# do i have to bottle feed a goat if she has triplets



## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

do i have to bottle feed a goat if she has triplets? or will the bucklings and doelings be mean enough to each other to kick the other ones off when they get hungry?


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

What kind of a goat breed is the mom?


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

she is oberhasli, her kids will be half oberhasli half nubian


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can keep an eye on them but be ready to bottle feed if need be. I would weigh them daily for a week to make sure they are gaining weight. Use a scale that weighs in pounds and ounces or pounds and tenths of pounds.


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

ok thank you


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

My boer successfully fed triplets last year, and she has quads this year. Two of the kids this year are growing slowly, so I attempted to supplement bottle feed. The kids were never interested. They are slowly gaining, and I plan to wean the biggest of the quads a little early to give the two smallest ones more milk to drink.


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

ok that makes sense. everyone was telling me"oh if she has more than two you will have to immediately pull one off and bottle feed no questions asked"


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## SerenitySquare (Jun 28, 2014)

I have a ND that is raising triplets wonderfully. Although she does have a huge udder in fact the babies are 3 weeks old and there is even a little for me. 
This is her 3rd freshening and she raised triplets last year at her previous owner.
I agree on the weighing nd I watched a lot to make sure they all got a turn.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I've had ones that have done great with trips, some who didn't and some because there are only 2 teats and 3 kids have been chewed up badly, but.still had.enough milk for all 3. So since its more easy to get them to except a bottle at birth then later on I pull a kid. For me it's.just all around less stressful.


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

Ill probably pull one just to be safe. i have an older nubian that will be in milk for the rest of the year so having a bottle baby wont be a problem at all. in fact i might like it.


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I know a lot of people that pull anything beyond 2, but I don't know if I agree. Yes, it takes a little extra work in monitoring, but I still think it's far less work than bottle feeding. My two smallest of the quads are almost 21 pounds at 6 weeks. I really don't think that is horrible by any means.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I've had Kinders that has triplets a couple times. No problems whatsoever.... I monitored daily though...


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## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

I would rather try to supplement than totally pull one because I think they learn a lot of important things from their mom and sibs.


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## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

I would suggest not to pull the kids unless absolutely necessary goats can raise triplets absolutely fine especially a dairy goat like her she will produce enough to feed all three. It is like a human giving birth to twins you're not going to breast feed one and bottle feed the other twin. She will get used to being able to feed three they will take turns.


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

I've got two does with trips and they are all doing fine being dam raised


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## SMB_GoatHerd (Jan 22, 2014)

I had a two sets of triplets this year, and I had to pull one to feed, because she was very weak, and spent a night or two in my basement, and none of the moms would take her back and feed her. She knew she was a bottle baby, and she knew we were her source of food, but she stayed with the other kids, and older does, but just didn't eat off of them. And sure, she was smaller for sure, but not by much. And she is the friendliest thing you'll ever meet.


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I agree with keeping a close eye on them and monitoring well, so you can catch a problem before they are weak. I weighed mine daily for two weeks until I felt confident they were going strong, and I did offer a bottle to all three the first week in case they were hungry. Some drank a little at first, but by a week they wanted nothing to do with the bottle. Does will produce more milk (if fed properly) to meet the demand of their kids, so they will keep producing more milk if needed.


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## MCEatMO (Jan 17, 2015)

I agree with what has been said so far. We raise boar goats and this year in Feb. We had 3 sets of triplets and only bottle feeding one and the other 2 sets are doing just fine but I would make sure to weigh them or keep an eye on how they are growing and make sure they are gaining. I feel if you can leave them with mom that is best for them and they learn so much from the other goats. The one kid we are bottle feeding doesn't seem to want to play as much with the other kids as he does with my daughter but now he is slowly becoming more social with the other goats. Hope everything works out for you.
Melissa in MO
MCEMO


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