The goat finally kidded last night. I thought I knew what to do next but.... We want to milk her. We had planned to let her tend the kids during the day, pen them seperate at night, milk in the morning. But at least one of the teats is way to big for these new guys and they fight so hard against the bottle that I can't even get the thing in their mouth! They are nothing like lambs!(what I am used to).

My Question: NOW WHAT! I really want to follow the original plan if possile, but in your experiances, is it better to take them away from her altogether and bottle? keep them with her and not bother to milk till they start to wean? any ideas on getting them to take the bottle?

-- Novina in ND (lamb@stellarnet.com), April 19, 2001

Answers

Hi,

Congrats on the new babies! I used to have a doe who had a lopsided teat. She was a heavy milker. she kidded last yr and the one side, the teat was huge and the kids nursed only on the smaller one because it was easier to suck. I was worried about them getting enough to drink so we pulled them, she had triplets. so i milked mom and bottle fed the kids. i used a plastic soda bottle with a nipple, forgot the nam eof them, they have a yellow screw band and a small reddish nipple. these worked great. i got the tops from http://www.goatsupply.com Gosh, can't remember the names of those tops, I am so fried right now between moving and my father in-laws heart attack i can't think straight so i apologize for not remembering the name of the tops. hope this helps and good luck.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 19, 2001.

In my experience, if the teat size truly doesn't fit the mouth size it's best to bottle-raise the kids. If they are only able to nurse well off one teat, her udder will have very uneven production even if you milk out the large teat twice a day. To get them to take the bottle, separate them from their mother (I put them in a large crate in her pen then graduate them to the kid pen after a week or so) and let them get a little hungry. When they start fussing to eat, get a bottle with a couple ounces of warm colostrum. I usually kneel on one knee and have one leg forward to create a little corner, then hold the kid in that corner gently. I open her mouth and put the nipple in. I make sure (ahead of time) that the hole in the nipple is large enough so that some milk can come out when I squeeze. It is a bit of a struggle with some kids right to start. Be very careful not to aspirate the kid and be as gentle as possible. This is supposed to be a pleasant experience! Within a few feedings the kids should catch on and you will go from simply filling her mouth repeatedly with colostrum to her actually sucking with gusto. I have had the experience of having to pull kids to bottle-feed one week after they were born (severe mastitis) and it was a nightmare because I never did actually train them to a bottle. I fought with them for 3 more weeks then weaned them early and they were very wild animals. I usually don't let my kids nurse at all or allow them to nurse for 24-48 hours only (usually 24)or I leave them with their dam until weaning. Because of the teat size problem though, I'd really recommend that you bottle-raise those kids.

-- Sheryl Adams (radams@sacoriver.net), April 19, 2001.

Milk some out of the large teat, till it goes down enough for them to suck, it, they may need some help getting started, if the teat is still heavy, you may need to hold it for them for a couple of weeks, till they can hold it on their own.

-- Carol in Tx (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), April 19, 2001.

There are as many ways of raising kids as their are folks with goats. If they are destined to stay forever than you may want to take the extra time to bottle feed. Take them away from mom completely, or partition them off for a few weeks, Mom can continue to see, lick and smell them but not nurse them. They will drink from the bottle, yet still be part of the herd once you let them loose. Or simply let them have the one teat, you milking out the larger teat yourself, don't forget to put some of the colostrum into the freezer! Once the kids are bigger and stronger and hungrier they will nurse off that teat also. Did you know most blowen teats like this are caused by not milking, the pressure increases in the udder so much with no relief, blowing the valve that keeps the milk in the udder, and stretching the teat. She is probably a good milker! Make sure and keep her use to the milking routine each day, start keeping her kids away from her nights when they are about 4 weeks old, you get most of the morning milk, and then let them out with Mom all day long. If you don't milk her until you think they are weaned, than she may wean at 12 weeks with a empty udder. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 19, 2001.

take them away... quickly! i have a toggenburg goat that i have had for the past 5 years. every year i try to take the babies away after a few days and it just doesn't work. this year i took her baby away just after birth and didn't give it back at all. she still figured out it was hers. now 5 weeks later and 4 tries the baby has learned to jump a 4 foot fence to get to mom. i am giving her to a friend who has goats. we don't get any milk when she gets to mom and i want the milk!!!

-- Mary R. (cntryfolk@ime.net), April 24, 2001.

Hi Congrats. on you kids. I have only been raising kids (goats) for about 2 or 3 years so I'm sure other know more than me. I always let the mom raise the the kids. But I do end up bottle feeding 1 or 2. I end up bottle feeding because the mom had 3 of 4 and isn't a good milker. then i just take out a bottle for extra but leave them to nurse from mom. Another time the kid nursed good her first night but the next day she was starving badly and mom wouldn't hold still for a second lesson on how to nurse. The reason is that mainly it is a pain to go out 3 times a day feed the kids. come in either milk the mom or make powdered. Listen to the kid cry right before feeding time. Get up early etc... I'm sure it would be easier if I was home and had more time but I am in 8th grade and in track paino and other things. Back to the subject. I would not start milking her till about 3-4 days after kidding. To let the kid drink the colostrum (special milk to give kid good start and keep them inume from sicknesses. Good luck. Also when the kid or kids are born make sure that you let the kid know that there are two sides to chose from. And if twins or more get one on each side and nursing at the same time. that way you won't end up with lop sided udders. if the kids forget try to reteach (hard) if not good lick keeping up milking the other side.

-- lindsey shamhart (l_shamhart@hotmail.com), April 25, 2001.