6 week old Pygmy?NiGi doelings - how much grain per day?

[happyhensny]

Holy moley! One site says 1/2 cup 2 x day another says up to 3 cups per day. We have the Purina Sweet goat feed, it has been VERY cold here (10-20*). They have free choice hay with alfalfa in it. Any help I would GREATLY appreciate. Thanks!

 

[()relics]

Generally a 6 week old goat kid is still drinking, if not from its mother, then from a bottle. Did you buy them as weaned kids that are positively eating solid food?

 

[happyhensny]

Yes, the lady I bought them from said that the mother was "kicking" them away and had been eating hay and grain. I have had them since Thursday night, giving them hay and almost a cup of grain a day. All the grain has been gone in the evening for 2 days. My first time with goats and it seems all the info I am reading is so condtradictory! I thought I had read enough before getting them but them I read all these different opinions! UGH! I even went on the Purina site and they give NO info on quantity of feed per day.

 

[Roll farms]

The half cup 2x a day sounds close to what I would feed...but like relics I also wonder, are they still getting milk?
Keep the hay in front of them in this cold weather.

 

[happyhensny]

Absolutely about the hay, I just put a new bale in there and they went right to it and starting picking at it before I could get some in the rack! Should I be giving them milk too? If so, do you know where I could find info on bottle feeding? The woman said they do not need any. She had about 10 kids and 7 or so Mothers in one big stall in her barn.

 

[()relics]

I know I like to wean kids early but 35 days seems a WAY too early to me.

 

[happyhensny]

Ok, if they only had mothers milk for who knows how long, where do I start? Cows milk, whole? Baby bottle? Frequency? I certainly do not want to not have the girls get what they need. Why did the woman say they were fine without milk! I hate being a newbie...

 

[()relics]

Ok Roll Farms takes over here...She bottle feeds 20-35(?) kids a year....She can answer any question you throw at her or him depending on which Roll is on-line...

 

[happyhensny]

Thank you so much! Makes me sad to think they do need more than I have been giving.

 

[Roll farms]

If they're eating grain well (and it sounds like they are) I probably wouldn't start them on milk again. They may scour if you do...and weaning them in 4-6 weeks will stress them out.
I was concerned about if they were weaned suddenly / getting enough grain in.
Sounds like they are.