Need some help with Nigerian Dwarf bottle babies

[animalmom]

I'd put out hay for your boy now. If he is sampling grass then he will probably sample the hay too. I don't offer grain to my kids until they are weaned, but that's just the way I do it.

I don't have any advise on the doeling.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I would put hay and a small bowl of goat pellets out for the kid to start on as soon as he wants to try it.

As for the doeling, your other kid will need a friend anyway so you need another goat one way or another. Alot of holding and attention makes for great friendly goats, preferably started younger than older, but when she is 8 weeks or so and comes back to you, you will have the chance to bond. When my human kids were home, we regularly "tamed baby goats". Basically we held them on our laps for one or 2 tv shows or movies at a time. They would fuss for the first 10 minutes or so, but usually by the 4th time or so, they realized we were just gonna hold them and watch the shows so they would settle down and would be tame as can be out in the yard.

I know you are stressed right now, but if you can get your kids through the here and now and try to settle into things in a few weeks when they are both home, you will find they are wonderful little creatures! I am a fullblown goat addict. They are the naughty children of the animal world, but so worth the antics and the fun. They are a wonderful distraction from everything you ever wanted to be distracted from.

 

[dejavoodoo114]

I would give a refund myself if something like this came up especially to be sure the kids went to the right home. However, I also make sure nothing like this ever comes up... I agree with @ragdollcatlady that even weaned the girl will be able to be attache to you. BUT, if you no longer feel as if the girl is a good fit, ask the breeder if she would refund you the money. They can only say no. Just don't forget, you really need more than one goat for them to be happy! (and you )

 

[Jenn27]

I start putting out grains as soon as I notice them being curious about what mom is eating. I also put the hay on the ground a few times a week for all of my goats and at some point the kids will start to eat it, as well.

 

[Kathi Davis]

Everything @Goat Whisperer said but she forgot to mention- sometimes if all conditions are met- playtime, vitamins etc and it is strictly she won't take a bottle you can train her to drink from a bowl.
Also make sure the milk is very warm VERY! If it is cool or lukewarm they usually don't take it. Milk cools very quickly in the bottles.

The jumpstart is a real good thing to give.
Not having any background info the kids may be somewhat deficient or birthing issues could have made them weak.

NEVER try to feed any kid if the mouth is cold. If you put your finger in their mouth and it is cold DO NOT FEED. Warm the kid first check mouth and then try to feed.

The doeling may benefit from having some goat drench (available at tsc) rubbed on her gums.

@Southern by choice is correct about the feeding out of a bowl. I had one kid last year that nothing I did would get him to eat. I finally just dumped in a bucket and stuck his nose in it. He went to town from there. Sometimes the nipples just don't feel right or they just don't like the rubber taste.

 

[Kathi Davis]

When we bottle fed last year we made a mixture of store bought milk here is the recipe we got from a local breeder.
1 Gallon Whole Milk
½ Gallon Buttermilk
1 12-ounce Can Evaporated Milk

Here’s how to mix the ingredients:

Pour out 2 cups of Whole Milk into a bowl. Add 1 cup of Buttermilk and 1 can of evaporated milk to Whole Milk jug. Put cap back on Whole Milk and shake to mix ingredients. Pour appropriate amount of milk into bottle and place bottle in pot of warm/hot water to warm up milk. Refrigerate remaining Whole Milk mixture and unused ingredients.

If this causes the babies to start to scour a little bit, we found that adding one egg to the mixture helps quickly. If scouring continues for more than just a few days, consult your local vet! Scouring should not be taken lightly.

Ours loved it and I was told that it is just as good if not better than some of the replacements that you buy. Ours never had a problem except for one did get scours but once we added an egg he was good as gold.

 

[Kathi Davis]

The buckling is 4.5 lbs and the doeling is 5.5 lbs.

They were part of triplets but I only took the two.

I do think the buckling ate too much yesterday and that is why he is laying off today.

Yes, they are living in my house. I have them in a pack and play with puppy pads and tons of warm blankets. Then I have a larger puppy pen that offers them room to walk around with puppy pads and blankets. I also take them outside a couple times a day, and bring them around the outer part of my goat paddock (so that they aren't directly in with each other) which seems to comfort them.

They are acting normal otherwise, running around, hopping, nibbling at the ground.

I took their temps about an hour ago, the boy was 101.6 and the girl was 102.1

I got them both to suck down a couple of sips but nothing major or anything that would make me feel better, it wasn't even a full ounce.

When I asked the breeder just about how many times and how many ounces should I feed, she told me every four to five times every 3-4 hours but not overnight. Then when I asked how much she told me as much as they want. I was confused, I mean I know as babies they need all they can get but I know overfeeding can be a huge issue. I asked again and she just kept saying just let them eat and eat until they don't want it anymore. So, I never got a definitive amount, that's why when they were only taking about 1-3 ounces each feeding I was freaking out because I was never told how much these types of goats intake. Also, when she told me no overnight feedings and they were only two days when I got them, that concerned me... maybe I'm wrong but I just felt like those tiny little babies needed something overnight, so I was offering it and if they took it I obviously allowed them to have it.

I had been searching for a buckling to add to my herd for a while, this wasn't just a whim decision. I had done my research and talked to people, but the funny thing is everyone told me "Bottle feeding baby goats is such a joy and so easy, they will be super friendly in the end so it's definitely worth it." No one tells you that it may go downhill and that sometimes it doesn't always work out with the bottle right away. Obviously, I took all that into consideration, just like any animal that you may purchase, but the breeder made me feel super confident that it would go smoothly. Like I said I have bottle fed many puppies, I felt like with my experience in that, that I could handle this. Which I can, it's just been kinda scary and very stressful.

It was kind of odd to me that she didn't take them off the bottle once she had an inquiry. She listed them on a site saying they were born last night and when I contacted her she told me they were ok to go the next day. So, they were with their mom for 2 days. I assured her that I was very interested and would be coming out to get him, that's why I'm wondering why she didn't take him off mom then and start him on the bottle. If it didn't work out when she tried it, she could have told me he doesn't have the handle of it yet and to wait. I recall every other breeder I talked to telling me that if I was interested to let them know ASAP so they can pull the baby off mom and start them on the bottle for me.

The boy still hasn't pooped today that I have seen, may have to do an enema as the breeder suggested. I have been using baby wipes to stimulate the area to make him go, no luck today.

Anyway, thank you very much for all the information, it has been very helpful and I will probably be making a run to TSC tonight to try some of those things out. Breeder told me to wait until 8-9 pm to try and feed again but don't exceed 4 feedings. We'll see how it goes!

m700 believe me it will be well worth it. You will have shadows that never leave your side. LOL. Ours followed us everywhere and were so noisy. They even loved helping me weed the garden except they loved to taste everything so I had to scold them every once in a while. Just remember to breathe. It will all work out in the end.