Bottle Bucks

Bluebonnet had two buck kids so now the score is four doelings, two bucklings. We don’t think Addy is bred so this oughta be the final tally.

Here’s a picture of my daughter’s dog mothering Flash.

Most goat breeders pull the babies from their mama’s immediately, pasterize mama’s milk and then bottle feed the babies. We haven’t done that because we prefer mama led weaning. But, we do need to learn to correctly bottlefeed in case of emergency and if we bottle feed we can control the dam’s milk production to an extent and be producing enough for baby and hopefully a little “for the house” too. When you hear me say the phrase “for the house” I mean just that. For us to drink or use to craft yogurt, cheese or ice cream.

So we took the kids away from their mom still a little wet so they wouldn’t get nipple confusion. If you don’t do it right away it will be very hard to get them switched over to a bottle. I moved them to the front yard so mom and babies couldn’t see each other. Kinda sad for me to do but was suprised Bluebonnet didn’t even yell for them. I thought that was odd.

After putting the two bucklings in a warm crate. I got some feed for Bluebonnet and she stepped up in the milking stanchion like a pro. I milked her out three times the first and second day. I realized I couldn’t keep that up so I’m down to two milkings a day. Thats what we normally do anyway.

Here’s a sweet picture of my son with his Grandpa teaching him the correct way to bottle feed Nigel.

Here is the directions I was given to bottle feed the bucks: The first week feed the babies every six hours a cup of milk or more if they will take it. Its important to get the colostrum rich milk in them right away.

Second week feed three times a day minimum of two cups per feeding or more if they take it. After that two times a day as much as they will take but usually at minimum 3 cups. I was also given the tip I might want to carry a few bottles with me to make it quicker.

The first day was rough. By the second feeding the darker of the two Nigel (my daughter picked the names) finally started figuring out the bottle. A few ounces at first. He didn’t get a cup full until day three because he would refuse it. Flash, the lighter colored one, is very stubborn, and had to be syringe fed the first two days. Frustrating. He did not want anything to do with the bottle. Day three he finally nursed the bottle on his own. Yeah!!!

We bring them inside to feed them their bottle. I’m sure soon they will outgrow this. Also on day three it was a beautiful sunny day so we put they boys in a little pen in the sun over a patch if new green grass that is popping up. They loved it! I also saw them nibbling at the grass. Right on time with what they should be doing.

So far so good! Oh and one more bit of info. If bottle feeding you don’t wean until 12 weeks old instead of 8 weeks old if Mamas were feeding them is what my friend instructed.