can't fit.   

It works for me, but I have never had more than two at any time.  I find with this method they learn to graze and eat grain faster because they learn from the other goats.


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