I have a one month old baby goat,How much milk should she get each feeding and how often,also how much grain should she be eating.She weighted 8# at birth now she weighs right at 25#.She has ran with her mother so far, but now I need to remove her from her mother.

-- Pastor Hughes (hbchurch@brightok.net), December 29, 2001

Answers

If she has been on mama for a month, you may have a hard time getting her to take a bottle. I would remove her late afternoon & wait until morning to feed her. She'll be good & hungry then & might catch on better. By that age, I feed my kids 16-20 oz., two times a day. Usually aren't eating a whole lot of grain at that age. Just have fresh hay & a little grain available each day. When you see that she's cleaning up the small amount of grain, you can increase it. Have fun! Mine start kidding in 4 weeks. Can't wait!

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), December 29, 2001.

I agree that getting her on the bottle may be a war of wills, hopefully you win. I also agree that the only way to accomplish this in the beginning is to starve her good, not even hay and water! This will make her accept the bottle period. Do not give her any grain until you have her on the bottle for a couple of days, here she would be getting 3 bottles a day, no more than 16 ounces each time, then at about 8 weeks we let them have 3 bottles and 22 ounces each time. Normally yes a month old doeling would be nibbiling at grain, but if you offer this kid grain and she chooses it over the bottle, you will have a stunted kid. Watch her carefully for signs of worms and cocci, the mom also should be wormed, the stress of weaning like this will activate them in their systems. Good luck with this! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 30, 2001.

I stumbled onto something that has worked many times when a stubborn kid would not even suck on a bottle. I agree with waiting to ensure hunger before trying the first bottle. Also, make sure it is warmer than lukewarm. But the trick I stumbled on is simply to make the smacking, sucking noise, the one that sucks your cheeks in; it has worked for me on all but one stubborn, resistant kid. Most will start sucking after a couple of times of just putting the nipple in their mouth. Kneel and back the baby up to you. Hold the mouth with your left hand and gently open it to get the nipple in. Wrap your hand around under the chin and over the nose, just enough to keep the bottle from sliding out one side or the other. For us, two weeks of age is about the time we change from three to two feedings per day, but we simply feed all the milk they want per feeding, up until they drink one quart. We never feed more than one quart per feeding.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), December 30, 2001.

Thanks all for your help in this matter.this is the baby doe that was born to the little small nanny that just weighed 84 and very short.does the little do sound about right in weight to you.She sure has been a good mom to this little one.remember she was bred when i got her to clean the church campmeeting grounds.They said she was running in there with a black nubain billy and others were also.her mother is tri colored alpine the baby doe's motherthat is.lol,Thanks again

-- Pastor Hughes (hbchurch@brightok.net), December 31, 2001.