we have an orphan goat and need help with what type replacement milk we should be using. baby is one week with slight diahrrea.

-- jim hayes (jhayes5959@yahoo.com), November 11, 2000

Answers

If there is any way you can get it, goat milk is the best.

-- rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 11, 2000.

Feed stores have all types. I have used the powdered milk that comes in boxes for people and never had a problem. But goats need stronger milk than other babies. The mixing directions are on the bags for different baby animals, I have used Uni-milk ok too. We use Scour- halt or Kaolin for the runnies. Be Careful not too much.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), November 11, 2000.

Hi Jim,

At a week old I would be very careful as their rumens are still very sensitive. i would try a good goat milk replacer or better yet, try going to egroups, http://www.egroups.com, subscribe to a dairy goat list, homedairygoats is an excellent one, and find someone in your area who may have goats and goat milk available. One thing I recommend for young kids and we use it right after they are born before they nurse, is Immuno-G, its a colestrum supplement and a "miracle in a bottle" as I call it. You can get this from going to http://www.springbriar.com or by going to http://www.goatsupplies.com We have used Immuno-G and have had the healthiest kids ever and NO RUNS! I use pepto Bismol for runs when I do have a case of it. I usually draw up a big syringe full for the kids and give a good healthy dose. Then watch and see how they do. Also, with the runs you may want to try a probiotic to settle their rumen as well. You can also try going to http://www.goatworld.com and trying their ER room or their chat room. Hope this helps. take care and good luck.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), November 11, 2000.

Jim, honestly if I was in your perdiciment and 100% couldn't find goats milk from a reliable source, I would choose Whole Vitamin D Grocery Store Milk, rather than using milk replacers. The ID-1 or the Immune G that Bernice told you about is a great product. Keep the milk to only 16 ounces 3 or 4 times a day, and get that milk warm 102 degrees! You may choose after a week or so to add a nutritional supplement to the milk since the milk is homoginized, like red cell or what I like Whole Milk Fortiefier from the Jeffers Livestock catalog, also you can purchase it from feed stores that carry Manna Pro products. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 11, 2000.

Almost all grocery stores are carrying goat milk now, I know raleys has it,check in the health food section or by canned milks.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), November 12, 2000.