Bottle Feeding

[themorethemerrier]

Okay, all, I need your assistance again. I read the informational post about feeding goats and there's a great part about bottle-feeding, including times and amounts and also a weaning schedule. The post mentions adjusting the amounts mentioned for meat goats and dwarfs. Well I have Nigerian Dwarfs and they are 8 weeks old. I would like to start weaning them. I've been feeding kid milk replacer 3x per day, 7-8 ozs each feeding. I would like to go to 2x but I'm not sure how much to give them each time. And then what about when i go down to 1x?

 

[animalmom]

I hope someone else chimes in here as it has been a few years sine I had any bottle babies...

Are your kids eating anything, grain, pellets, hay? If so then I'd make sure the hay rack was kept full, ease on the grain/pellets and go to a morning and evening bottle with 10 oz each feeding. At that point you are not cutting back much on the milk, just getting them used to not having a lunch bottle. If they are not screaming for the lunch bottle then I'd slowly cut back the quantity on the two bottles back to 7-8 oz.

See how that goes for a couple 2-3 weeks and then drop them to one bottle. If they are eating other things well they may not miss the bottle. I do know YOU will miss the bottles more than the kids. They are in a hurry to grow. I know I missed giving my two little does their bottle... mostly the part where they would fall asleep in my lap. Ah but they do want to be big goats, don't they.

 

[themorethemerrier]

They are doing great eating grass hay and foraging on dried leaves and nibbling on our pine trees. And they're good about eating their Manna Pro minerals.

I've removed the evening bottle and am feeding them 2x per day at 7:30 a.m. and noon. I would love to extend out that second feeding but they are screaming by that point...like they haven't eaten in days. Once they get the second bottle, they seem good until the next morning, content with their hay, etc. I'm doing 10 oz. per kid per feeding. Not sure why they get so vocal after only 4-5 hours in the morning. Just to be sure their tummies make it until morning, I put them to bed with a 1/4 cup of pellets each.

Do I need to change something?

I'm a little concerned about going down to only one bottle here in a couple of weeks...not sure which feeding they will tolerate me removing.

 

[animalmom]

Your routine sounds good to me... works for you and the kids are happy.

When you decide to try just one bottle a day, since your kids seem to miss the lunch wagon the most, then try skipping the breakfast tray. Have no worry that they are going to starve to death regardless of what they say.

So, when you are ready stop the morning bottle and see what the kids do... how much they fuss and how eager they are to see the lunch bottle. If the fussing isn't too much and they mob you for the lunch bottle you could up the lunch bottle an ounce or two and then every other day, or every third day cut back an ounce until you are doing 7-8 oz. At that point stop and see what their reaction is... by that time they may be more interested in other things.

Good luck with your babies... and where are the mandatory pictures?

 

[themorethemerrier]

Thanks!! Someone else suggested giving them a bit of watered-down gatorade just to appease their need to suckle but to also teach them that crying like crazy doesn't get them want they want, when they want. I tried that this morning with ~4 oz. and it seemed to work. This way, I'm hoping I can get them to their normal lunch time (or maybe even a bit later).

Here's a picture of the boys eating from the homemade trough my husband made.

 

[animalmom]

Handsome lads you got there!

 

[lovinglife]

I have heard not to give water from a bottle. They will be fine with no bottle when the time comes. For a couple days they will think they are dying everytime they see you, but that goes away pretty soon. Very cute crew you have there with lots of toys!