Bottle Baby Question

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum, but I would love some advice from those who have been there, done that.

We are raising our first bottle babies (Background: 3 bred does kidded this week - B/G twins 2/1, B/B/G triplets 2/4 and G singleton 2/6. All boys have been rehomed. Singleton has been left on the teat)

My question: how do you know that the baby is getting enough milk? One of our bottle doelings is a runt (breech presentation and first of the triplets) and is sucking like a champ. Our other bottle doeling is from the set of twins - so is now 11 days old - and doesn't seem interested after the first few sucks. She is growing well, chewing hay and very playful. I am just concerned that she is not having her nutritional needs met with so little milk.

Can I assume that she will take what she needs?

If not, what are some strategies to help her take more? A different nipple (we use pritchard)? Something other than mama's milk?

Thanks!

By two weeks, most are taking close to 18 ounces a day, some as much as 24 ounces a day. You shouldn't feed more than that, or they'll get diarrhea. You can break up the feedings into 4 to 6 times a day. If the kid won't take enough at one feeding to do only four feedings a day, you just have to offer more feedings. The nipple itself doesn't usually make as big a difference as the size of the hole you cut. Some need/prefer a larger/smaller hole. We have several nipples with different sized holes. As they get older, they invariably love the bigger holes. Mama's milk is the gold standard, so don't even think of feeding anything else, as long you have her milk to feed them. It has antibodies in it and the perfect mix of nutrients. Cows milk is for calves, and milk replacer is usually cow milk based with artificially added vitamins and minerals. I'd use it if it's all I had, but it's definitely second rate.

Replies

Deborah Niemann-Boehle February 12, 2011 at 11:56am

By two weeks, most are taking close to 18 ounces a day, some as much as 24 ounces a day. You shouldn't feed more than that, or they'll get diarrhea. You can break up the feedings into 4 to 6 times a day. If the kid won't take enough at one feeding to do only four feedings a day, you just have to offer more feedings. The nipple itself doesn't usually make as big a difference as the size of the hole you cut. Some need/prefer a larger/smaller hole. We have several nipples with different sized holes. As they get older, they invariably love the bigger holes. Mama's milk is the gold standard, so don't even think of feeding anything else, as long you have her milk to feed them. It has antibodies in it and the perfect mix of nutrients. Cows milk is for calves, and milk replacer is usually cow milk based with artificially added vitamins and minerals. I'd use it if it's all I had, but it's definitely second rate.

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