i just bought a mama goat with a 10 day old kid at her side . the mama won't let the baby nurse -- keeps moving away or butting him with her head . I'm a first time goat owner and would really like some suggestions . everyone has given me different milk formulas-- its really confusing on what to use. thanks Jo

-- jo shutes (toadshutes@yahoo.com), September 14, 2000

Answers

The best would be to milk the mother & feed the kid. If you can't do that, buy a goat replacer or a lamb milk replacer to feed it. Those are powder that you mix with water.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), September 14, 2000.

I didn't have enough milk this spring and I augmented the goats milk with whole cow milk from the store with no problems. it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the milk replacers and an awful lot of the milk replacers have animal by product in them which you need to watch especially in goats.

Is this a dairy goat, or a meat goat? I ask because there is also concern about CAE if you want to keep the kid. Good luck!

-- Doreen (liberty546@hotmail.com), September 14, 2000.

We have a big Nubian that won't let any of her's nurse, my husband holds her still and we put the teat in the kids mouth to nurse, you will probably have to hold the teat for it till it gets strong enough to hold itself, it will die soon if you don't get it some milk, how has it lived this long, if it's 10 days old? The Nubian is so big I just put her in her stanchion and put the kids up there to suck, she doesn't give my husband much trouble so he just holds her still. We tried milking her at first and putting it in a bottle for the kids to suck but they didn't do well like that and were weak, so I syringe fed them some to get some strength in them , then put the teat in their mouth, but you can't force it,they kind of have to think it's their idea. It takes a lot of work and patience to do this and the mama may eventually let it nurse. Are you sure it's not nursing and your just not seeing it? Carol in Tx

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 14, 2000.

thanks for all your help

-- Jo Shutes (toadshutes@yahoo.com), September 15, 2000.

Jo, Let us know what happens o.k. I for one am interested how everything turns out. Why did these people give you the goat and kid? Carol

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 15, 2000.

Sorry my mistake, I thought they gave you the goat. Carol

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 16, 2000.