Chameaqua – Snubian Dairy Goat
I fed the last bottle of the season today. This is always a bittersweet day on our farm. And it also reminds me that I promised a bottle feeding article!
There are several cautions that I want to give regarding bottle feeding. First, never over feed a kid goat. In the case of newborn and young goats, love (through heavy feedings) can kill. Secondly, if you are not feeding goat milk to the kid, select a well-balanced milk replacer. The milk replacer label must state that it can be fed to kid goats, and the replacer must contain copper (a very necessary mineral to a goat) . When mixing the milk replacer carefully follow the package instructions, it is much better to add slightly less replacer to the warm water than it is too much (too rich formula). Be consistent with your measurements each and every feeding.
In the past we fed our newborn and young goats until their bellies felt full, and until they began “playing with the nipple” (showing a lack of interest, indicating fullness). We fed up to 20 ounces per bottle, 3 times a day, to the kids that were at least several weeks old. The bottle fed goats became sick more often than the dam fed goats. We now feel that the problems we were experiencing were due to overfeeding, leading to bloat, and leading to the kids not having an interest in hay or grain.
To get an idea of how much to feed a kid goat, watch one nursing on their mother. The dam allows the kid to nurse but not for long periods of time. She basically allows the kid to drink a little (almost a “slurp” as we lovingly call it), then she makes the kid stop. Kids nurse often, but not for an extended period of time. Hence, when we bottle feed very large quantities of milk, we are allowing the kid to drink more than he would if he were “on” his mother. Overfeeding leads to deadly bloat, scours, and other over-eating issues.
This is the bottle feeding schedule we follow:
- Day One – Always feed colostrum! Up to 6 ounces per feeding, every 4 hours.
- Day Two – Colostrum. Up to 8 ounces per feeding, 4 times a day.
- Day Three – Colostrum mixed with goat milk or milk replacer. 10 ounces per feeding, 4 times a day (gradually lower the amount of colostrum in the mix).
- Day Four – Colostrum mixed with goat milk or milk replacer. 10-12 ounces per feeding, 4 times a day.
- Next Two Weeks – Goat milk or milk replacer. 10-12 ounces per feeding, 4 times a day.
- Up to 2 months old – Goat milk or milk replacer. 10-12 ounces per feeding, 3 times a day.
- Up to 2 1/2 months old – Goat milk or milk replacer. 10-12 ounces per feeding, 2 times a day.
- At 2 1/2 months old begin weaning. Lower the amount of milk per feeding by about an ounce per day (or two ounces if the kid eats hay very readily). This encourages the kid to eat more hay and grain, depending upon the bottle less each day.
We wean our kids between 2 1/2 and 3 months old.
From the beginning of a kid’s life, always provide access to good quality hay. A kid will eat hay better if he is near other kids that eat hay. Goats learn to eat hay by example (normally from their dam on the day they are born)! We provide a creep feeder. It is a feeder that allows the kid(s) to enter a feeding area, where they have access to hay, without competition from larger goats.
We offer a very small amount of grain to our kid goats. Normally, the dairy grain that we feed to the goats that are being milked is also offered to the kid goats. Again, do NOT overfeed, a small handful (1/4 cup per kid) is plenty. Encourage hay eating, especially a good quality alfalfa mix. In colder temperatures, hay is what keeps a goat warm, through digestion (their rumen).
We prefer Pritchard brand nipples. There are other brands of “lambing” nipples on the market. The nipple hole in a Pritchard can be cut very small (for a newborn) or larger for a goat several weeks old. Also, Pritchard’s have a valve ball that helps to control the milk flow and air.
Always feed a goat kid in a fashion that makes them hold their head up, similar to how they reach up to the udder when nursing from their dam. Following this practice helps ensure milk does not enter their lungs, and helps to prevent bloat as well.
Never force feed a goat kid. We published an article here: Colostrum – The Most Important Nutrition In A Kid’s Life, and here, Reviving Chilled Kid Goats (that discusses kid goats unable to nurse).
You may also enjoy reading, Dam Vs. Bottle Raised Kids.
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – where you can Smell and Feed the Goodness!
Note: Adjust the feeding amount for smaller breed goats. The feeding schedule remains the same, but you will need to adjust. On average, our kids ranged from 6-9 pounds at birth.
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
Good post! We did basically the same as you when we bottle fed our goats but I’m kind of glad we have to do that now since it wouldn’t work with our schedule now since we’re on the go a lot lately and we attend church services, 3 times a week (Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening) plus go and visit my Grandma’s every so often!
