# When To Wean a Dairy Bottle Baby?



## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

We are raising our first dairy baby on the bottle. She will be 2 months old next weekend.

I'm just wondering when we can wean her? I've heard people say 2 months for dairy goats and 3 months or older for meat kids. We've bottle raised boer kids up to 5 months. Don't want to do that again! 

We were thinking of reducing her feedings next weekend to 3 feedings instead of 4. But slightly increase the amount in the feedings. She gets 12oz every four hours during the day right now. 8, 12, 4, 8. Lol.

Any help would be appreciated!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I personally have never had to have a bottle baby, but I do know that the longer a baby receives milk, the better they grow. You can even cut her to 3 bottles a day for the next week, then 2 a day then 1 a day to help her transition better to all solids.


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I wean all of my kids at 8 weeks old...whether they are on the bottle or on mom.


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## GoldenSeal (Sep 14, 2010)

Story's Guild to Raising Dairy goats says that feeding longer than two month inhibits proper rumen growth. "Research has shown that at 2 months of age a weaned kid has a reticuloruminal capacity 5 times larger than a suckling kid of the same age" He says this increases body capacity. He also says it's better to wean by weight, not by age and gives a weaning goal of 2 1/2 times the birth weight. The main factor in this would be to ensure the kid is fully eating forage or at least enough to continue to grow and develop without milk.

I'm kind of struggling with this because I LIKE to feed my bottle babies for 4 months...I don't know...


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Thank you all!  That really cleared things up.

We will reduce her to 3 feedings tomorrow and start slowing her down and maybe wean her at 2 1/2. She is eating grain and hay good so she will continue to grow good. She's a good sized doeling in my eyes. Lots of leg and growing like a weed. 

Thank you!


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