| Author | Message | ||
     Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 332 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
I milk once a day. Only dairy goats not raising kids need to be milked twice a day. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Sandi Scott New member Username: sarasotasandi Post Number: 23 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
I've tried milking my boers, those little teats are hard to get a grip on. I usually end up squirting the milk up my sleeve. I don't know how you do it with pygmies! A neighbor boy I've been mentoring (scary thought there)with goats has a mix of dairy and boer. I'm encouraging him to start a small dairy operation of his own to provide goat milk to me and some other farms in our area. I know I could do it myself, but I work outside the house and don't relish the thought of twice daily milking on top of my current schedule! If I had my way, I'd quit my job and stay home and raise goats, but at this point I need the paycheck to pay for goat feed and hay! Sandi | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 329 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
I milk my PYGMIES. These are registered show grade, spoiled rotten LITTLE goats. They provide all of the milk my husband and I drink and I make lots of cheese (I Have about 30 pounds of cheese in the freezer and another 15 pounds in the fridge) and I feed a few bottle babies and they raise (most of) their own kids. I don't get gallons and gallons like with dairy does, but 4 does were keeping us in plenty of milk. I usually milk between 4 and 8 pygmy goats. Mine are due to start freshening this weekned, WOOHOO, NO MORE COW'S MILK!!! No reason a regular meat goat can't do the same, especially those that have singles. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Sandi Scott New member Username: sarasotasandi Post Number: 22 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
It certainly is easier to let mom raise them. Now that she's gotten a little stronger, she seems to be holding her own with her brothers. It's times like this I wish I had a dairy doe in milk. It's always been in my mind to have one, I could freeze the milk and always keep some on hand for this kind of situation. I'll keep offering the bottle for the next few weeks. Sandi | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 328 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
The doe should be able to raise three, keep offering the bottle she will take it when she's hungry. The best place for her is with her mom and siblings. All of my does that triplet raise their own, and mine are pygmies. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Sandi Scott New member Username: sarasotasandi Post Number: 21 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, We couldn't get the kid to take the bottle while she was with her mom, so we put her in our mudroom. After a few hours without mom, she decided the bottle was OK. After 3 feedings, she eagerly took the bottle, so we took her back to the barn so she could be a goat. Now this morning she is back to refusing the bottle. She is much stronger than she was yesterday and is standing and walking a bit, she's more like a newborn than a 2 day old kid. I'd really rather bottle feed one so the other two will get the best benefit from their mom. I hate to pen her up alone, but I don't know how to keep her off the teat between feedings! Sandi | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 324 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Using fresh goats milk is best. But if not that use the milk replace recipe on the articles page under Kids and Kidding. Powdered milk replacers are a distant third choice. Make sure the milk is very warm, nearly hot against your wrist, a goats body temp is higher than a humans. For many goats a human baby bottle works fine so long as you cut a little slit were the hole is so the milk flows fairly freely. I personally prefer the red and yellow Pritchard's teats when feeding bottle babies. I sit on the ground with the kid snuggled in my lap against my body facing left. I hold the bottle in my right hand and wrap my right arm around the outside of the kids body to hold it close. With my left thumb I open the kids mouth and put the nipple in and hold the mouth closed around the nipple. Covering the kids eyes sometimes helps start a suckle. You can even reach around with you left hand and tickle its tail like its mother would do to stimulate it to suck. Be sure it has passed the meconium by the time it is 12 hours old. If not a Fleet's Infant enema works well. I would leave the kid with mom and let her nurture it if she will, you will just help out with feeding. Offer a bottle once an hour if you can, or at least 4 to 6 times a day. Don't try to get more than a few sucks, that is all most newborns do at a feeding. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Sandi Scott New member Username: sarasotasandi Post Number: 20 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, I had a set of triplets born yesterday, and one, a doe kid, isn't right. She has trouble standing and is pigeon breasted. She's also much smaller than her brothers - almost as though she were born too soon, but the boys are fine. Anyway, I want to put her on the bottle, but wasn't sure if I need to take her away from her mom completely. I think she must be nursing a little, because her mouth is warm and moist, but as soon as she starts to nurse, her bigger brothers push her away. Anyway, some basics of how to get her used to the bottle would be appreciated. Thanks, Sandi |