# Too late to introduce a bottle?



## tjwatson10 (Jan 4, 2013)

I have 1 month old boer triplets that have all been dam raised thus far. But, I'm worried about the damage they are doing to mommas teats with fighting for milk. I've heard that if they aren't introduced to a bottle early on its a losing battle to fight. How can I get them to supplement w/bottle?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

With Boers we dont worry too much about damage. 
That may sound cold but Boers are not known for having beautiful udders or teats..
Some sets of kids seem to just chew teats to shreds but believe me, she will recover. In the meantime you can put Bag Balm on her.


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## tjwatson10 (Jan 4, 2013)

Well the reason I asked was because the triplets are really beating the teats up. She's so sore that she started refusing to let any of them eat. The other morning I was within hours of losing a baby. I've been putting bag balm on her 3 times/day and that is helping a lot. But the smallest doeling really needs more milk & she's just not strong enough to fight the others off. I've been going out every 3-4 hours, placing mom on the trimming stand and holding her back leg out so that the baby can eat without fighting off the other two. It's working but I really think if I could get her to start accepting a bottle, even if for only twice/day it would help mom and baby out eminently. Problem is, getting them to take the bottle now has not been very successful. Is you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.


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## RedGate (Dec 7, 2012)

I had twin does that were orphaned at a month old last year, and the first couple of days was a bit of a fight getting them on bottles, but I was able to get both taking them like champs. In my experience, hungry babies will take a bottle, though with some kids will take a lot of patience in your part, and others it seems to click right away. I would not hesitate to supplement her.


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## alliecat23 (Jan 25, 2013)

Put laying across your lap and have them suck on your finger for a couple time then slide the nipple in I usually squeeze the bottle so milk comes out than they figure it out


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## DaisyMayFarm (Jan 19, 2013)

alliecat23 said:


> Put laying across your lap and have them suck on your finger for a couple time then slide the nipple in I usually squeeze the bottle so milk comes out than they figure it out


I had to supplement an almost 3 week old buckling; he took the bottle fine. I used the method above.


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

yup. I've taken a 6.5 week old dam raised kid with no human contact and made them a sweet loving bottle baby.

took 2 days for the bottle and 4 days for her to come running to me.

helps a lot to have a hungry baby to feed.

good luck


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Sometimes it works sometimes it does not.
You can also try to bucket train.

It don't like the damage it does to the teats with trips, it can ruin the Doe's teats, creating scar tissue build up and causing the teat to not work properly in flow.
It is very devastating and is a very high concern I hear ya. The doe as mentioned, may stop feeding the kids because of pain.
I would pull one kid for sure. But it is the matter of getting the kid to bottle or bucket feed. It is hard at 1 month old in boers to start bottle feeding. If you have to, you can get milk pellets to supplement feed the kid, it isn't as good as milk but it may help. Or sprinkle a little bit of milk replacer on grain. Just an idea.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

i start all mine at 4 weeks on the bottle by separating at night and offering a bottle in the morning when good and hungry. I have a 95% success rate this way


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## tjwatson10 (Jan 4, 2013)

I think I'm losing a baby. She was great last night but wouldn't eat this morning and was trembling. Brought her in, temp was only 96.3. Trying to bring up the temp now at 99.6. Gave thiamin, cd antotoxin, Banamine, and bovi serum and 5cc dextrose every hour. Still standing with her head back and swaying...it's very sad. I wish I knew what happened, she was perfect last night at 11:00.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

dont give banamine that will only bring her temp down more.


also work on heating her up = warm towels, rubbing, a heat pad


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## kristinatucker (Jan 3, 2012)

Is the one doing bad the one you pulled from the mom? I agree, dont give benamine. I would bring her in and put her on a heating pad and get her temp up. Dont feed her with a temp that low either. Keep us posted.

In case this is a different goat that your trying to get on the bottle: We have 2 bucklings that are 8 weeks we are trying to take off moms and get on the bottle. We have been working on them a couple weeks but not overly successful. We have stopped bringing the moms to them. One buckling took 2 tries at the bottle and now is taking it on his own just great. The other is being a brat and acts like Im trying to kill him. Im hoping he will decide he is hungry enough by tonight to submit and finally drink a bottle for us but at his age if he dosent it wont be the end of the world, I would prefer him to have moms milk a couple more weeks though.

keep us posted. I hope your doeling is okay!


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## Gumtree (Aug 15, 2009)

tjwatson10 said:


> I have 1 month old boer triplets that have all been dam raised thus far. But, I'm worried about the damage they are doing to mommas teats with fighting for milk. I've heard that if they aren't introduced to a bottle early on its a losing battle to fight. How can I get them to supplement w/bottle?


I have started "wild" and I mean wild.... 8 week old lambs & 10 week old kids.

you just need to get over their brain freeze of stubbornness and convince them it is milk and that it is good...

once you start, don't give in, if they get hungry enough they'll soon work it out.

You may need to take them right off their mother, till they give in... 
Good Luck


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## tjwatson10 (Jan 4, 2013)

Yes it is the same kid I was referring to earlier in The thread. I got her temp up to 101 earlier today but the damage has been done. At this point the working theory is that she has polio. This explains the blindness, head tilted back and general confusion that she has. It's one of the saddest things we've ever witnessed. We have her inside the garage in a small pen where we can control the temperature better and watch her close. Since she can't see she just stands and gets confused then walks in circles and eventually gets stuck through the fence panels. Also Noticed at 10:00 tonight she was showing signs of bloat so we gave pepto and then started her on "revive" an hour later and then every 3-4 hours. We are hoping the thiamin injections will turn her around soon.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

I can only say weather your a goat or a human nursing does take it's toll on the teats,but that is what they were intended for and they will heal,they may not look like brand new teats but she will be fine!


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## tjwatson10 (Jan 4, 2013)

Well I'm sad to report that my little one died on Monday afternoon. She had made a full recovery on Sunday but in the middle of the night she went blind again, head was arching back and then her temp plummeted. It was one of theist awful things to experience.


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