weanign goats, vet's advice

[FarmerDenise]

I just found out from our vet, who also does 4H, that it is better for goats to stay on milk for at least 12 weeks. He said that the 8 -10 weak weaning is driven by large scale agriculture and is not neccessarily for optimum health for the baby.
He has his 4H kids feed milk to their goats, sheep and calves for about 4 months. He has even put weaned babies back on milk.

He thinks they are healthier and in case they go off their feed, they will usually still take the milk.

He also stated that at the time of weaning, the babies will experiment more with other foodstuff, and can get sick from it. They are looking for something to substitue for the milk feeding. Like in eating something poisonous. Especially bottle babies, since they don't have a momma to teach them what to eat and not to eat. He said goats are the worst.

One of our baby goats (Blossom) is in the hospital now, she is very sick. If I had know this before, I would not have been weaning her and we might have prevented this incident.

We are putting our goats back on their former schedule of milk. Flower was happy to get her full bottle and is resting quietly.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[DonnaBelle]

Well, number 1, you are lucky you have a vet that knows something about goats.

Here's hoping all will be well with your babies. I too have 7 week old kids who are still nursing. I give them a little grain, and they have free access to alfalfa hay and brouse.

We are getting about a quart of milk in the morning and about a half quart in the evenings, plenty for DH and myself.

I get the most pleasure from watching my little goatie babies play on the new gym set we made from a large telephone cable spool and some boards, they are a hoot. They like to run from the barn to the play set, run across all in a line, then back to the barn. I can see them from my kitchen window, I love my little goaties!!

DonnaBelle

 

[()relics]

the best age to wean would be in the 60 to 100 day range, if the kid is being dam raised. If a creep feed is available the kid will begin to supplement their daily milk intake with the offered feed concentrate long before the weaning age.
After reading your post, I noticed that nowhere in it was the well-being of the dam considered. After 80 or so days a kid really starts to deplete the does stored resources, and unless you are "very heavily feeding" a doe will begin to lose condition quickly. Left unweaned for 4 months the doe would be horribly stressed and a prime candidate for health problems of her own. Granted the kid may enjoy the long weaning periods but consider the doe. She will need to be brought back into shape both nutritionally and healthwise before she will be able to be rebred. A vet is trained to "fix" animals not feed them, that would be a nutritionist job....JMO...again this is based on a dam raised kid, if you are bottle feeding the kid, I guess you could continue forever if you liked with no "ill effects" to the kid, except they would never develop a rumen....again JMO

 

[mossyStone]

I bottle feed my babies till 5 mos or so, By the time we get to that age it's one 20 oz bottle at night, my kids are robust and happy.. I dont like to rush them, they have access to free choice Alfalfa hay and mim mix, fresh water and 3 acres of goodies to find and eat..This works for me I work from home and have plenty of time to take bottles down to them and lots of milk...

Mossy Stone Farm

 

[FarmerDenise]

the best age to wean would be in the 60 to 100 day range, if the kid is being dam raised. If a creep feed is available the kid will begin to supplement their daily milk intake with the offered feed concentrate long before the weaning age.
After reading your post, I noticed that nowhere in it was the well-being of the dam considered. After 80 or so days a kid really starts to deplete the does stored resources, and unless you are "very heavily feeding" a doe will begin to lose condition quickly. Left unweaned for 4 months the doe would be horribly stressed and a prime candidate for health problems of her own. Granted the kid may enjoy the long weaning periods but consider the doe. She will need to be brought back into shape both nutritionally and healthwise before she will be able to be rebred. A vet is trained to "fix" animals not feed them, that would be a nutritionist job....JMO...again this is based on a dam raised kid, if you are bottle feeding the kid, I guess you could continue forever if you liked with no "ill effects" to the kid, except they would never develop a rumen....again JMO

No where in my post does it suggest to feed the baby goats milk only. The vet recommended that especially with bottle babies that they be fed their bottles til at least 12 weeks. That does not say they shouldn't be getting grain and hay. A doe or cow will usually push the baby away, when it is old enough to be on it's own. There are no doubt times when human intervention is needed, but animals have survived without human interference for eons.
No-one has to seperate a baby deer from it's mother, it happens. I am sure the same goes for goats etc.

I have my goats for milk for personal consumption and for pets. I am not going to worry about high milk production. With two goats I am sure I will have enough milk for my families needs without having to push my goats. I will take my vets advice. Especially since he has goats of his own and does 4H.

 

[haviris]

I agree w/ the vet. I rarely wean keeper kids before 12 weeks. I do often wean sell kids earlier (10 weeks) and yes it's for selfish reason, the new owners want to bring their kids home, I understand that, but I also don't let the kid go unless I'm sure they are ready (and I've never had a doe drug down by her kids, if it's more then I think she can handle I'll pull and bottle feed).

 

[()relics]

No-one has to seperate a baby deer from it's mother, it happens. I am sure the same goes for goats etc.

....

Just an FYI...a fawn leaves its mother because the doe dries up and doesn't produce any more milk because she doesn't have access to a feed concentrate and her body begins degrade from the added strain of lactation....Calves have to be seperated when they are weaned or they will continue to nurse which keeps the cow from recycling for the next years calf. A goat usually has adequate feed provided and will continue to lactate even as it body condition degrades.....Better check the math...60 - 100 days = 9- 14 weeks which also = 2 - 3+ months...

 

[chels24]

No offense ()relics but your post came across kind of rude.

Anyway, I have had goats for several years now and I've never had a problem with a doe losing condition. My does don't kid until late spring so they have lots of pasture. I also make sure they have mineral at all times, so maybe that helps. I know a lot of other breeders who wait until 12 weeks to wean especially doelings.
To each their own!

 

[freemotion]

Thanks FD, this confirms what my instincts have been telling me! I have been waffling, but now I will keep them both going at least three months.

I really don't see how the doe can go down more than if someone milked her twice a day for a year or more.....Yes, they can lose condition, but they will if people are milking them, too. Of course, they can be fed more easily as individuals on the milking stand.

 

[Roll farms]

I never wean before 12 weeks, and this year the keeper girls got 14-15 weeks worth (just one bottle a day) b/c I wanted to see how they did.

I used a weight tape on 4 kids mid May.
2-December kids - bottle raised, 81 and 83#
1-January kid - bottle raised, 65#
1-January kid - dam reared, 51# (bought from breeder, weaned at 3 mos.)

All are % Boers.

I think it depends on the breed of the goat, as far as how an extended lactation will affect them.

Dairy goats are 'built' to produce / lactate long term, so after the first couple of months of adjustment, providing they get enough grain, they will build back up to good condition AND produce w/out it effecting them.

Boers / pygmies / Kikos, etc. aren't 'built' to produce long term, so I can see how, over time, too long of a lactation could wear them down if not given supplementation.

With dairy goats, we *know* we have to feed them well to get the milk, since the milk is the whole point.

With meat goats, the purpose *should* be to get the most meat for the least $ input possible (that's mho, btw...) so, you feed the moms long enough to get kids weaned, then put them on pasture asap to fatten everyone up, rather than keep dumping grain at them.

I think it's just different points of view (meat vs. dairy), beef cattle aren't raised / fed the same as dairy cattle.