# Pan feeding problems



## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I have a 5 week bottle baby that is needing to go to pan feeding. he and his sister are coughing on the bottle, sucking too hard. we FINALLY got sister to pan feed for real today, its been a 4 day venture, and I refused to give them a bottle all day long. But he is still being very stubborn!! I have bottle fed and pan fed 8 goats in the last 2 years, and of all the stubborn goats this one takes the cake. He is hoarse from yelling, I know he is thirsty/hungry . . . how far do you take it? I have never had to skip more than a couple meals on any baby before. We capitulated and gave him the dumb bottle tonight so he had fluids.

He is solid on grain, solid on hay, but I have not seen him drink out of a bucket. I put his nose in the milk and he refuses to even lick. He gets so caught up in the fight of it that he shuts down and wont drink. I have done EVERYTHING to try to get him to drink . . . he simply refuses it. Any suggestions?


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

If you put the nipple in the pan, that may help teach him to put his head down. We had to do this with Margarita.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

Tried that . . . Thanks for the idea though  all 8 of the ones I've done before were pan feeding within a day except my stubborn doe who took 2 days lol! I really don't know what the deal is with this guy!


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## eqstrnathlete (Mar 16, 2013)

He is stubborn! I have 4 wk bottle babies who's mom died from bloat. They are already eating hay, grass, and drinking water. Maybe I am just super lucky!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

be very careful pan feeding milk to babies...Baby goats are not made to sip from a bowel...they are designed to suckle. Because the rumen is not yet functional, getting milk in it can be deadly...it cannot be digested and will sit in the rumen and become toxic.. when a baby nurses...his head is in a upward position closing off what is called "rumino reticular groove which allows the milk to flow directly into the abomasum" which can digest the milk...so the RRG is like a trap door..its closes when babies head is upward and opens when feeding down ward... a very good article to read about how the babies digestive system works can be found here...take some time to read it and understand your babies system..its very informative..
http://goat-link.com/content/view/99/86/#.UW9Xj7V3Z0M


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

Most of mine have been pretty easy as well. This little man is eating solids great! He only sniffs at liquids though . . . I determined that his buck nature is not allowing him to think when he is struggling (I think he just gets so caught up in the fight), so I put a bucket of water with him, and a pan of milk along with his hay (already downed his grain this morning). Eventually he has to drink SOMETHING . . .


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I understand what you are saying, but if he is eating solids, (grain, hay and grazing well!) then I am not concerned at all. We have switched all our goats to pan feeding after about 5 to 6 weeks and then weaning from there. They get to the point where they start to aspirate when bottle feeding. Its either pan feed them or wean them.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I am just not really sure what to do . . . The last couple bottles he has had he has coughed sputtered and choked. We have tried different nipples so its not a nipple issue. I have never had a baby choke so bad on bottles. I just don't feel like I can give him more bottles. He has not had a bottle in 2 days now, but still refuses to drink milk from a pan. We have battled and battled and begged and coerced and bribed and battled some more . . . 

Sister is fully on pan feeding and eats right in front of him and he ignores it. He does now drink water from a bucket . . . but refuses milk. 

He is 6 weeks old now, do I just allow him to wean? He is around 20 pounds at least, maybe 25. Heavy to pick up and solid. almost as big as my dam raised boys who are 7.5 weeks old. He eats hay all day, grazes when let out, and eats all the grain we give him (we don't give him all he wants)

what do you do? Keep bottle feeding and take a chance at real aspiration into the lungs, or just allow him to wean. I am leaning toward weaning . . .


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I'm leaning towards weaning and personally that's what I would do. I don't like to wean anything before 12 weeks if I don't have to, but we have tons of extra milk being just us two and 6 ladies milking (Saanen and Alpine). If he's happy and healthy I say go for it with close monitoring.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I don't like to wean before 10-12 weeks either  I really DON'T want to wean him, but what else can I do? He is confounding!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Devin said:


> I don't like to wean before 10-12 weeks either  I really DON'T want to wean him, but what else can I do? He is confounding!


Blain was this way too. He aspirated on bottle, momma, etc. I wonder...have you checked for cleft palate?


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

how would I do that? Just look at the roof of the mouth?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yes it would be the roof of his mouth...
you could try a nipple with a smaller hole..make it hard to get milk out too fast...some babies are just gulpers..also letting him suck then pull it away to allow him to swallow might help..even its a pain


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

We've tried those things, he's just such a hog! he actually did worse with the smaller hole, it made him suck that much harder.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yiks..poor little guy


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