Ready or Not....... Shouldvknwnbetter- Fall

[Hens and Roos]

The kids handle the feedings during the day- with supervision- I get up at night and do those feedings.I have to set my alarm as they don't make much(if any) noise at all right now.

As soon as they see the bottle come out all 3 of them are opening their mouths up and looking for the milk.

 

[OneFineAcre]

That's great

 

[Hens and Roos]

one question we have with the bottle kids- do we need to give them any plain yogurt in their milk to help prevent stomach upset? They are getting goat milk from our other does. We didn't with Rascal(our 1st kid)

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I usually use raw goats milk from my own goats. I just feed it straight up, warmed to just comfortable on my wrist, like for a human baby.

When using store bought pasteurized cows milk, I do add some plain yogurt with live cultures, as well as cream for added calories.

If you heat treat/pasteurize your goats milk at home I would add some too.

 

[Hens and Roos]

I usually use raw goats milk from my own goats. I just feed it straight up, warmed to just comfortable on my wrist, like for a human baby.

When using store bought pasteurized cows milk, I do add some plain yogurt with live cultures, as well as cream for added calories.

If you heat treat/pasteurize your goats milk at home I would add some too.

okay, our goat milk is raw, fed straight up and warmed like you mentioned!

 

[Hens and Roos]

This morning when I went outside to check Maggie and the 2 kids with her- I noticed that since kidding she hasn't been interested in eating the sweet feed but had picked out the alfalfa pellets from the food. I picked some of the feed up in my hand, offered it to her, she sniffed but turned her head away. Out of curiosity, I offered her a small amount of 16 % medicated goat pellets we have for the younger kids- she cleaned those right up.....is there any reason we can't feed her these for now?

 

[Latestarter]

IMHO, "most" animals know what they need and what they don't. She must want something that's in that particular feed mix. It's not that she's a pig; eating everything in sight... there's something there. Since (I believe) you said you wouldn't be drinking the milk, but feeding it to the kids, I don't think the "medicated" would be an issue... and 16% protein should be adequate for her milk production... I'd say go for it... But then, what do I know?

 

[Hens and Roos]

my main concerns right now are
1. getting Maggie interested in eating more-as she has 2 kids nursing her- it will be weeks before we even consider milking her-
2. making sure the 3 bottle kids are eating enough to gain weight- without overfeeding- we are feeding them goat milk from our other does

 

[OneFineAcre]

Do you have alfalfa hay ?

 

[Hens and Roos]

Do you have alfalfa hay ?

yes, I am feeding alfalfa mixed in with the other hay we are feeding(we get it from a friend who has horses). She is eating some of it.