This has been our first experience bottle feeding goat kids. I shouldn't say that, we tried once years ago, and the kid died, and it broke my heart. I didn't plan on ever trying again. Well, when Lilly's first kid came out stillborn (a little buckling) with irregular looking amniotic fluid (looked infected), I grabbed the feet of the next two doelings and pulled them quickly out and got them cleaned up. Mom was not looking so good, so we put her on antibiotics. I am pleased to say she is coming along nicely and hopefully will be fine. The two doelings are over two weeks old now, and just thriving! We are bottlefeeding three, as that same night Sarah, one of our angoras, gave birth to a little nubian/angora buckling. I figured I'm bottle feeding two, might as well three! I have to say, I've never had such friendly goatlings!! 
When I bottlefed that first goat years ago, I used the goat formula you mix up. I was worried about having the same results as before, so I looked up online to see what other people use. One website that I have always trusted the information on suggested whole cows milk with corn syrup mixed in (of course, fresh goat milk would be ideal, but I knew I wouldn't have enough to feed three kids). I decided, hmm, makes sense. The site http://www.fiascofarm.com/ said "real cow's milk was better than fake goat milk" which made perfect sense to me. Als0- no mixing needed. Easy to get. If you run out in the middle of the night- it is sold everywhere.
What I ended up doing is using whole cow m
ilk, adding whatever goat milk I got from the mommas, adding a little goat drench to some of the bottles, and a little corn syrup to the milk. About once every other day I add a tiny bit of sulmet for coccidia. The goats are doing so well. They are growing daily and have doubled their birthweight at 2 weeks. They are active and healthy. And, I am still sane! (In spite of the one night they decided they were STARVING at 2am!) I have learned, feed them a little extra right before bed, and turn off the light! Then they just might sleep.
What I ended up doing is using whole cow m
ilk, adding whatever goat milk I got from the mommas, adding a little goat drench to some of the bottles, and a little corn syrup to the milk. About once every other day I add a tiny bit of sulmet for coccidia. The goats are doing so well. They are growing daily and have doubled their birthweight at 2 weeks. They are active and healthy. And, I am still sane! (In spite of the one night they decided they were STARVING at 2am!) I have learned, feed them a little extra right before bed, and turn off the light! Then they just might sleep.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! The goats are bonding to the humans, and hopefully will make awesome 4H projects for the children! It didn't take all that much extra work, and it was kind of fun! With two more does to kid this week, I am hoping that those kids will stay with their moms, though, and three kids are keeping me busy enough! But, if I have to bottlefeed, at least I'm not terrified of it anymore!!
3 comments:
Oh I loved this post!!!! The babies are adorable....and an angora mix! Too cute.
I loved your post on your goat kids. They are so much fun at that age. Are you keeping them outside or in the house???
Debbie
Debbie,
We are keeping them inside :-) in the basement, but putting them in a pen outside if it is warm enough. Of course, today it decides to snow- apparently it will alot, so they poor things are stuck inside for the next few days! They are cute as can be, though!
Kristen
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