Amy
Thank you, Amy. Bottle feeding was easy this year, we left all of the dairy kids on their dams except for one. We had two kids on bottles. Enjoy your day!
You’re welcome, we had 8 to bottle feed one year so we set up our garage to put them in and we had 5 one year in our kitchen then moved to our basement. Thanks, enjoy your day too!
Amy
Thanks for this post. My children just got their first goat – a nubian bottle baby. We were told to cut her back to two bottles a day after two weeks. We cut her back a couple of days ago (at three weeks), and she seems to be starving. After reading this, we are going back to three bottles. Isabel will be delighted.
Isabel…such a beautiful name. I hope she was delighted, and that you enjoy years and years with her!
i have a nigerian dwarf goat that i still bottle feed 2xs day which she loves i give 1 tablesppon of powder milk to 1 pint of water dumore milk replacer name of stuff..never have i had a problem so far she is going to be a yr old april..
I have a 9 day old doeling, one of triplets, her mom isn’t letting her nurse. She does sneak in during the night to nurse and I have been holding mom so she can nurse 3 times a day. Her brothers are drinking more leaving little to none for poor little Ashley. I have decided to start bottle feeding her milk replacer but to leave her with mom and her brothers( she has become very good at dodging moms blows). I fed her 10 oz. at 1 this afternoon and held mom for her at about 5 and will feed 10 oz. again at 8. Any advice? Do you have a better idea for her?
I would continue to bottle feed her, and continue holding the dam too while the kid nurses. Did you try applying the dam’s milk to the doeling, to her face and rump? The mother will smell her own milk on the youngster, which might turn her back towards knowing the kid is hers. I suspect she has gotten confused somehow and thinks she only has two kids. I hope that helps. Best wishes, Mary
Ashley is doing quite well, she is grazing and happiely chewing her cud. I will be cutting her feedings down to 3 times a day but i’m worried about dehydration as our temps. are rising and I haven’t seen her drink water yet. The older goats drink out of the creek when thier in the pasture and water bowls in the pens. Should I put a water trough out for the kids in the pasture? Thanks for your help.
Yes, set a water trough up for the kids. If you have never seen kids drink water from a trough or bucket for the first time, if you catch them doing it, you are in for a treat.
Good to hear Ashley is doing well!
Thanks,
Mary
I have other goat questions I would like to ask you, but they are not about bottle feeding, where do I go?
Ask any goat related question that you need to. I’ll answer them here, if I can.
I am preparing to add more goat related posts very soon, so, your questions may even help me with what I need to write about. Let me know.
Thanks, Mary
I just got a nine day old angora doeling whose mother refused to nurse her. They are a medium sized breed. Does the same feeding schedule and amount aply to all breeds? Thanks
Hello There! Thank you so much for your comments. I added a notation to the bottom of the post. The feeding amounts I suggested are for medium to large sized breeds. The schedules are for all breeds.
I also think she is contipated as I haven’t seen her poop in over 12 hours, but she has peed twice.
White corn syrup (ex: Karo syrup) helps with constipation. I added approximately 1 teaspoon per 4 ounce bottle. Feed the syrup infused bottles for 24 hours (follow regular schedule and feeding amounts). If it is a simple, mild case of constipation (without additional medical problems/reasons/symptoms), the syrup should do the trick. Best wishes.
Hello Mary, new question. I am starting my kids on Sulmet today, as many of them have dark streaks of poo on their legs. It could be caused by the new pasture(different brush, trees, and tall grasses) or the temp. going from the 90’s last week to the 60’s this week and rain or cocci. which we had last year. I have read on other sites that some goat owners give sulmet or other med. for cocci. in their reg. schedule. What’s your take on this? Also one little boys had a light cream colored snot like poo with a spot of fresh blood this morn. he is eating and playing normally and I haven’t taken his temp. yet. Is this something new to worry about? More questions to come. Thank you sooooo much!
Hell Beverly –
The loose stools could be caused by a change in what they are grazing on. But, to be on the safe side, I would treat for cocci. I never did use cocci treatment on a regular basis, though. My thinking it is hard on their systems, and then, what if an immunity developed?
The kid with the blood could also be related to cocci.
Random question. My dominant doe(Ashleys’ dam) has rejected her doelings 2 years in a row. Last year she had twins this year triplets. Last year we gave her the excuse of first year mom. This year the first few days Ashley was the cream of Creams'(dams name) eye but as Bear(last born and weakest) got stronger Ashlely became the “black sheep” of the famliy, fighting and sneeking in to eat, I didn’t step in until I felt it might be life or death for Ashley. So to get to my question. A friend of mine who knows nothing about raising animals said “Cream is eliminating female competition”. I doubt this but could there be anything to it?
