[BaconsFort]

Hello All,
Thank you for your help. I have 2 sets of triplets 4 days apart (and I'm a beginner and didn't know I bought pregnant goats...nice). My Boer had triplets 4 days ago. She is rejecting the boy. Also, the mother only has one teat, but she seems to be doing fine nursing the 2 girls.

2 questions: What do I feed the rejected? I bought kid replacement milk at Tractor Supply, then read 2 websites that said NOT to feed the kids that. Why would they sell something that is dangerous? (That's not my 2nd question). Should I use whole cow milk instead?

2nd question is where to house the rejected baby. He's with his mother and sisters, but the mother is really rough with him and I'm afraid for his life. I have another mother with week-old triplet and although she's not as rough with him, she doesn't want him around. The other 3 older goats are also rough with him. I don't want him to be lonely. What do I do?

Thanks - I'm desperate and worried!

PS. No luck getting him to take the bottle.

 

[ksalvagno]

Use whole cow milk. What type of nipple are you using? How warm is the milk? Powder from TSC is junk, don't use it.

I would pull the rejected kids so they have a buddy and get proper nutrition.

 

[BaconsFort]

Hi Karen,
Thank you for answering. He is the only one of the 6 who is rejected. The other triplets are nursing fine and this mother with one teat is nursing 2 and rejected this one. I have been reading to bottle feed the rejected but keep him with his siblings and mother. I'm worried the mother will hurt him. Because he tries to nurse, she throws him in the air and even threw him into a wall. She also nips and bites him. He is successful at "stealing" some milk from her from behind, so I don't think he is deterred. She has actually tolerated him a few times nursing, but it is short-lived and then the roughing begins.

 

[BaconsFort]

Karen,
I'm using the red nipple - came in a pack of two - I don't know what it's called.

 

[MsScamp]

Sounds like pritchard. That is a good nipple.

 

[BrokenArrowRanch]

What a mean mama! Baby needs colustrum, I assume since he is sneeking milk hes gotten some. I would tie moms nose to the wall and milk her or let baby nurse her. Moms milk is the best for babies. If he has had colustrum I would bottle feed with whole milk. Do you have a dog carrier or some fencing to fence off a corner for him...

 

[TDG-Farms]

A tote with a towel and puppy pad over the top of it, a stuffed animal for company, kid milk replacer is what you should use. If you want you can mix with whole cows milk. Feed 2 or 3 times a day till they are full and dont want any more. House them inside your house in the tote for ease of raising

 

[ksalvagno]

If mom is attacking, then remove him. There are good milk replacers out there but the stuff from TSC is not. If TSC is your only choice than just use whole cow milk.

It really wouldn't be bad to pull 1 kid from the other mom so the little guy has a buddy. Easier on moms when they are nursing 2. I would watch the kids' weight very closely with the mom with 1 teat.

 

[kccjer]

My opinion only but I wouldn't waste the stuff you've already bought. ...mix it with the whole milk and use it up. That stuff is too expensive to just throw out

 

[MsScamp]

I actually use Super Lamb milk replacer for my bottle kids because I can't find a good kid milk replacer around here. The Super Lamb has 24% protein and 30% fat. If you choose to go with that start them off easy because the fat is high end of the scale.

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

^^ That sounds like a replacer that is actually useful, goatcrazy. I'll have to use it when I have out of season bottle kids if I don't have any milk around.

But yes, my two cents is also, not to just throw out the replacer you already bought. Use it on its own, or mix it with real milk. It will work just fine.

 

[MsScamp]

My opinion only but I wouldn't waste the stuff you've already bought. ...mix it with the whole milk and use it up. That stuff is too expensive to just throw out

I agree with you, but some milk replacer and a few slices of stale bread makes for a cheap meal for the barn cats!

 

[BaconsFort]

Just to update this conversation...we ended up holding the mother so that the baby could drink. We could not get him to take a bottle. Whenever we weren't around, he didn't bother mom. When we came, he knew it was time to nurse. Well, now he's 8 weeks old and the mother is really done with him. She is doing well....no infection or anything. She is nursing the other two just fine. So, we are weaning him since I've read that 8 weeks is ago to wean. He'll be on his own now. I tried to get him to drink milk out of a bowl today, but he wouldn't. I suppose he will be okay now weaned.

 

[happybleats]

as long as he is eating drinking and chewing a cud..he can be weened...8 weeks is not ideal but sometimes you do what neds to be done..

 

[Goat_in_Himmel]

Someone else can chime in and correct me if necessary, including yourself if I've misread your posts ;-) , but I'm not sure from your posts whether he is already eating some hay. Has he been transitioning to hay and developing hay-digesting rumen flora? Because you don't want to switch him over cold turkey (sorry if you already know that). Also, not sure it's a good idea to offer milk from a bowl...don't know if this applies to older kids, but if young kids have to lower rather than raise their heads to drink milk, it goes into the wrong stomach compartment and makes them sick. Apologies for having adding questions instead of answers!

 

[TDG-Farms]

3 months is the norm for weaning. But if you dont have a particular use for the kid and are just going to sell for meat, go for it. Otherwise, worth the extra time and effort to put into the kid by waiting another month

 

[MsScamp]

don't know if this applies to older kids, but if young kids have to lower rather than raise their heads to drink milk, it goes into the wrong stomach compartment and makes them sick. Apologies for having adding questions instead of answers!

It applies to any ruminant that is still nursing - regardless of age. It's called the Esophageal Groove, it is activated through the act of nursing, and it directs milk to the abomasum(true stomach) instead of the rumen.

 

[MsScamp]

3 months is the norm for weaning. But if you dont have a particular use for the kid and are just going to sell for meat, go for it. Otherwise, worth the extra time and effort to put into the kid by waiting another month

While I fully agree that 3 months is the norm usually, if one has a bottle baby that is eating several pounds of hay and a good goat grower pellet well - say 3 pounds of pellets a day - it is not worth investing the cost and hassle of providing an extra month's worth of milk.

 

[BaconsFort]

Hi All, Thanks for the advice. I did not know that about milk from a bowl - he wouldn't take it anyway, but I will not do that again. I would like to force the mother to nurse for 1 more month, but I'm wrestling her down now and it's getting more dangerous for us (she does have horns and she's pretty big, a Boer). The baby is eating some hay, but I will offer more. I will offer pellets, too. I have not done that yet.
Thank you - I'm always ready for more advice.

 

[Mikesell04]

A tote with a towel and puppy pad over the top of it, a stuffed animal for company, kid milk replacer is what you should use. If you want you can mix with whole cows milk. Feed 2 or 3 times a day till they are full and dont want any more. House them inside your house in the tote for ease of raising

I see this is an old thread, but I am new to bottle feeding.. This is exactly what I'm doing.. This lil goat follows my real kids like a puppy.. It's so cute!! She is 3days old and thriving in replacement milk..
I too have heard replacement is no good.. To use whole milk.. Why?? And are we talking whole cow milk from the grocery?? Or fresh cow milk.. It don't have access to fresh milk??

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