**These pages are made for only for our farm so it will be easy for us to go and remind ourselves what we need to do.
We collected those files over the years. We are always learning new information. We add and edit these files almost daily.
We collected those files over the years. We are always learning new information. We add and edit these files almost daily.
When you don't have colostrum, here is the homemade recipe
Homemade Colostrum Recipe
3 Cups milk (preferably raw and whole. In a pinch you can use store bought, but results may vary.)
1 egg: lightly whipped.
1 Tablespoon sugar, honey, or corn syrup. Whichever one you've got.
1 teaspoon cod liver oil. This ingredient is somewhat optional...
Homemade Colostrum Recipe
3 Cups milk (preferably raw and whole. In a pinch you can use store bought, but results may vary.)
1 egg: lightly whipped.
1 Tablespoon sugar, honey, or corn syrup. Whichever one you've got.
1 teaspoon cod liver oil. This ingredient is somewhat optional...
What currently we do at our farm
#1
When dam and kids are healthy, we let them stay all day in the kidding pen for at least a couple of days.
#2
We milk out dam morning and evening around 24H after kidding.
#3
After a couple of days, we move dam and kids to bonding pen until about 20 days.
The reason why it is "about" 20 days is because when we milk first thing in the morning while kids are still with dam, we can tell the changes of how much babies are actually nursing overnight. Each kid and doe is different.
#4
When we notice that kids barely touched the dam's teats during the night, we separate kids from dam during the evening.
#5
Next morning, we milk the dam first. We do not milk all the way. We use this milk for the bottle feeding to the kids who have been so hungry and eager to get to the dam.
#6
We introduce the bottle to the hungry kid. The first couple of days are just for introductions.
We want them to understand the routine as well as the nipple has milk. We encourage them to suck a couple of times only. We don't have to worry about "drinking" part because kids will spend all day nursing from dam.
#7
By the 4th day, usually kids get the idea of bottles and routines. They would be so eager to suck and start really drinking milk from the bottle. But still we need to help their mouths to open and escort their mouth to the bottle.
#8
By the end of second week, they are pro bottle drinkers.
#1
When dam and kids are healthy, we let them stay all day in the kidding pen for at least a couple of days.
#2
We milk out dam morning and evening around 24H after kidding.
#3
After a couple of days, we move dam and kids to bonding pen until about 20 days.
The reason why it is "about" 20 days is because when we milk first thing in the morning while kids are still with dam, we can tell the changes of how much babies are actually nursing overnight. Each kid and doe is different.
#4
When we notice that kids barely touched the dam's teats during the night, we separate kids from dam during the evening.
#5
Next morning, we milk the dam first. We do not milk all the way. We use this milk for the bottle feeding to the kids who have been so hungry and eager to get to the dam.
#6
We introduce the bottle to the hungry kid. The first couple of days are just for introductions.
We want them to understand the routine as well as the nipple has milk. We encourage them to suck a couple of times only. We don't have to worry about "drinking" part because kids will spend all day nursing from dam.
#7
By the 4th day, usually kids get the idea of bottles and routines. They would be so eager to suck and start really drinking milk from the bottle. But still we need to help their mouths to open and escort their mouth to the bottle.
#8
By the end of second week, they are pro bottle drinkers.
How to bottle feed successfully - A little trick
with stuffed goat demonstration
with stuffed goat demonstration
1
Place a baby goat on your lap. Usually we put them facing our right hand (The side that we hold bottles) Make sure that the baby's body is against your body and you can sandwich him with your left arm. 3 Once the bottle is straight into his mouth, gently close his mouth like the picture below. When you place a bottle into his mouth, make sure to place horizontally so the milk from the bottle will not spray into his mouth without starting sucking. |
2
Left arm goes around the baby's body and from the bottom of his muzzle, you can try to open his mouth by holding his jaws. 4 Once he starts sucking the teat, you can tip the bottle higher in the angle so his face will go up. You can pet the side of his muzzle with your fingers and gently talk to him how good it is. You can make some sucking sound with your mouth. |
Bottle feeding schedule idea
Day 2 Through Day 4
Feed 8 to 12 ounces of warm milk, 4 times per day.
The kid might not always eat it all. That is OK. Generally you can tell a kid is full during any feeding when it starts chewing on the nipple instead of sucking.
Day 5 Through Day 14
Feed 12 ounces to 20 ounces, 3 times per day.
Make the bottles progressively less warm to get the kid to cold milk by two weeks.
Week 2 Through Week 7
Feed 2 times per day, about 30 ounces total.
If the kid is not drinking that much, or if you have the time and don’t mind doing it, remain at three times per day with a little less per feeding.
From about 2 weeks onward, make sure they have free access to hay and water.
At about 4 weeks you can start introducing grain. It might take a while for them to start eating it.
Week 8 Through Week 12
When kids are reliably eating hay and nibbling goat feed, start the weaning process by reducing the number of feedings and volume per feeding. You can do it abruptly all at once, but your kids will be angry. Try a multi-day process.
These are rough guidelines for raising kids with limited time and resources. We devised these to help working folks fit bottle raising into busy schedules. Also possibly helpful to reduce time spent feeding is building and using a lamber. Obviously, if you have the time, you can feed less milk more often, which is how they would feed if nursing.
There is no right or wrong way to bottle feed, as long as your kids are eating well and gaining weight.
They should put on about 10 pounds a month on average.
Again, do not wean them fully until they are eating hay, grass and feed reliably
Feed 8 to 12 ounces of warm milk, 4 times per day.
The kid might not always eat it all. That is OK. Generally you can tell a kid is full during any feeding when it starts chewing on the nipple instead of sucking.
Day 5 Through Day 14
Feed 12 ounces to 20 ounces, 3 times per day.
Make the bottles progressively less warm to get the kid to cold milk by two weeks.
Week 2 Through Week 7
Feed 2 times per day, about 30 ounces total.
If the kid is not drinking that much, or if you have the time and don’t mind doing it, remain at three times per day with a little less per feeding.
From about 2 weeks onward, make sure they have free access to hay and water.
At about 4 weeks you can start introducing grain. It might take a while for them to start eating it.
Week 8 Through Week 12
When kids are reliably eating hay and nibbling goat feed, start the weaning process by reducing the number of feedings and volume per feeding. You can do it abruptly all at once, but your kids will be angry. Try a multi-day process.
These are rough guidelines for raising kids with limited time and resources. We devised these to help working folks fit bottle raising into busy schedules. Also possibly helpful to reduce time spent feeding is building and using a lamber. Obviously, if you have the time, you can feed less milk more often, which is how they would feed if nursing.
There is no right or wrong way to bottle feed, as long as your kids are eating well and gaining weight.
They should put on about 10 pounds a month on average.
Again, do not wean them fully until they are eating hay, grass and feed reliably
Example of the amount by the kids' weight
Bottle Recommendation
- Premier 1 Supplies -
Wide Mouth Feeding Bottle https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/wide-mouth-lamb-n-kid-feeding-bottle?criteria=bottles This type of wide mouth feeding bottles are so easy to clean and feeding. You can also use a bottle rack to allow lambs and goat kids to self-feed. The bottle rack https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/bottle-rack Once the baby is trained with bottle feeding, you can try this bottle rack for self feeding. When you have multiple babies, it becomes pretty handy. |
Tube Feeding
Sometimes, we will need tube feeding the babies. This video is the simplest and easiest description to follow.
Sometimes, we will need tube feeding the babies. This video is the simplest and easiest description to follow.