I doubt that the behavior is related to “eliminating female competition.” What I suspect is normal pecking order behavior, the chain of dominance. Sometimes, not often, it becomes life or death, and separating the goats has to be done. A dominant goat sometimes picks on a young, weaker, or even a sick goat.
Mary, I have three goats, 18-20 weeks old that I have been bottle feeding. They are eating grain, some hay and forage just fine. I am in the weaning process right now and concerned as they are not drinking water from a bowl. I have tried for weeks. I made the mistake of giving them water through the bottle sometimes when I was desperate to keep them properly hydrated. It’s now getting hot these days in Texas and I am without. I have tried the nipple in the water trick. I have put milk with water in the bowl, I have had a friends dog come (who they like to play with) and had her model water drinking…and yes, I have even tried this teaching method myself (my sister had a good laugh). I put a little electrolyte mix in the water today in hopes the flavor/saltiness would be more appealing. I purchased an automatic water trough yesterday hoping maybe constantly fresh water would be more appealing. I am going to hang this at “mouth” height rather than at the ground right now. Have any tricks? I don’t want to put water in the bottle again as I know it’s defeating my attempts but one of the girls is showing signing of looser skin tugor and I don’t want to have them dehydrated. Any other tricks you may have are welcome, welcome, welcome. Thanks!
Lacey, I wish I had tricks up my sleeve for this issue, unfortunately I don’t.
I would continue to give them bottles full of water if they refuse to drink from the bucket. I feel they will eventually take a liking to a bucket of fresh cool water.
I owned a very spoiled doeling that screamed at the fence for bottles well beyond the age that I weaned her from milk. She was satisfied with water. It was the bottle that she wanted.
You are welcome…and good luck! Mary
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I fed the corn syrup and it may have loosened things up some, but she didn’t really “GO” Until I gave her a warm water and olive oil enema with a medicine dropper ( tiny opening hole) at about 3 CC’s per try. It took eight times of trying to get her going. Then she went quite a lot all at once, and has been going regulary ever since. Also I have a female golden retriever dog who took over cleaning duty on her behind, and that has kept her stimulated to keep going regularly. She is just over three weeks and doing great now!
Thanks for having this site where we can have an interchange of information and experiences!
Hi Candi –
Great job with doing the enema and getting things flowing again!
The corn syrup helps at the onset. Enemas definitely help when the problem gets severe.
I am glad she is doing well!
Thanks –
Mary
I am getting a 4-6 week old doeling fainter,I will be taking her off her mom and finishing her out on the bottle as I’m wanting her to be a big pet. What should iput her on as far as formula and for how long and how much?
Do you have goats on your farm that are already on hay and other feeds? What are the current owners feeding the doeling now?
Since she is not weaned, she’ll definitely need supplemental feed because she may not take right to the bottle. Find out what type of feed and hay she is on and plan to take some back to your farm when you get her. Keep her on their hay and feed, gradually switch to what you will be feeding.
Does the farm you are getting her from have any goat milk? Can they milk her mother? My thoughts are two-fold. As you are trying to get her used to the bottle, she might be very stubborn, you’ll stand a better chance if she can smell her own mother’s milk. Then you can gradually switch her to a milk replacer, with better luck if she’s taken to the bottle already.
Any good milk replacer that is formulated specifically for goats will be good (check the instructions on the package). Do not use formula for sheep, it is not blended for goats and will be missing copper.
Best wishes!
I Read To Use Whole Cows Milk.IsThis betterThan Milk RePlacer?
I would go with the replacer. It has the correct balance. Cow milk has a different molecular structure than goat milk.
Hey Pam,
Mary has given me great advice with my young goats in the past. In ref your question I’d say I have read the same about formula feed. Some people swear by it and some avoid it. I bottle-fed mine whole cows milk with some goats milk and whole buttermilk added. I’ve found a lot of this is personal preference…I will say, the milk feeding gets expensive (I had 3)…good luck! 🙂
Thank you, truly.
I do think milk is a personal preference. I do not like to say yes to using cow milk in case there are problems. Cow milk digests different than goat milk.
The old saying of mine is, though, your farm is different than my farm, your kids are not my kids, and then we do our best.
Goat people are the best!
