Taking kids from a skittish doe? Need opinions

[Alibo]

Anyone have experience with keeping kids close and only returning them to mom to nurse? It seems a little cruel to mom... what do you think?

 

[NH homesteader]

I don't know, but it seems like the kids tend to nurse briefly when nursing from mom, rather than eating a lot at a time when bottle feeding. So might be hard to make sure they're getting enough? Might make mom grumpy too.

 

[Alibo]

@Goatgirl47 had suggested they do it with her cows, so do cows nurse longer and not take little sips like goats or is it just because they have to? I do not need mom anymore upset with me haha she is getting good at anticipating when I am going after her kids. The only way they will come close to me is if I am holding on to mom

 

[NH homesteader]

Hmm... I will let someone with more experience answer that! I'm not sure. Are you planning on keeping mom and kids?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I see no problems with separating them for a bit.

When we dam raise our dairy kids, after a week or so we separate them (for a few hours) and let them have "play time" together with the other bottle babies. I'll even get some of the kids to take a bottle. Just make sure the pen (with the kids) is close to the dam. Ours is right up against where the momma's live.

Another thought- next year, when your doe is due to kid maybe you should consider pulling at birth (if possible). If you take the kids away the moment they are born (have someone clean else clean them) let the dam lick and clean you. YOU need to become her kid, those "mommy hormones" should kick in and the doe very well might bond to you.
We pull from most of our dairy girls and it is a sight to see, they think I'm their kid. Several of them are OCD moms and will follow me everywhere All our girls are friendly and easy too handle as it is, but it is a hoot when they think you're their kid.
Might be worth a try anyway.

 

[babsbag]

I pull kids at one or two weeks and keep them in a pen next to mom and they stay there until they take a bottle then I let them go back and do it again the next day. Sometimes I pull entirely, it just depends. I have found that timid does raise timid kids unless you pull them. Of course you have to milk mom too if you don't want her to dry up.

 

[Alibo]

Planning on keeping both sisters and mom. I like the idea of keeping in sight but seperated from mom and then returning after they take a bottle. Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I will try this method for another week and then assess again. What would the milking schedule be like for mom? Right now I milk every morning, should I keep kids with her at night and milk in the evening before returning them? Or is there a way I can milk 2x?

 

[Alibo]

So I think "daycare" might actually work. The two girls have been on our front porch most of the afternoon. Got Twilight, the smaller doeling to take the bottle and they are not running for their lives everything I reach for them. Just kind of hunching and slinking away. Milked mom after I took them to fill a bottle, got about a cup and then will milk her again before I give them back

 

[Alibo]

Still having problems posting pictures, the site is saying they are too large, but I have never had an issue before. Anyone know how to shrink the file size of pictures on a galaxy s7? Lol

 

[NH homesteader]

I think a lot of people are having the same issue.