Help with weaning...Me or the goats?

[SDGsoap&dairy]

You couldn't PAY me to bottle feed a 90 lb buckling! Seriously, what everyone else said. They sure look fat and happy, but I suspect that if you left it up to the goats to decide before long you'd be bottle feeding at 150 lb buck!

Also, I've used a squirt bottle to train my does to respect my space at the gate. I can't STAND it when they rush the gate at feeding time so unless they back up about 2 feet they get squirted right in the face. Might sound mean but they learned fast.

 

[cmjust0]

sucky bucket

I think I saw them play in Cincinnatti in the mid '90s.. Hell of a show.

 

[Chicos Mama]

Thank You all for handeling me with humor and wonderful advice! Today is a new beggining...*Big Gulp*...
Left hand in the air...Right hand on the "Goat Mama" Bible...I swear NO MORE MILK BOTTLES! I am going to try the cold water only for a few days ( because they already like warm water from a bottle) and NO MORE TREATS!....WELLLL....O.K. only on occasion. I promise to stay vigilate and true to my course! AMEN!

Oh ya...
I tried the squirt bottle idea yesterday to stop Violet from head-butting my big bay window in my front....and IT WORKED! Of course not without the "dirty looks" and huffing...boy was she confused!
Chico is my next project with the water bucket...now THAT should be fun..haha, I`ll take Pictures!
But seriously, Thank you all again and I will keep you posted on OUR progress!

 

[glenolam]

Good luck! Stick with it...if you need assistance or people to snap you back into place, you know where to find us!

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Good for you!!! Take the dirty looks with a grain of salt!! They will get over it....and they'll love you more for it!!!

 

[Mea]

sucky bucket

I think I saw them play in Cincinnatti in the mid '90s.. Hell of a show.

Yup. opening act for * Bleating Hearts * .



:bun

 

[Ariel301]

Here are my $.02 for what they might be worth...


Weaning... When ours reach "The Time".... we will continue to offer them ...water... in the bottle ( or sucky bucket ) Over several days we switch to cold water. That , somehow, seems to make it "Their choice" not to nurse.

Hahaha I don't know if that trick would work on mine. I weaned my new buckling "cold turkey" and then a few weeks later, took him on a hiking trip. My husband had the bright idea of taking water along for him in a baby bottle so he could drink it easier than trying to suck it from a regular water bottle and we would not have to carry a bucket...but apparently ice-water from a baby bottle is a great treat on a warm day! Now Baruch is biting at my fingers, feet, ankles, knees, etc again and butting at me to get his bottle like he used to, any time I go in his pen.

Some are really loud at weaning time. I had a screamer this year; we were actually afraid to go outside and have him see us, because that is what would start him, and then he would scream horribly for hours, nonstop! He settled down after a month, though he is still very whiney. You just have to put up with it, though. And it sounds like your goats have learned that they run the household, not you. Time to put a stop to that! I suggest making them their own pen so they cannot chase your guests or bang on your doors/windows and you may have to get very tough on the male about his aggression. If you cannot flip him, you should try a squirt of water or vinegar to the face, it might or might not help. We have a buck that has gotten mean for no obvious reason, and he attacks me any time I go in the pen without a stick/shovel/broom handle to hit him with. He is bigger than me, so that is really the only thing I can do to defend myself until we send him to the freezer. I hope yours straightens up, a dangerous goat, especially with horns, is not an animal you want around!

 

[Chicos Mama]

O.K. a quick update...
It has been 1 week without MILK BOTTLES
On the down side...They LOVE their cold water bottles because you have to remember that I live in Arizona with 115 degrees here latley
Sooo... as of today I have not given them any bottles and they arent crying or fussing, but they do keep going over to the feeding table, sniffin` and looking around every 5 mins. or so as if to tell me" Mama havent you forgotten something?" So i decided to sit here and write to all of you to help stop the guilt & withdrawl feeling I am having...but Im holding strong!!
Chico and Violet are doing amazing with the squirt water bottle trick as well! No More head-butting the windows and Chico actually is being a very well mannered gentleman when guests come over! (As long as he sees Mama with the lil` pink bottle! )
No more Corn chips either...just a few peices of fruit from my orchard a day, Peaches, Apricots and Tomatoes! They Love, love, love Tomatoes!
Thank you all so very much again, I was lost but now I am found!!!
Kudos to all of you!

 

[PJisaMom]

Congratulations!!!! Sounds like you are doing fabulously!

 

[DonnaBelle]

And I thought I was the biggest goat spoiler in the world, I can't hold a candle to you.

DonnaBelle