Best wishes and please come back,
Mary
Mary ~ Help, please! Long story short: our favorite myotonic goat gave birth 2 weeks ago (2nd litter), became very ill very quickly and died on Saturday after a valiant attempt by my husband & our vet to keep her alive. Babies came to our home where we constructed a pen in the back yard (our farm & home are not in the same locale). “Willie” is doing great – took to the bottle with no problem; “Little Sister” is not doing well at all. We have given her electrolytes and medicine to stop the scours. She is weak and yet fights every bottle we give. While we don’t want to force feed her, we know she needs nutrition. She acts very lethargic. She urinates immediately after feeding (or during), so we feel she is hydrated, but do you have any tips/thoughts/advice?? I thank God for directing me to your site! Love your blog & writing as well! Thank you!!!
~Jan
Hi Jan –
Prayers for your doeling!
I am going to hit you with a lot of questions. Scours is a sign that something else is wrong. It could be parasites or bacterial, a number of things.
Did your doeling have scours when the vet was there, and did the vet indicate what they thought could be causing the diarrhea? Was the vet able to determine what made the dam ill?
A young kid can go down so quickly in these cases, hopefully, with her urinating as well as she is, I agree with you, she may not be dehydrated. Time is of the essence in many of these cases.
I am glad you tried electrolytes, and I urge you to continue. I would take her off of milk completely and put her on nothing but electrolytes until the scours stop and she regains strength.
Do you see any other signs of illness other than the scours? Does she appear to be in pain, or is she arching her back? What is her temperature?
What color are the scours? Do you see anything else going on, like blood or mucous mixed in? Does it have a strong odor? Is it pasty or watery?
Are her gums and inner eyelids pink?
What other feeds has she ate, and is she on milk replacer?
Talk with you soon, Mary
Thank you for your quick response – greatly appreciated! Our vet retired to become a missionary and was out of town, but my husband conveyed the mama goat’s condition and he diagnosed her with ketosis. She failed so quickly that none of the attempts to bring her around were successful.
The babies may have been reacting more to the milk replacer as they were squirting mustard looking feces as soon as a bottle was completed. But, he didn’t like the fact that they were continuing to have such loose stools and the female was very lethargic, so said to use the electrolytes and Spectinomycin.
That seems to be working as “Willie” is quite boisterous and doing fine on a more diluted milk replacer. After giving “Little Sister” more electrolytes (and after a 2nd dose of the Spectinomycin today), she actually walked around a little bit which she has not wanted to do! She also had a BM this evening that didn’t squirt out, although still a bit loose! I don’t smell anything foul, and her gums appear pink. She cries out loudly at times, and Saturday it looked like she was having stomach cramps; her sides looked like she was bearing down. Most of the time, she is in a prone position.
When we give her the bottle, she chews on it, mumbles her displeasure, then swallows or chokes. We’re able to have her take at least 4 oz. per feeding, and feeding every 3 – 4 hrs, but it takes time to get that much down without forcing it, which we don’t want to do. For being weak, she exhibits strong stubbornness! We tried using a syringe to give her the electrolytes, and that did work – when she would swallow!
We do not have a thermometer – novices with goats – but, we’re learning quickly. What would a “normal” temp be?
Thank you SO much for your help!
Hello Jan –
You are welcome!
The normal temperature range for a goat is 102.5 – 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
I am leaning towards the kids (initially) having a reaction to the milk replacer, with the doeling’s stomach being more irritated. Diluting the replacer was exactly what I was going to recommend.
Milk scours, from too much milk or replacer, normally presents itself with a very light colored diarrhea – white or light yellow, along with no fever.
I would also give her Probios (probiotic). A kid’s rumen forms between 7-14 days from birth. If her rumen is upset, the Probios will help bring it back into the proper bacterial function.
I am also considering E.Coli as a possible ailment, but since the doeling is improving without a round of antibiotics (sulfa treatment is one), I believe you are seeing milk scours.
I hope this helps! I hope you do follow up with me, let me know how she is doing.
Blessings,
Mary
Happy to report that our doeling is showing marked improvement today! While she still isn’t to the nursing stage, she did take down more of the electrolytes, is “wagging” her tail, and standing up when we approach! We appreciate the suggestion of the Probios and will try that as well. Her torpor yesterday morning and into the day truly had me concerned, so we’re thankful for the prayers added to ours, and for all the good advice. It means a great deal to have you to “talk” to in our time of needing assistance. With your heart of compassion and your acquired wisdom, the Lord has you doing a great service for folks like us!! I’ll keep you posted
All I can say is, thank you!
