This Saturday I'm picking up two mini doelings. One a mini Nubian and the other a mini mancha. The mini mancha was born C section due to her ND mom getting out of her pen and in with the Lamancha buck. The mini Nubian has been dam raised so far but since I'm picking up the mini mancha I really want her to have someone she's familiar with. Also the owner wants to move the doeling. Anyway I'm going to need to bottle feed these girls for another couple weeks at least. The mini Nubian will be 5.5 weeks when I pick them up and the mini mancha about the same or slightly younger. I feel very strongly about dam raising my babies but this is the opportunity I've had to get these little girls. What is the best thing to feed them? What works and doesn't make them sick? I'll have at least a little milk from my does who have more than their babies need so I can feed that but I don't know if it'll be quite enough. Any input would be much appreciated.
The breeder suggested Does Match Kid Milk Replacer by Purina/Land o' Lakes. Normally I refuse to buy anything that carries the Purina brand but is this an exception?
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Ok, I went back thru my messages to the breeder and somehow I must have gotten my wires crossed. She mixed the replacer full strength and then feeds half milk replacer and half whole goat or cows milk. I clarified with her and that's what she does. She doesn't like to feed straight milk replacer. Sorry for the confusion!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
I have never heard of anyone doing that, but it sounds like an attempt to save money at the expense of the kids' nutritional needs. Basically she is just giving the kids extra water. The kids either need milk replacer mixed according to the directions, or they need whole milk from a goat or cow. Adding goat or cow milk to watered down milk replacer does nothing to improve the watered down milk replacer.
I don't know the person you're buying the goats from, but based upon the two things you have said (she's pulling dam-raised kids at 5 weeks and feeds watered down milk replacer), I would not follow any of her recommendations for raising goats without doing a lot of your own research to be sure it's sound. There is no reason to do either one of things, other than to make or save a few bucks. This is just sad.
Myra Isaac said:
The breeder I'm getting my doelings from mixes her milk replacer weak and then mixes that with goat or cows milk and feed that....
ive been raising 3 bottle babies for the last month....anybody who does it on purpose is nuts! lol...im exhausted! .ive been using whole cow milk and they are doing fine....full bellies, running and jumping....what fun!
I have never heard of anyone doing that, but it sounds like an attempt to save money at the expense of the kids' nutritional needs. Basically she is just giving the kids extra water. The kids either need milk replacer mixed according to the directions, or they need whole milk from a goat or cow. Adding goat or cow milk to watered down milk replacer does nothing to improve the watered down milk replacer.
I don't know the person you're buying the goats from, but based upon the two things you have said (she's pulling dam-raised kids at 5 weeks and feeds watered down milk replacer), I would not follow any of her recommendations for raising goats without doing a lot of your own research to be sure it's sound. There is no reason to do either one of things, other than to make or save a few bucks. This is just sad.
Myra Isaac said:
The breeder I'm getting my doelings from mixes her milk replacer weak and then mixes that with goat or cows milk and feed that....
I mentioned this in another post about our experience.
We just used UHT cow milk (in the 1 qt. boxes from the supermarket) for our bottle-raised kids. Of course, we supplemented with free choice oaten hay and gave a good quality balanced grain mix so we were confident that all their perverse little appetites would be met. They thrived and are doing very well, now 7 months old. I do understand that the cost of UHT cow milk might be a consideration. We used it for convenience. We know of a goat person here who has a contact in the factory that makes powdered infant formula (human). This person buys the "seconds" of the powder (in bags), by the pallet load!, and has found it is the least costly of all choices and works very well.
Food for thought....
Don't know how difficult it would be to convert a kid from mom to bottle though! Hopefully, 'hunger is a great motivator" and the kid would switch before problems, so long as the kid is kept warm. Without any experience, this is just speculation.
Ok, I've used it on my chickens without any problems and I use it for myself for infections. Another question, is milk replacer combined with goat or cows milk my best option or is there something else that would be more natural and better?
Replies
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
ive been raising 3 bottle babies for the last month....anybody who does it on purpose is nuts! lol...im exhausted! .ive been using whole cow milk and they are doing fine....full bellies, running and jumping....what fun!
I have never heard of anyone doing that, but it sounds like an attempt to save money at the expense of the kids' nutritional needs. Basically she is just giving the kids extra water. The kids either need milk replacer mixed according to the directions, or they need whole milk from a goat or cow. Adding goat or cow milk to watered down milk replacer does nothing to improve the watered down milk replacer.
I don't know the person you're buying the goats from, but based upon the two things you have said (she's pulling dam-raised kids at 5 weeks and feeds watered down milk replacer), I would not follow any of her recommendations for raising goats without doing a lot of your own research to be sure it's sound. There is no reason to do either one of things, other than to make or save a few bucks. This is just sad.
Myra Isaac said:
Myra,
I mentioned this in another post about our experience.
We just used UHT cow milk (in the 1 qt. boxes from the supermarket) for our bottle-raised kids. Of course, we supplemented with free choice oaten hay and gave a good quality balanced grain mix so we were confident that all their perverse little appetites would be met. They thrived and are doing very well, now 7 months old. I do understand that the cost of UHT cow milk might be a consideration. We used it for convenience. We know of a goat person here who has a contact in the factory that makes powdered infant formula (human). This person buys the "seconds" of the powder (in bags), by the pallet load!, and has found it is the least costly of all choices and works very well.
Food for thought....
Don't know how difficult it would be to convert a kid from mom to bottle though! Hopefully, 'hunger is a great motivator" and the kid would switch before problems, so long as the kid is kept warm. Without any experience, this is just speculation.
Michael
Not sure what you mean by milk replacer combined with goat or cow milk. Milk replacer is mixed with water.
I haven't used it in kids, but perhaps someone else has? I've only used it topically on a doe's udder when she had a high SCC.
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