# Feeding Kids Cows Milk



## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

I'm curious what people's opinions are on feeding whole pasteurized cow's milk to goat kids if you don't have goat milk available. It's not ideal of course, but do you think it would do the job?


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

The breeder I got my kids recommended whole cows milk (pasturized, since even though I live a mile from a dairy, they don't sell for any personal reason, period. Too many legalities!) instead of any kind of milk replacer. She said all her experience with milk replacer had been scouring kids. She did give me a supply of goats milk to mix into the cows milk to slowly transition them. 

While I have nothing to compare it to, as these are my first kids ever. But they're doing fantastically!


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

If you cant get goat milk for them cows milk is the next best thing. Replacer is a last resort for me. They never do good on it at all. Mine scoured all the time on it no matter how I mixed it or the brand and just never grew. I never had problems with switching my kids from goat milk to cows milk. They didn't scour and grew good.


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## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

Thanks for the input. Opinions certainly vary. I bought 3 kids from a breeder of 30 years who said cow's milk would work fine. A few days ago I bought 1 kid from a couple, BOTH of whom are just about to graduate from vet school. They said they WOULDN'T recommend cow's milk because most pasteurized cow's milk isn't pasteurized at a high enough temperature to kill John's disease. They actually recommended milk replacer, but they mentioned a specific brand...I think it is Merrick's SuperKid Milk Replacer. I think the John's disease thing was the only major drawback to the cow's milk in their opinion. I've heard not so good things about replacer, but perhaps not all milk replacer is made the same. I think they said the Merrick's was more expensive than most replacers. Anyway, interesting stuff on all sides. Thanks again for the input.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Yep, cows milk is perfectly fine for them. 

I dont quite agree with "they never do any good on it (replacer) at all"

I have reared many bottle kids on replacer just fine, they grew like weeds.

However, you sometimes find an individual kid that doesnt do well on replacer, with chronic scours or bloat, and these ones usually benefit from a change to whole cows milk. Seems some of them just cant tolerate the replacer very well, but to be honest I have raised more baby goats on HIGH QUALITY milk replacer than I have on cows milk or goats milk. If using replacer the HIGH QUALITY is the key you want an all milk replacer - no soy - and 20% protein 20% fat if possible


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

I had great luck feeding 3 kids this winter with cow's milk, evaporated milk and buttermilk. I've never tried any of the milk replacers so I have no experience with them. They all grew great and you can't pick them out from the dam raised ones.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I like land o lakes kid goat replacer - its just powdered goat milk. Never had much luck with cows milk -- but as Keren said each kid is different and you want to figure out what works best for them and you. 

now that you mention that Johnes - thats a GOOD REASON not to use cows milk!


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

johnes is transmitted via the faeco-oral route not via the.milk. soas long as the milk is produced cleanly and is pasturised as it is in the shops you dont need to be concerned about johnes.


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

I have a bottle buckling and I got him before any of my does were in milk so I started him on vitamin D cow's milk... he loves it and is growing like a weed...


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## GoldenSeal (Sep 14, 2010)

I have used just store bought cows milk with good results and I like to mix goats milk (or cows milk) with replacer 50/50. Never had any problems with scouring doing it this way.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

keren said:


> I dont quite agree with "they never do any good on it (replacer) at all"


When I wrote that I was not generalizing all goats. I should have revised it. I meant all the kids I have raised.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Cows milk has worked awesome for us! All our kids grow like weeds!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

i used whole milk from the store, mixed with goat milk for Gizmo. I was getting to many bottle babys not enough milk. He is my fastest growing kid. I do not like the formula. At first didnt like it because of the runs the kids would have, then once I seen how well Gizmo did, will never go back. I was told it has something to do with soy, I belive. But I do not recall if what I had at the time had soy or not. If I did not have the goat milk to go in with the whole milk, I think I would have put some butter milk in it though.


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