I love knowing that your doeling is improving. Wagging her tail and taking the electrolytes – sounds like she is on her way to continued wellness!
Keep me posted.
Blessings!
Mary
Thankful to report that Little Sister may not have her brother’s boisterousness :), but she is nursing the bottle well and walking around much better! Even though replacer milk is still diluted, stools still not firm. Any thoughts on that, or is that still to be expected with the formula?
I think you’ve written part of your book (which is such an excellent idea!) just answering our questions and concerns!!
Thank you, again, for all of your kind help!
Blessings!
Jan
Jan, let me know if I missed the mark, did I answer what you were asking me? My thinking is she does not feel well and does not want to eat. If we can get her to feel better, treat whatever it is, she should start nursing again. Mary
Jan –
Such wonderful news! I hope she continues to improve by leaps and bounds.
Are the kids eating hay? Any other type of feed? My thoughts are to get her rumen fully functioning with hay. Perhaps another dose of probiotic as well.
Mary
I do not disbud my goats, but I’m having an issue with soft and peeling horns. I offer a selenium block and free choice loose minerials. The doelings don’t seem to have a problem (even my bottle girl). The boy whose horns are cracked all the way through was rejected by his dam when he was 6wks., yes this is also ashleys’ dam. I could blame it on lack of milk except I have 2 other boys with thin horns. What I mean is I can compress their horns between my fingers. I hope this has no effect on their feet, as they are going to be rented for creek cleaners next year. What can I do to get good strong horns and hooves. If moisture gets into my boys horn will it cause an infection? Will an open breack in a horn ever close?
Hi Beverly –
There definitely seems to be a mineral imbalance somewhere in your herd, perhaps it was prior to birth and has carried forward through the base of horns. I know of no other reason, no condition, that would cause severe problems with the horns. You are probably aware, goats have hollow horns, but they should grow harder. I am suspecting a calcium/magnesium deficiency. Are you feeding goat minerals with copper? I agree with you, if you can get the horns to grow without the peeling and softness, the hooves are also going to be much healthier too.
The break in the horn will likely not close up. I had a young doe that broke her horn off while pulling her head out of a fence she had been stuck in. Her horn never healed and eventually completely broke off where it had split.
I feed my doe goat Nigerian dwarf goat 2xs daily 10 0z milk replacement of 1 tbs of powder to bottle ..love to bottle feed her she likes it and looks for it..also give grain and good quality hay she is 7months old is this ok
I think it is okay. She is healthy and you aren’t feeding her all that much. I do not recommend bottle feeding a goat that old, but, a happy and healthy goat (and owner) is just that, happy and healthy. It is your choice! It leaves me wondering how long she would want to take to the bottle. Can you see her with kids of her own a few years from now, nursing at her udder, with her still being bottle fed? She is healthy, enjoy your goat. 🙂
I once stuck a bottle in a full grown doe’s mouth. She had been a bottle kid when she was much younger, she took to the nipple like it had only been yesterday since she last nursed. I didn’t allow her to drink the bottle, but, it answered my question about the curious look I had seen in her eyes while I bottle fed the newborns.
dont u think debudding is painful and cruel i have a doe and to do that is …i leave them natural thats the way they were born… no….
I think disbudding is painful for a moment. The kids that we disbudded returned to playing immediately. We did stop disbudding, though. It simply bothered us to put them through the procedure. They went from being afraid, upset because they were being held/contained, to having the moment of pain when the procedure was done. Then, because they like to head butt, they seemed to frequently knock their scabs off fairly often, resulting in bleeding.
I have a boer kid that is about 7 weeks old. I have had him for 4 weeks. feeding kid milk replcement 16oz twice a day now. tryig to get him to eat some alfalfa..but he isn’t very interested. Not interested in pellets at all. he will however nibble on my plants outside (the leaves etc). I need to start trying to ween him off the bottle. Any suggestions as to what other type of feed I should try..and do i just decrease milk about 2 oz a serving every couple of days? I heard I could try sweet feed for horses to get him interested. do you agree with this?
It sounds like your buckling is thriving, doing very well. May I suggest that you not decrease his fluid intake until he becomes more interested in fiber, or a small amount of grain? I would begin his weaning between 2 to 2 1/2 months old.
Is he drinking from the water bucket?
Do you have other young goats, or even an older goat, that he can be penned with. Young goats tend to get interested in hay by watching other goats eat.
If you want to start him on a small amount of grain, sweet feed is okay. I would offer it to him in very small quantities, even going as far as saying less than a 1/4 cup, and then increase his grain gradually. By doing so, you do not cause rumen upset.
