# How to sell a bottle baby?



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

I advertised my pygmy kids for sale recently. They are all 4-8 weeks old and will stay here with their dams till 8-10 weeks. Now I have someone who would like to buy a baby to bottle feed now. I've not had to bottle feed yet and don't want to unless absolutely necessary. Would these kids still take a bottle starting now? I have a few more kids due in May so if she wanted to wait till then, how would you do it? Leave kid with dam a few days so it gets colostrum? Or what?


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I think it would be hard to get them to take a bottle, but I know it can be done. 
I had someone that wanted a bottle baby but I will not sell them as that if mom can take care of them, I would rather lose the sale then force a baby to take the bottle when mom can do it just fine.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

do you find a kid is healthier long-term if it's dam-raised? or why would you refuse? I've just never been asked for a bottle baby before, have only had goats 2 yrs.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

It is just how I feel. After all mom's milk is so much better then powdered or anything else. I am not going to say that bottle babies bare not healthy, it is just a personal prefferance.


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## Bellafire Farm (Jan 5, 2010)

I would advise the buyers that it's best for the OVERALL LIFELONG health of the baby to stay with momma & have her milk & care.... if you explain that to them hopefully they will understand that what's best for baby is what you'll do.

It would be very difficult to get babies that old onto a bottle full time & off mom... plus it would also be a BIG hit to their systems to go from mom's milk to yucky problem causing replacers (even if changed over slowly which would take ATLEAST a week anyway if done right)...so they'd be getting a 'bottle baby' maybe a week or two before a weaned baby ??????? Definitely does not sound worth it to me. Now if the babies were atleast partial bottle babies from the beginning...that might be different.


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

I would not try and put a kid on a bottle at that age, it's not worth the stress putting them through, for kids that age it would be healthier to leave them w/ mom.

However, if she's willing to wait and you are up for the extra work (and you think she's up for it) you could consider pulling one of the May kids and putting them on a bottle.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm one that only believes in bottlefeeding if it will benefit the kid...or the mom and so far, all my dam raised kids have done great. At any age to try and get the kid onto a bottle after being on their mom is difficult and stressful...let alone frustrating for you. I also will not sell a kid on a bottle just because a potential buyer wants "a friendly" kid...to me it is a personal opinion but, any kid can be friendly without seeing you as a food source. 

Totally up to you as the breeder/owner, do as you feel will be best for the kid.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

A lot of MD breeders only sell bottle babies and will sell them to you still on the bottle so you can "bond" with the baby.
While I did seek out naturally "grown" kids, you do have to spend a lot of time with them to bond after yanking them away from mom. Hence the ease of wanting a bottle baby, less work. 
However, knowing your kid will go to a home where someone wants to bond with and be able to handle the baby with ease would be better than someone who just wanted to throw it in the woods to clear trees. So it depends on how strongly you feel about it.
Obviously in almost all situations mom's milk is best, but I do think some people suppliment with bottles and keep baby with mom, you could look into that and see if it's possible to give a baby the best of both.
Good luck,
Caryn


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

Yes it's possible to pull them, but it will be quite a bit of stress to go from momma to bottle to new home altogether. If it's a doeling add some more stress cause they don't like to switch things up quickly. I would advise her to look into a 3-5 day old kid for bottle raising and make sure she knows what she'd be getting into. It sounds nice to bottle raise a little kid and they are oh so cute, but it's also a lot of work and if not done properly it could impact the kids health in a negative way. In my opinion if your going to get a bottle baby you better get a milk goat to supply the milk for it. Milk replacers just don't cut it for me. Ultimately it's your decision, but don't let someone push you to do something you don't feel right doing. Above all always trust your gut and since your asking the question here I would say your gut might be telling you not to do it. 

Oh and yes dam raised kids can be just as sweet and friendly as bottle kids, it's all about the time you spend with them.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

> Oh and yes dam raised kids can be just as sweet and friendly as bottle kids, it's all about the time you spend with them.


I've had potential buyers ask me about bottle feeding kids...because they want a goat that will want to be in their lap the minute they get it home, I tell them that the little goat needs time to get to know them because they are a stranger to them...when I get told that "they don't have the time to 'coddle' a scared baby goat, that tells me that they don't have the time to do other than the basic care of feeding and I will have made my decision to not sell to them. If that buyer doesn't want to take the time to make that little goat feel safe and loved, it basically tells me that they don't have the time to enjoy goats. JMO

I always go with my gut, wether it be with impending deliveries or the sale of kids, if it doesn't feel right or you feel the need to second guess yourself, then it's usually best to do what feels right to you :hug:


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