# Bottle babies



## TiffofMo (Jan 10, 2011)

Ive been on the hunt for some cheaper Nigerians. I finally decided the only way i might be able to get what i want is to buy bottle babies. So if i where to get say a buck and doe bottle baby could they live outside in a kidding stall in my barn? Would they get to cold? And at what age do they stop needing a bottle threw the night? I have been possibility offered some when they get 2 weeks old. Ive got a plastic barrel i could cut a hole in the side of it to let them go in and snuggle together ive also got a large dog house they could use. Anything i should know? Are they hard to raise this way would hate for them to die on me. I would perfer them Dam raised but if i could get the price of them cut in half maybe i should go this way. I know at 8 weeks i will need to separate them


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

If you keep them in a stall I would definitly give them a house they can snuggle in. They will stay a lot warmer that way.

Depending on the size of the stall, also put in some toys they can jump on, and also bring them out to play also.

Where do you live? Right now, in Tennessee, our bottle babies would be fine and dandy out in a goat hut with the rest. But we are lazy people (haha, a lazy goat farmer, yeah right  ), and like to keep them up by the house. So they stay in a small pen at the back of the house (which will get bigger soon, and also a sun room converted into a bottle baby/infirmary!) and we can have access to them a lot more to feed them their 4-6 bottles a day. 

But all in all, nice cozy house, and toys, should do fine out at the barn.


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

We feed our new babies 4 bottles a day breakfast,lunch,supper and before bed. They go overnight without a bottle. Our 3 week old babies get 3 bottles a day breakfast, mid day, and before bed. Eventually when we feel they are ready we will drop that to 2 bottles which will be when we do our milking in the morning and evening. I know there are many many different ways to raise bottle babies but this is how we do it. It works good for our babies and for us. Also they get all the milk they want in those bottles too, once they are full they are done till the next feeding.


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## TiffofMo (Jan 10, 2011)

Opps forgot location we are in southern Missouri. As for Pen size it will be a 4 ft by 6 ft area roughly. I due have 1 area that will be the buck/quarantine area that when they get older i can put them in there. It is a 10 ft by 4 ft area with a 30ft by 10 ft outdoor area. The barn is a metal but the inner walls are made of pallets i could stick cardboard in the walls to help with any draft problems. I do plan to allow them outside time daily as long as its not raining or cold.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

If you do get these kids as bottle babies, though I've never had bottle kids I would be sure with the breeder that they are started on bottles before you get them and also get at least a minimum of a quart of moms milk to transition them gradually to what you will be feeding them. This will help ensure they start out healthy on the bottle for you.


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

If its going to be cold at night you can take a big plastic barrel and cut a hole in the side big enough for them to fit threw and then another in the top and put a heat lamp in there, we have one and its great..we used it for chicks and ducklings to..


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