It is good to hear that he grazes when he is outdoors. He is eating plant material, which adds to his diet and helps the maturation of his rumen.
When you do begin the weaning process, after he is eating hay and perhaps some grain, I would wean by decreasing the bottle by a few ounces each week.
I hope that helps!
Happy Goating!
Mary
Thanks Mary. actually when I got home last night…he ate some pellets. i was so happy 🙂 i have him 1/4 cup this morning before leaving for work. Thinking maybe he could have that 3 times a day???? there are no other goats. My parents raise them and at christmas time I found this one with his leg pinned in the fork of a tree. They were out of town..so I brought him with me to the city. his leg is healing and will be able to save it. not sure how much if any water he is drinking. I will begin to decrease his fluid maybe this weekend.
[…] Bottle Feeding Goat Kids […]
I have 2 twin kids, they were 3 weeks on their mom and then I have been bottle feeding for 1 week, both doing really well, eating vigorously, until this morning. Suddenly 1 of them has no interest in the bottle, doesn’t seem hungry or in distress, just not interested. Is this normal or what might be going on? Thanks so much for any help.
Hello – I apologize profusely. Due to a move and extreme illness, I was unable to follow up on comments last week. I hope you were able to work with the newborn kid. It sounds like he may have had enough to eat, or may have been suffering from bloat or possibly pneumonia. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. – Mary
Hello,
We have acquired a small for age 2 month old pygmy doe. They had been feeding her – and alllll the others – once a day and 8oz of milk replacer. We got in late so I mixed up cows/evaporated/buttermilk formula and fed 8 oz at bedtime. She nibbles hay and feed. I’m so worried the change will effect her system but surely at 8 weeks she will have a better chance? We will be getting another to keep her company. Any help appreciated. Laura K
Congratulations on your first goat. Two months old and tiny, I imagine your doeling is a cutie!
At two months old a kid goats’rumen and immune system is more developed than at two days old. It is good that she eats solids, even in tiny amounts, which help her rumen function properly. Hay, which provides roughage, is excellent for both the rumen and for the production of body heat.
I am also concerned about a drastic change in feed or milk replacer mix. I would watch her closely for signs of gastrous distress (pain – hunching up, diarrhea, or constipation). A probiotic, such as the brand name Probios, is a staple item in the goat medicine cheat. Probiotics help balance the rumen and digestive system, especially from stress, after administering medications, and along with feed changes.
When purchasing new goats, ask the prior owner if you can take with you a small amount of milk replacer, feeds/grains, and offer to purchase a bale or (for small herds, or a small goat) several chips of hay. Gradually change feeds to what you will be using on your farm.
I cannot wait to hear your goat stories, and the future ones as well! Goats are a special animal…there are none others like them!
Mary
Hello Terry,
Poor little guy!
I believe he was falling over as a reaction to getting the penicillin shot. I would have thought it was not caused by the shot, but since he is no longer falling down, I believe the reaction has passed.
I suspect he has pain and after you have rubbed him he is comforted. Hunching up is a sign of pain. If he is not hunching up or grinding his teeth frequently, or if there are no other indications of pain, I feel it will pass after he goes in for the castration.
Makes sure he has had his CD&T vaccination prior to castration. I am guessing he has had it, or the veterinarian will administer it.
I would also ask for pain medication. If you are close enough to the vet’s office, you might pick it up and give him a lower dose now, just to relieve any pain that might be lingering. Sometimes, when areas of the body are healing they hurt worse before they get better. If he is playing, eating, and with no signs of digestive problems, I feel he will continue feeling better. I am so glad he got a shot of antibiotics!
Best wishes!
Thank you for visiting the blog,
Mary
Thanks for the info. I think she may be a bunching up a bit – or just full! I really don’t think she was being fed enough. She has pooped, but not that much but is peeing a lot. She is following us around, still nibbling on hay and weeds and a teeny amount of feed. She bleats for her milk and seems ok. I’m not a layman when it comes to animals, though goats are new to me. What can I use as a probiotic in a pinch and what else should I keep on hand?
Thank you!!!
Hello –
I have given a small amount of unflavored yogurt to a goat when I had nothing else on hand.
At a minimum (for kids), I would keep probiotic, Fortified Vitamin B Complex, electrolytes, de-wormer, and broad spectrum antibiotic (along with needles and syringes) on hand.
Consider a vaccine for enterotoxemia (CD&T) and Bo-Se for selenium (if it is deficient in your area).
