| Bottle Feeding Baby Goats |
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| Written by Administrator-GL | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 10 February 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Feeding Bottle Baby Goats The most important thing I can stress when feeding bottle baby goats is to try and do what a natural goat mom would do- The first few days goat moms allow the babies to eat many times per day but if you watch them they only eat a small amount each time, as they get older, mom will only stand to allow them to nurse for a certain amount of time and then walk away- so babies learn to eat more at each feeding - giving bottle babies 2 or 3 huge bottles a day in the first weeks is not only harmful for the baby's digestive system but really not fair to the baby. Don't be tempted to give water bottles to your baby goats, Read the article on Hemoglobinuria Many breeders use a "formula" of canned evaporated (Not filled evap) milk added to whole milk with buttermilk added as well for thier kids. (The "recipe" is 1 gallon whole milk, 1 can evaporated milk and 1 cup buttermilk) Nipples The hole in most nipples is too small and may need to be enlarged. The black lamb nipple had cross cuts already in it but may need to be enlarged. I just grab the tip and stretch it a tiny bit to enlarge the slits already there. The natural rubber nipples have small holes in them and they are a bit more difficult to enlarge- a heated needle works well. The Pritchard teat comes with NO HOLE in it.. the very tip must be cut off.. Careful not to cut too much or you will have a mess and ruin the nipple. The idea is to make baby have to suck but not so hard it gets tired trying to get any milk out. You don't want the baby to choke on a flow of milk that is too much. I use beer bottles for the rubber nipples, just stretch it over the top of the bottle (It makes milk flow better if you poke a small hole right where the nipple comes away from the bottle at the base of the nipple for air flow and ease of milk flow so the nipple does not collapse) With the Pritchard teat you need a bottle with threads since it screws on to the bottle. Some flavored water bottles have threads. Getting Baby Goat to Accept the BottleHere is where patience comes in handy. "Some" baby goats will not want a bottle and to get them to accept it can be extremely frustrating. Don't get mad at him because he is more confused than you are at this point. YOU know you are trying to feed him, he knows this is Not right. Patience please. Hold the bottle in such a way that the baby feels as if it is secure (See photos below). Sometimes you have to actually open his mouth and insert the nipple. Eventually he will realize this is milk and he is hungry and this will fill his tummy. Make sure the milk is warm enough- many babies prefer milk warmer than tepid- not as warm as a cup of coffee but not tepid and Never Cold! Cold milk can cause a tummy ache. What ever you do .. do NOT allow the baby to Not nurse because it becomes difficult and make them wait until next feeding because by then they will be hungry enough to eat. You will end up with a weak baby goat who will still balk at the bottle and when he does eat this time will gulp too fast and become sick. Nip it in the bud right at first and help him realize this is a good thing.. Patience! Loving words and encouragement.The "natural" way a baby eats is head tilted up. Baby Goats have what is called the rumino-reticular groove that is in the esophagus. This valve closes off the rumen and allows the milk to flow directly into the abomasum. The baby goat's 4 chambered stomach is not yet functional - he is basically a mono-gastric animal at a young age.  Tilting the head up sends a signal to the rumino-reticular valve to close therefore allowing the milk to flow into the proper chamber of his stomach.  Just a Guideline, adjust to your baby's size and appetite- a well fed baby's stomach should feel full but not tight. Watch the baby poop- scouring means too much milk and not pooping can mean gut distress - keep enema supplies on hand and CD ANTI toxin (which is NOT the same as your CDT toxoid vaccine) which can literally save your baby's life if needed and it is typically not found at your local feed stores- excepting some Tractor Supply stores. You may have to order it thought Jeffers Fill your baby bottle with a measured amount of milk , allow baby to nurse until the stomach feels full and not tight- then RE-measure what is left in the bottle- Subtract what he ate and this is a good starting point, as the baby grows they will need more milk less often- trying to feed newborn baby goats 2 or 3 times a day and filling the belly up with 8 ounces of milk right from the get go will make him sick- too much and not often enough so the baby will gorge itself with the milk when he finally gets it- TRY to mimmick mom- Guideline for Bottle Baby Dairy Goat Feeding Schedule |
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| WEIGHT (in lbs) | GRAIN (or goat feed) |
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| 5 | 1/2 oz |
| 7 | 1oz |
| 10 | 2 oz |
| 15 | 2 oz |
| 20 | 3 oz |
| 25 | 3 oz |
| 30 | 4 oz |
| 40 | 5 oz |
| 50 | 6 oz |
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