Two weeks old.

[MountNFarm]

So we did the 'idiot' thing and got the goats before we had the goat shelter and fence fully installed. Oh man. I now have two 2-week-old does, one an alpine and one an alpine-saanen cross. The 'breeder' we got them from said she was giving them about 10-12 ounces of warmed whole milk twice a day. Everywhere that I have read says that they should be having more frequent and smaller feedings. They also have a small amount of grain given to them(but they don't have top teeth yet) and have all the hay they want. What should I be feeding them and how much/how often?
Also, I am completely new to goat-raising so any advice and tips, constructive criticism, etc is welcomed!

 

[MountNFarm]

While I am thinking about it, she didn't say anything about water.... what are the water requirements for a 2 week old?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

They will never have top teeth! They have a hard dental pad instead of teeth on the top. That's one reason why a correctly aligned bite is so important.

 

[MountNFarm]

*gasp* they don't get top teeth?!? I thought I had defective goats!!!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Water should always be out free choice, fresh, and warmer than frozen.

Personally, I would do 4 bottles a day for large breed baby goats for another few weeks, then cut down to 3, but I only had one baby boer and she was 7 weeks when I got her, so I didn't have to do more than 2 a day......

I would offer alfalfa pellets and hay, free choice, small amount for them to taste test as they get curious, but I wouldn't expect them to eat appreciable amounts of those just yet.....

Read lots of posts to find more info......

 

[elevan]

Read this: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=586-baby-goat-info

 

[meme]

Babies don't really need grain, especially when they are that youg. At two weeks old, we were still feeding 3x a day. And no, your goats are not defective.

 

[NaturesPace]

top front teeth. they have molars.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Good point NP - top front teeth... cuz those molars can do some damage to a finger if they start chewing on you!