Thanks!
Mary
Thanks for the info. She is doing just fine. Loves her milk formula, jumping about, nosing with the dogs, laying in the sun, eating hay and browsing – I just need to find another now…
That is so good to hear, Laura!
Hi I had written before when bringing home a 3 week old in December. He is now on 1 8oz bottle at night only. I feel him hay and misture of pellets and sweet feed. I think he is having some urniary trouble though. He goes sometimes, but i notice him hunching up some as well. I read about the probiotics, but am not sure what all i should be feeding him. I hope he will hve a new home in the next week or two. Any suggestions as to what is now normal diet should be? He doesn;t like to eat the regular coastal hay..but will eat the alfalpha (and that is more of a feed than hay).
thanks
I love alfalfa hay, it is long-stemmed fiber that provides minerals and calcium. Such good things for growing kids, especially those that are weaning from milk.
When a buck becomes a wether (castrated), to help avoid Urinary Calculi, I recommend that they feed on grass hay, or with a small percentage of alfalfa mix.
Resist feeding a diet high in corn.
Hunching up can indicate pain, but it is also something that a buck does due to hormones. It is possible your buckling is at an age where his body is giving him those types of suggestions. If he is urinating freely, without pain while doing so, I would not be overly concerned. An animal with urinary problems tend to look bloated, or they cry out or paw at their sides. I would watch for those indications, but it sounds like he is happy and healthy.
I think you said he is drinking plenty of water from the bucket.
I hope that helps!
Thanks,
Mary
he is not yet castrated. sometimes seems a little bloated, but doens’t seem to be in pain. A couple of times when he is huched up..his penis is sticking out….but then other times he urinates just fine. I will watch for the pawing at his sides. his feed doesnt have much corn in it, but it seems i should be giving him some other type of suppliment. any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thanks
It sounds hormonal to me. Bucks tend to act like they are in rut at an early age.
If he is eating good quality hay and a small amount of goat-balanced grain, additional supplements may not be needed.
Consider offering free-choice loose minerals. Make sure they are formulated for goats, contain copper. For bloat concerns, consider offering free choice sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Many goats lap it up. It can neutralize stomach acids, helping the goat expel gas from the stomach.
Best wishes,
Mary
Mary, just wanted to let you know that we all love Oreo and she is doing well. I’m looking for another and I’m considering a buckling and getting him castrated. I have found a vet who described in all its glory his method of castration with the use of lidocaine. I REALLY do not want my goat to suffer at all and the poor thing will. The vet suggested he could knock him out completely if I was willing to pay. Any thoughts about that?? Thank you!
So glad Oreo is doing well!
If you have the vet perform the castration, and he knocks him out, and dispenses pain medication afterwards, it would probably amount to a trouble and pain free procedure. You’ll want to have it done before the fly season fires up, and that depends upon the region you live in. We had a buck castrated by the vet in our earlier years. He was a bit wobbly on his feet, and did not want to eat (due to the anesthesia in his system) for several days afterwards.
We always use the band method. We wait long enough to allow the urethra to grow, yet, do not wait so long that size alone makes it painful. We never encounter any problems with our bucklings with the banding method. The vet can prescribe pain medication for it as well.
Hope that helps!
Thank you,
Mary
Cocoa is 5 months old..and we just had it done. I hope that age is ok.
I think it gets more difficult as the kids get older, but I’ve done it successfully even at older ages.
My vet used the “band” method.
I have a 3 week old baby goat. I dont know what kind of goat he is, but I bought the mother and and another female from a man that was going to sell them to someone else but for food….. One of the females turned out to be pregnant, and our baby goat was born. suddenly yesterday morning, the mom was lethargic, and last night the baby goat was crying alomost all night. I checked on him about 3 times, and he was in the pen with his mom, and the mom was laying down with her knees tucked in, just like she always sleeps. BUt this morning at feeding time, I saw she was dead. I read your post, but Itried to feed the goat before looking online first. He only ate about 3 oz, and stopped. He looks really down. I asked the vet, but they dont have any idea….I hope he makles it, now that I read this. Also, I see you said dont force feed a baby goat. how long can he go with out eating until I say enough is enough…. anyways thanks for everythng
Hello –
My initial thought is a 3 week old kid is used to nursing from his mother, which is going to make it challenging to bottle feed. In other words, he is going to be stubborn and fight it. I do not force feed newborn kids because they get milk in their lungs so easily, and sometimes they are simply sick enough it not be able to swallow. At 3 weeks old the kid is actively nursing.
