Posted by goatlady on February 10, 2008, 10:53 am, in reply to "Re: baby goats" Link: http://Goat-Link.com
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Are you not giving her milk?? I mean she can have a tiny bit of water in between her milk bottles but this baby needs to drink milk or she will starve to death..
After they receive colostrum, bottle fed kids should be fed fresh (or frozen) goat's milk (not canned). If you do not have access to fresh goat's milk, you can use fresh raw cow milk (you can add 3 Tbs. of corn syrup per gallon of milk cow if you wish). If you do not have access to a fresh source of milk, use regular whole cow milk from the grocery store (again, you can add 3 Tbs. of corn syrup per gallon of cow milk if you wish). Don't use canned milk (goat or cow) and DO NOT FEED POWDERED MILK REPLACER/FORMULA. Real whole milk, even from a cow, is much better for them than milk replacer , which can cause diarrhea and floppy kid syndrome. Very often, problems with bottle fed kids stem from the use of milk replacer.
The hole in most nipples is too small and will need to be made bigger. I used to use the larger type of "lamb nipple" and make the hole bigger by cutting an X in the top with scissors. I now like to use regular human baby bottles and nipples. I like these because they let the air into the bottle much better than the lamb nipples while the kid is drinking, making it easier to drink from. No matter what type of nipple you use, you must cut an "X" in the end of the nipple. Make the X bigger than you think it needs to be. See examples in the photos to the left.
If the baby does not want to nurse, you must work with them. Sometime is it extremely (and I mean extremely) hard to get a kid to take a bottle. Be patient. Get him in your lap, pry open his mouth and shove in the nipple. He may struggle and not want the nipple. Milk will probably get everywhere but into the kid. Have paper towels on hand. Put yourself in his place. He has no idea what the bottle is and what you are doing. He wants his "real" mommy. Keep working with him. Speak calmly to him, and I find sometimes making sucking sounds, to help him understand what you are trying to get him to do helps (sometimes). Eventually hunger will aid you and he will realize the bottle is food, not some horrible torture device. It is especially hard to get a kid to take a bottle if they have nursed from a real teat. It has taken me up to 4 days to get kids to take a bottle (meanwhile, two people would have to hold the mother, who had refused the kid, so that he could nurse). Keep working with the kid. Make sure the milk is warm (103*), make sure the nipple is soft and warm. Kids don't like hard cold nipples: they aren't like "mommy". Keep the nipple in your warm pocket until right before you try the bottle.
A kid's system is designed to drink from a nipple that is higher than his head so that milk goes down the "right way", bypassing the rumen which is not functioning yet. When you hold the bottle, you need to hold it up, at an angle so his head is pointing slightly up and his neck is slightly extended as he drinks.
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)
* Day one- 2-4oz. (per feeding) colostrum, every 3 hours.
* Day two- 3 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 6 times a day
* Day three- 4 oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 6 times a day
* Day four- 6oz. (per feeding) colostrum/whole milk, 5-6 times a day.
* For the next week- 6-8oz. (per feeding) 5 times a day.
* For the next 2 months- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) 4-5 times a day.
* For the next 1 month- 10-12 oz. (per feeding) 3 times a day.
* 10-12 oz. (per feeding) once a day for the next month.
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