# Bottle feeding quandary- How much is too much?



## LuvMyNigies (Sep 14, 2013)

I am in a quandary about bottle feeding our 12 day old Nubian Buckling. Since his mom wasn't producing for him, we were advised to bottle feed according to this formula- Divide his weight in ounces by 10-12% divide that by 4 feedings day. This gives him relatively small bottles.

Then we read in a book about raising dairy goats to give him 8 oz a day 4 times a day for the first week, 10 oz 3 times for the second week, etc.

We also came across this feeding schedule on Dill's Goat Farm's website (a registered breeder and shower): 
*Feeding Bottle babies;*
This is the feed schedule that has worked wonderfully for me! I use this for my Dwarves. *For Nubians and Alpines---I triple or quadruple the milk amounts as this would starve a large breed dairy goat.*
Birth to 14 days; 
1 1/2 to 3 oz = 5 times a day. 
6am, 11am, 3pm, 8pm, 12 midnight 
15 days to around 30 days 
3 to 5 oz = 4 times a day 
7am, 11am, 5pm, 12midnight 
31 to 45 days 
5 to 7 oz = 3 times a day
6pm, 2pm, 10pm
46 to 75 days 
7 to 8 oz = 2 times a day
8am and 8pm 
After 75 days cut back to 1 bottle a day, in the morning, for about a week. Then 1/2 bottle in the morning for about a week, then take it away completely. All changes in food should be done gradually.A lot of this depends on the thriftiness of the kid. If they aren't eating solid food well or if they start dropping weight then I put them back on the bottle for as long as each animal may need it. Sometimes, in rare cases, I bottle feed them until they are 5 months old(I like my babies).

By this formula I should be giving him up to 9-12 oz 5 times a day since he is a Nubian and then next week start giving him up to 15-20oz 4 times a day.

This is so much more than what we were originally told and still a lot more than the goat raising book that falls somewhere in the mid range.

I am just wondering if anyone knows how much is too much? I don't want to over feed him, but I don't want to starve him either.

He seems to be healthly, but is definitely not putting on weight as fast as our other kids born around the same time, and seems to be thinner than the others.

Does anyone with Nubians or other full size milk goats have any experience with this? Thanks. 

​


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

My girls are a month old. They get 4 20 ounce bottles per day. They don't always finish the whole bottle. The one girl sometimes finishes the others bottle so she gets more than 20 ounces at times. You just kind of learn what is enough. Or you can stick with the formula and feed only a specific amount.


----------



## MapleKnoll (Nov 4, 2014)

My bottle baby(nubian/boer) was drinking 10 oz/4x/day from about day 3 to day 12 or 14. I upped him to 16 oz but cut back to 3 feedings a day. That's what he's currently at and doing well. It depends on the goat. I'd let him eat until he looks right, not skinny, not bloated. Firm, satiated. I'm curious what that amount would be. I'd guess around 8-12 ounces


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I don't use any formula, nothing. Let the kid tell you when they're full, feed at least 4x a day, 6x a day is better. The more milk they can consume, the more calcium their system is getting, resulting in excellent skeletal growth, which means a nice big kid that grows into a nice adult, not stunted. 
Kids aren't one size fits all when it comes to feeding, the formulas are garbage. Not all kids are the same size at birth, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, etc, not all kids have the same caloric requirements, grow as fast or as slow, no two kids are alike, they can be similar, but not the same.

And the overfeeding problem only is a problem if you are feeding a giant amount 1-2x a day because he will gorge himself on it and there will be a lot of milk sitting for a lot longer than more frequent feedings of a lesser quantity.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

I feed 3 times a day and let them eat till they are done. But I do this from birth and they adapt to it. I would highly suggest never doing this with an older kid that has been on a much less amount.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I start mine out with 20 ounce bottles and let them eat what they want from it 5 times a day. I go down to 20 ozs 4 times a day until they are about 3 months old and then I go down to 2 20 ozs. I keep my bottle kids on the bottle until they are either sold or the does dry up in the fall. By then the bottle kids are 6 or 7 months old. I have way more milk than I need, so I let the kids stay on it by bottle or from the dam as long as they want.


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I find all the different suggestions and charts and tables and amounts and times per day very confusing. There seems to be very little agreement on the bottle feeding! However, if they are growing well, then they're probably doing fine. So find something that works for you and don't force them to drink if they seem full!


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

It IS confusing! Anytime I have bottle babies I keep having to look up the amounts again but generally speaking they get roughly 8oz 4 times a day the first week (Boers) & increased week by week. By the time they are about a month old I drop one.
Bellies should be nicely round but not bulging. You should have a fairly uniform line from front to back, no sunken in hips.


----------



## LuvMyNigies (Sep 14, 2013)

Thanks to all for your advice and I agree, all the differing charts and opinions can be a little overwhelming, but I am happy to say, Isaac seems to be doing fine. He is two and a half weeks old now and very spry and healthy looking. We give him about 10 oz 4 times a day and plus his momma finally seems to have gotten her milk, so when he is done with the bottle if he is still hungry he will nurse and also for a few in between snacks!


----------