My main concern is why the mother died, and if the kid could have contracted something from his mother.
How is the kids breathing and body temperature? Has he urinated? Does he have diarrhea? What medicines do you have on hand? Do you gave fortified vitamin B complex and penicillin G? What are you feeding, milk replacer? Have you noticed any other symptoms? Is he walking and standing with normal posture? Does he eat hay, and if yes, what type?
I published a post on bottle feeding that you may find helpful:
https://anniesgoathill.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php?p=4973&approved=1
I hope you have had some luck with him. Let me know what you are observing, and I will try to help you from there.
Does your veterinarian not know goats very well? Sometimes that is the case. If you live in an area where you can, you may want to ask around for one that is familiar with goats.
Thanks,
Mary
We have a six week old buck he was banded badly by his breeder at two weeks old and is now going in for casteration on Monday. He will not eat hay or grass, but if I pick grass for him he loves it. He loves his Barastoc goat mix. And his milk replacer, he had a penicillin needle for his infected testicle on Friday and kept falling over afterwould for about 3 hours but then came good except in the morning when l let him into the house from the laundrey, he bunches up just a little untill I rub his back legs and then he is fine again.Is there anything else l should be doing ? I love the effort you put into helping all of us furries THANKYOU !
Thanks so much Mary for your reply he has not had the needle yet can I ask the vet to give it at the same time as his operation. Also I forgot to ask if I can give him his bottle in the morning before he goes in at eleven am.
Regards terry
Hello,
We had a buck actually operated on, castrated, the vet had us feed him the night before, but not that morning. The reason for withholding the food was because the veterinarian put him out during the procedure. I suggest holding off on the bottle in the morning just in case. How about taking a bottle with you? If the vet says to go ahead and feed him you are set!
Best regards!
Mary
I have a bottle baby, we got him when he was 7 days old, he is now a little over 2 weeks old.
This evening I gave him his bottle and I think have given him too much. He weighs maybe 10 pounds or so (He’s a dwarf…Nigerian, I think she said.). I nearly filled a 20 ounce soda bottle and he took all but about a fourth of it. I didn’t stop him because he didn’t let go…..finally I just pulled it out of his mouth.
I feed pure goat’s milk….sometimes mixed with cow’s milk (farm milk, not store bought).
Now he has the scours…..yellowish and runny. Sometimes it looks like he’s getting over them, there will be signs of attempted solid pellets in there. But the next time it’s all runny again.
This started about 5pm or so (this evening).
I’ve given him a little Pepto Bismol (about half of one of those syringes you get from the vet, twice, so a full one altogether in a about an hour to an hour and half time length).
He’s acting fine…….screaming for another bottle as we speak, but I don’t know whether to give him anything.
Hello there,
If he is still acting fine, with no additional diarrhea or symptoms of illness, I would allow him a bottle at his scheduled time, but in a lesser amount.
If his diarrhea continues,withhold the milk, bottle feed electrolytes and administer a probiotic. Once the diarrhea clears, gradually begin bottle feeding milk. When you start feeding milk again, water it down and do not feed the normal amount ounces (feed less),and gradually increase the portion of milk in the water/milk mix over a period of several days.
I have not fed cow milk. I know that other farmers have, and many without problems. Cow milk has a larger molecular structure than goat milk, which can make it less digestible. If you use cow milk mixed with goat milk, the advice I have is to use the same percentage of mix each time you feed.
I hope that helps.
Best wishes,
Mary
Thanks for the advice:).
I did give him a little milk last night, I diluted it a little with water and added my mother’s advice added a tiny bit of flour (she said that’s what her daddy always did when a baby animal had the scours).
He had a few more episodes last night…still was runny and yellow. But still acted fine.
I gave his little sips of milk a couple times through the night because I didn’t want him to get dehydrated (which he isn’t/didn’t….well he is peeing so I’m sure he isn’t.)
This morning, I gave him a little milk and so far (at the point I came back in) he hasn’t used the bathroom yet. He’s still running and jumping like a clown:)….begging for more milk.
I did notice that yesterday evening I gave him PURE cow’s milk….we had just a little bit in the cow jug and no goat’s mlik and brought them back to the guy to refill. I poured the cow’s mlik in a big cup. When we got back, without thinking or thinking it was mixed, I dumped that milk into his bottle.
Big goof on my part.
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my goat delivered 4 8 ponders is that normal
The size of your goat kids at birth is relevant to your goat breed. 4-8 pounds for some breeds, and 4-9 pounds for others.