1st time owner - bottle baby

[Starlight4Leah]

We have not had much of a problem getting any of our kids or lambs to take a bottle so long as they are healthy. I would say within the first 2-3hrs or so they were just fine taking a bottle.

All of ours have been healthy, vet checked and all, maybe its the bottle/nipple that we use to bottle feed ours, because they always fight us.

 

[Starlight4Leah]

When were these kids removed from the dam?

I raised ~20 last spring and over 20 this year. All took the bottle strong soon after being born. But most of these kids are removed from the dam right after they are born. It's much harder when the kid has been on the dam for a while.

The first set we got were around 3 weeks old, and this last one that we did was two days old.

 

[misfitmorgan]

All of ours have been healthy, vet checked and all, maybe its the bottle/nipple that we use to bottle feed ours, because they always fight us.

I dont know we have used the transparent nipples you stick on a pop bottle from TSC and a regular baby bottle without really noticing a difference. i will say i know some people who swear by the pritchard nipples ony and also Hubby has way better luck getting them started then me lol.

Best trick i have found is to hold them along my side, with my arm over their withers and my hand under their chin, then open their mouth and stick the nipple inside. The important part here is dont let them get their head off the nipple...then we gently squeeze the bottle so they know there is milk in it and they usually will start sucking on their own in a couple minutes. The really stubborn ones we wait for an hour and try again. I have also definitely noticed if we put goat milk in the bottle or even cow milk instead of formula they take to it a lot easier. Then after a day or so we swap to formula if we dont have goat milk.

 

[Starlight4Leah]

I dont know we have used the transparent nipples you stick on a pop bottle from TSC and a regular baby bottle without really noticing a difference. i will say i know some people who swear by the pritchard nipples ony and also Hubby has way better luck getting them started then me lol.

Best trick i have found is to hold them along my side, with my arm over their withers and my hand under their chin, then open their mouth and stick the nipple inside. The important part here is dont let them get their head off the nipple...then we gently squeeze the bottle so they know there is milk in it and they usually will start sucking on their own in a couple minutes. The really stubborn ones we wait for an hour and try again. I have also definitely noticed if we put goat milk in the bottle or even cow milk instead of formula they take to it a lot easier. Then after a day or so we swap to formula if we dont have goat milk.

Yes, that's how my mom starts them on the bottle. We always buy the goat formula from TSC, and use the screw on red nipples from there as well. We know a friend that used a regular bottle baby and nipple, and it worked excellent for him.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Yes, that's how my mom starts them on the bottle. We always buy the goat formula from TSC, and use the screw on red nipples from there as well. We know a friend that used a regular bottle baby and nipple, and it worked excellent for him.

The screw on red ones are the pitchard nipples...ive never used them but i know lamb and goat breeders that wont use anything else. We get goat formula from TSC too but you will get them on a bottle way easier with goat milk or just regular full fat cow milk you buy at the store. Ours would almost rather die it seems then drink the formula when they are first starting out.

 

[Starlight4Leah]

The screw on red ones are the pitchard nipples...ive never used them but i know lamb and goat breeders that wont use anything else. We get goat formula from TSC too but you will get them on a bottle way easier with goat milk or just regular full fat cow milk you buy at the store. Ours would almost rather die it seems then drink the formula when they are first starting out.

That's how ours would be until they realized its all they would get. I never thought of giving them cows milk, that's a neat idea.

 

[misfitmorgan]

That's how ours would be until they realized its all they would get. I never thought of giving them cows milk, that's a neat idea.

The old timers used to use cow's milk for orphan goats, a lot of goat breeders actually still use just full fat cows milk for goats the entire time they are bottle raising them and report no ill effects they can tell. We use cows milk straight if we dont have goats milk and then slowly switch over to formula. We do prefer goats milk since it has a higher fat content though. We hate the formula but use it when we have too.

 

[Fullhousefarm]

I'd just make sure you get them from a reputable breeder who is willing to mentor you. Start with their schedule- (unless it's just ridiculous somehow, like feeding a week old twice a day)

I don't sell many goats as bottle babies since I normally dam raise, but when I do I usually keep them for the first two weeks to make sure they are taking the bottle, disbudded, and started well. I highly encourage goat milk for at least the first four weeks, then a slow change if switching to cows milk or goat milk replacer. By two weeks they are usually on 3-4 bottles a day and not eating overnight. I only feed in the middle of the night the first 1-3 nights depending on the baby/timing of birth. A normal three day old gets a late bottle at 10/11pm right before I go to bed, and an "early" bottle before chores, usually around 7. I start all bottle babies (1 lb Nigerians or 9# Lamanchas) on Prichard nipples. I switch the larger breed goats to bigger lambar nipples around two weeks most of the time but the Nigerians wean off the Pritchards.

I'd consider a day old bottle baby to a goat experienced home- but as a smaller scale breeder I don't have any "need" to sell babies right away. Usually my bottle babies I sell are 3rd or 4th babies out of triplets and quads.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I'd just make sure you get them from a reputable breeder who is willing to mentor you. Start with their schedule- (unless it's just ridiculous somehow, like feeding a week old twice a day)

I don't sell many goats as bottle babies since I normally dam raise, but when I do I usually keep them for the first two weeks to make sure they are taking the bottle, disbudded, and started well. I highly encourage goat milk for at least the first four weeks, then a slow change if switching to cows milk or goat milk replacer. By two weeks they are usually on 3-4 bottles a day and not eating overnight. I only feed in the middle of the night the first 1-3 nights depending on the baby/timing of birth. A normal three day old gets a late bottle at 10/11pm right before I go to bed, and an "early" bottle before chores, usually around 7. I start all bottle babies (1 lb Nigerians or 9# Lamanchas) on Prichard nipples. I switch the larger breed goats to bigger lambar nipples around two weeks most of the time but the Nigerians wean off the Pritchards.

I'd consider a day old bottle baby to a goat experienced home- but as a smaller scale breeder I don't have any "need" to sell babies right away. Usually my bottle babies I sell are 3rd or 4th babies out of triplets and quads.

Pretty much the same thing for us. We dont really sell anything kids under 6 weeks old because we dont have too, there is plenty of room. As i mentioned we always prefer goat milk but it isnt always available.

 

[WingAcres]

Thanks again all, definitely lots of good reading. No idea if we'll have a bottle baby but hopefully we find out soon - breeder said his dam? is expected to kid this week. He's keeping all the does, so far 4 babies and all does. I'm getting anxious so fingers crossed for a buck this time!