Embarassing Question to Ask

[gdana2]

I picked up a pair of one month old doelings on Saturday. Teaching them to bottle feed is proving difficult with one. They both were feeding off their mother. One drinks milk very well, while the other eats more hay.

I have an embarrassing question to ask.

I have not seen them poop yet. They have both peeed many times but no poop. They are both being bottled fed with goat's milk, but probably not their own mothers. Is this something that I should concerned with?

Activity level is normal, they run and jump and play. Is it just them getting used to their new surroundings or could it be constipation?

 

[dhansen]

They have to be pooping, or else they would not be acting normal. You may just have missed it.

 

[mossyStone]

I have 2 babies here atm, one is dam raised one i'm bottle raiesing they are all living together, i have only seen them poo once.. If your babies are running about playing eating well, i wouldnt worry!

Mossy Stone Pygora's and Nubians

Bantam Marans, Muscovie Ducks, Red Bourboun Turkeys

 

[gdana2]

What signs of unnormal activity should I be looking for?

 

[ksalvagno]

They would be lethargic. Probably not willing to eat.

If you really feel you need to know, just give them an enema. It won't hurt anything.

 

[helmstead]

And shame on the breeder for handing you two 1 month olds as bottle babies that had been dam raised to that point. It's nearly impossible to get them on the bottle at that age...

You might just offer the milk in a bucket...

 

[cmjust0]

And shame on the breeder for handing you two 1 month olds as bottle babies that had been dam raised to that point. It's nearly impossible to get them on the bottle at that age...

You might just offer the milk in a bucket...

I agree.. You've been set up to fail, IMO.

My suggestion would be:

This nipple, plus
an old-school (as in, 'requires a bottle opener') 12oz glass soda bottle..the thicker the glass, the better...plus
lots and lots of patience.

The caprine-supply 'lambar' style nipples are fantastic, and will pop right down on the top of a bottle.. And a thick glass soda bottle, if preheated (put it in some hot water), will hold the temperature of the milk much longer than a plastic soda bottle. With a fussy kid that struggles and struggles, being able to hold the milk temperature up as long as possible is of the utmost importance. My experience is that it doesn't take a very long battle before milk begins to cool in a plastic bottle to the point that most kids would reject it....and then you don't know if the kid's rejecting the whole shooting match, or just cool milk.

You might also try getting the kid's head tucked up under the crook of the back of your knee (you're seated, obviously), where it can't necessarily see what's going on. It's more like being up under mama that way...more natural...less threatening.

 

[gdana2]

On the contrary, we have very good success bottle feeding these kids. We had one of them learn to bottle feed on the first attempt. The other kid took a day to train. My problem is they are drink different amounts of milk. Is it normal for kids to begin the trasition to hay at this early of an age?

 

[cmjust0]

Teaching them to bottle feed is proving difficult with one. They both were feeding off their mother. One drinks milk very well, while the other eats more hay.

On the contrary, we have very good success bottle feeding these kids. We had one of them learn to bottle feed on the first attempt. The other kid took a day to train.

Seriously...I had to go back to make sure these two posts were the same person.




To answer your question, as best I understand it...yes. They should definitely be eating around on hay at a month old. If it's taking a bottle also, I'd let it eat all the hay it wants.

 

[gdana2]

Thnak you for answering my questions.