Switching from powder replacement to whole milk?

[samandemsmommy]

I am picking up another Nigerian Dwarf tomorrow- he was born 5/7 and will come home as a bottle baby. The lady I am getting him from had started giving him a bottle a week or two ago to get him ready to leave- but she is feeding a powder replacement and I do NOT want to feed that. My other baby gets whole milk. How to I make the switch to this little one without causing upset in digestive system?

 

[Hens and Roos]

congrats on the new one! We have only used whole milk for our bottle babies. I would think if you switched him over slowly till he is getting all whole milk in his bottle that would decrease the chances of him having issues.

@Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @OneFineAcre @babsbag

 

[samandemsmommy]

would i start by doing 1/4 whole milk in with the replacer for a week and then the next week do 1/2 whole and then the 3rd week all whole?

 

[Southern by choice]

I would do the 1/4 for 2 days and if all ok then increase agian, 2 days and so on. If you see issue then give another day or so. Basically if poo gets soft no big deal but hold it there... if diarrhea then back it up.

Usually the switch takes a week... sometimes out of necessity a fast sudden switch needs to happen and they usually do ok.

Don't you have anyone to buy goats milk from?
LOL you are in NC - there is a goat on every corner

Gosh if you were by me I'd give you milk for the kids... we are a "little" behind on using our milk. LOL

BTW how much milk and how many x per day are you feeding?

 

[samandemsmommy]

Hahaha, believe it or not- there are not really a lot of goats around here- or that I know of! Which is strange because we're in the foothills of NC so I'd expect to see more- but nope. lol.
Well with my one goat I have now- he is 10 weeks old- he drank about 6 oz this morning and then I give him another 6 oz at night and during the day he has feed, hay, minerals and water to eat/drink. I'm so new to goats- when the lady told me last week this one we currently have just drinks regular milk I thought OH THANK GOODNESS... but then this new one we get tomorrow she told me he gets powder replacer and I told her I was just gonna feed milk- she kinda acted like that was the worst thing and said no, please don't give that... ? lol

 

[Southern by choice]

Nigerians can be weaned by 8 weeks so the first one should be reduced and taken off milk.
2nd goat is 5 weeks... he really only needs about 2 weeks... if that, unless he is really small.

Powder replacers are

 

[OneFineAcre]

Where exactly are the foothills, I'm guessing east of the mountains ?

 

[samandemsmommy]

I have cut back on his milk- but in the evenings he goes for my fingers and wants to suck on them so I give him a bottle lol

 

[samandemsmommy]

Where exactly are the foothills, I'm guessing east of the mountains ?

we're in Catawba Co

 

[OneFineAcre]

That's Hickory right?