- Thread starter
- #11
mama24
Ridin' The Range
THANK YOU! That's the best advice I think I've gotten so far, it's very good sensible advice. Everyone on my local facebook farming board has been telling me to get them unimilk or hog milk replacer and I kept saying, but but, I have raw goat's milk, that's GOT to be better than processed formula! But they insisted that the goat milk was not good for them. I've been giving it to them anyway and praying it would be enough. I've been adding some half and half to it, even though I milk my goat right into the container I'm feeding the pigs from, doesn't get fresher or more whole fat than that! But I figured the extra fat would be good for them. I also fed the older piglet some puppy kibble b/c I thought it made sense to get the extra calories and protein into the poor little bag of bones. But they said no, no, no! You'll make her too fat feeding her that crap! It's not like I plan on feeding it forever, it's just to put some weight on her and get her some good growing protein....
I fed the 2 girls who are in the barn and doing well some leftovers from brunch---sausage (I know I know, terrible! but good fresh protein! LOL) eggs, zucchini, and fried potatoes. I just brought the bowl of leftovers down, milked my goat on top of it and put it down for them. They ate the whole thing. They can't weigh more than 10 lbs put together, and there were enough leftovers there to feed 2 of my kids! I just gave them another bowl of milk before bed, then I left them with some grain covered in milk. Maybe they didn't finish it, it's possible some chickens got in there and helped, but they had already drunk all of the milk before I even left the barn! Anyway, the 2 girls are up and about and even the tiny skinny girl (the boy's sister) is strong enough now to squeal like crazy and try to push the bigger one out of the food dish. It's pretty funny!
The poor little boy still isn't doing well. All 3 still have diarrhea, but this little guy is skin and bones, literally. I know the other 2 are also way too thin, but he is like a skeleton with some skin and hair.
He's very weak. He has started to recognize me and gets really excited and puts his feet up on the side of the bin I have him in in the house when he hears or sees me coming. I got a baby bottle for him. I put 5oz raw goat's milk, 1 oz evaporated whole milk from a can (I figured the concentrated calories would be good for him) plus a small quirt of corn syrup and maybe a Tbs of half and half. I'm just trying to pack as many calories as I can into what little he is able to take before he gets full, and it isn't much, maybe 1/2-1 oz max at a time. He's still not sucking, but he is happy to see me and after I cut an x in the nipple, he is more able to get some of the milk. He chews on the nipple and swallows. He's doing pretty well with it and isn't making a mess anymore like he was earlier in the day before we got the hang of it. I hope he makes it. I think the girls are going to be ok as long as the diarrhea doesn't get any worse. But this little guy is pretty weak. He's doing a heck of a lot better than he was even this morning, but still not great. He probably drank about 4 oz of the bottle I made up for him today. Not enough, but it's a start!
I'll make sure to pick up some plain yogurt tomorrow at the store to use to make some more out of my goat's milk. I haven't made yogurt in years, but I remember how, it's very easy. No problem! Great idea! And while it's culturing, I can feed them the rest of the container. I have been sprinkling some of my goat's probiotic powder on their food, but yogurt is much better for getting the good bacteria in, like you said. And it also makes the milk more digestible, which is what these poor little things really need.
I fed the 2 girls who are in the barn and doing well some leftovers from brunch---sausage (I know I know, terrible! but good fresh protein! LOL) eggs, zucchini, and fried potatoes. I just brought the bowl of leftovers down, milked my goat on top of it and put it down for them. They ate the whole thing. They can't weigh more than 10 lbs put together, and there were enough leftovers there to feed 2 of my kids! I just gave them another bowl of milk before bed, then I left them with some grain covered in milk. Maybe they didn't finish it, it's possible some chickens got in there and helped, but they had already drunk all of the milk before I even left the barn! Anyway, the 2 girls are up and about and even the tiny skinny girl (the boy's sister) is strong enough now to squeal like crazy and try to push the bigger one out of the food dish. It's pretty funny!
The poor little boy still isn't doing well. All 3 still have diarrhea, but this little guy is skin and bones, literally. I know the other 2 are also way too thin, but he is like a skeleton with some skin and hair.
He's very weak. He has started to recognize me and gets really excited and puts his feet up on the side of the bin I have him in in the house when he hears or sees me coming. I got a baby bottle for him. I put 5oz raw goat's milk, 1 oz evaporated whole milk from a can (I figured the concentrated calories would be good for him) plus a small quirt of corn syrup and maybe a Tbs of half and half. I'm just trying to pack as many calories as I can into what little he is able to take before he gets full, and it isn't much, maybe 1/2-1 oz max at a time. He's still not sucking, but he is happy to see me and after I cut an x in the nipple, he is more able to get some of the milk. He chews on the nipple and swallows. He's doing pretty well with it and isn't making a mess anymore like he was earlier in the day before we got the hang of it. I hope he makes it. I think the girls are going to be ok as long as the diarrhea doesn't get any worse. But this little guy is pretty weak. He's doing a heck of a lot better than he was even this morning, but still not great. He probably drank about 4 oz of the bottle I made up for him today. Not enough, but it's a start!I'll make sure to pick up some plain yogurt tomorrow at the store to use to make some more out of my goat's milk. I haven't made yogurt in years, but I remember how, it's very easy. No problem! Great idea! And while it's culturing, I can feed them the rest of the container. I have been sprinkling some of my goat's probiotic powder on their food, but yogurt is much better for getting the good bacteria in, like you said. And it also makes the milk more digestible, which is what these poor little things really need.
