How much milk is too much? Help!

[MaryZoe]

Hello, I've read all about how dangerous it is to overfeed kids, and I've checked the recommended feeding schedules for baby goats, but my week old mini-Nubians act like they're starving still when I feed the suggested quantities. Should I feed them as much as they seem to want, or cut them off at the 6 - 7 oz. point?

 

[dejavoodoo114]

Well, that is really up to you. Kids are pigs. I will sometimes add more, especially for the larger kids. But I watch their stool carefully. I can tell if I am feeding too much milk if their stool starts getting loose. I don't let it get to the point where they have scours. If you want to increase it some I would suggest doing it slowly and keeping a very close eye on their stool. That way you can adjust accordingly. Then you can decide if you want to feed on a specific schedule or let them figure it out.

Honestly, by the time my kids are 3-4 weeks, I am feeding them all (within the same age) out of a bucket or pan. I have done this for 3 years now and have not had problems. They fight each other to get to the milk and the stronger ones can/will push the others out of the way. I have found this much easier and haven't ended up with scours or any other issues even though I add plenty of extra milk to take care of the slower drinkers. I switched to this because we had too many kids for bottle feeding with out a lot of human help.

 

[MaryZoe]

Thanks. I will increase their feedings slowly; I feel bad when they continue to bump me and their bottles are empty. And I'll watch their stool carefully. Thank you for the feeding help.