Newbie, 1st kid question

[Georgiamainers]

We have two yearling does -a Togg and and a Sanaan. Irish kidded early Saturday morning. I had the baby monitor on next to my bed because I knew she was close, and went out at 5am to check on her and there was a cutie pie buckling. So THAT was easy (for me anyway.) He's a healthy little squirt and the cutest thing we've ever seen. He's togg/ boer cross.
Mom is doing well.

Trying to figure out a feeding schedule in the coming days. I milked the mom this morning and she nearly broke my nose while getting her up on the stand. But we got 7 oz for our baby boy Mose! Trial run- I have faith she'll do better as she gets used to us. She's a timid girl!

I don't want to bottle feed him. When should I separate him? When will he wean? I want to milk her twice a day if I can (with him still nursing.)
They are all in a large stall together but can be divided with a partition.

Thanks for any tips.

 

[ksalvagno]

Usually if there is one kid, they nurse on one side and the udder looks lopsided. If you are going to milk twice a day, then I would see which side has more and then just milk that side out and maybe milk the nursed side only a little (making sure to leave him some). Once he is a couple weeks old, you can separate them at night and milk her in the am but that little guy really shouldn't be put somewhere alone overnight. With just one, you really could probably just always leave him on mom and milk around him.

Keep in mind that the milk will probably taste funny because it can take up to 2 weeks for all the colostrum to be gone.

You can wean him at 8 weeks.

Congratulations and

 

[dkluzier]

I totally agree with above! With a single we usually have a lop-sided udder and if you don't milk and the kid prefers one side, the unused side will dry up. So take advantage of the extra while it's there for sure

 

[Georgiamainers]

Her udders are very full, I assume it's like us mothers when we have a baby and our udders fill up She probably could stand some relief.

Should I nurse her and freeze the colostrum (not consume it)? I'd like to keep her supply built up. Will it really take a couple of weeks before the colostrum is gone?? How do I tell?

 

[freemotion]

If you heat it up as if pasteurizing it, it will turn to pudding. Or so I've been told. I just taste it in a week.

You can freeze it for future kids but mark which day each bag is from because a kid needing colostrum ideally gets it from day one's milking.

I had a single doeling that had to be separated from her CAE-positive mom and until I was able to get another kid in there with her, she had a heat lamp and a Buff Orpington hen in with her. They are the most gentle and mothering chickens around!

When she was finally out with the herd unattended, sometimes she would choose to be with the hens instead of with the other goats. It was too cute. Now for some reason she bonks the poultry and has zero tolerance for any hens or turkeys that come close to her. Silly goat.

 

[ksalvagno]

Only day 1 colostrum is good for getting the antibodies.

You could always feed it to the chickens or other farm animals you have. You could freeze it for future use if a kid needs to be bottle fed.

You can always taste it daily and see if it tastes good to you. Milk that still has colostrum in it doesn't taste good. Even warm you can taste if the milk is going to taste good or bad. If you don't like warm milk (like me) you just have to get past the warm part and just "taste" the milk itself.