# Bottle Feeding Nigerians



## Skyz84

I know I have over 4 weeks to go until babies but I'm trying to make sure I have everything ready.

I'm planning on bottle feeding the kids. What bottles/nipples should I use?

When we got our bottle babies they were nearly weaned. The lady I got them from just had them on regular baby bottles with larger holes cut in the nipples. 

Will that work for newborn Nigerian Dwarfs or is there something better?

I was thinking about the pritchard nipple that Jeffers sells. Do they work well?

I'm hoping to make a lambar bucket. At what age can I safely switch them over from single feedings to the lambar bucket?

Thanks!


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## firelight27

Absolutely use a pritchard nipple. They work like a charm. The big lamb nipples suck, even if you mess with the hole. I've never tried a human nipple, but I LOVE the pritchards and so do the babies. Just make sure you figure out your feeding schedule. You don't want to feed too much at one time, too infrequently, etc. or you can end up with sick babies.


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## freedomstarfarm

I have luck with the prichard nipples as well. Lots of little feedings is the key in increasing amounts as they grow. No big quick increases.


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## Skyz84

Thanks! That's what I was wondering.

Anyone have any recommendations for a good feeding schedule to start out with? I've heard it is best to pull them immediately if I plan to make bottle babies out of them. 

Any info on a feeding schedule for the 1st day to the 1st week would be GREAT! How often/how much.


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## freedomstarfarm

I need to type one up. I was given a few and kinda made one a combo of both that is working well for me. 
I prefer to pull kids at 1 week so they get that good start at life. I think people just have their preference here. If the goats are CAE positive then they should be pulled at birth.


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## KW Farms

Pritchard nipples.
Pepsi size plastic bottle.
Unless you're doing CAE prevention, pull them in a few days if you want to bottle feed, that way they are for sure getting the needed colostrum. Very important they get that.
Lambar feeders I don't recommend, but if you do want to use it, the kid will probably need to be a couple weeks old at least. I've only used a lambar once and can't remember what age exactly I tried them on it.

As for feedings, it kind of depends. I usually do small feedings every couple hours for the first few days and gradually lessen. At about a week old they're getting feedings 4x daily...2 weeks old 3-4 feedings til weaning. That's just how I do it, others may work it differently...it kind of depends on the kid. :thumb:


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## RMADairyGoats

I would recommend that you take them at birth. If you let the doe keep them for the 1st week she will bond to them and it will be really stressful on her to take them away. She will yell and run around and be really freaked out. I've tried that before and just decided that it would be better on everyone to take them at birth. The pritchard nipples and the coke bottles seem to work the best


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## VincekFarm

I agree with pritchard nipples. They are great! This past spring I did use a regular human baby bottle, it actually worked quite well, but it did take a few days to get her used to it; but it usually does anyways.

& Lost Prairie, do you milk the colostrum from the moms and then feed it to the kids or do you buy it?


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## RMADairyGoats

We milk the does when they enter early labor and feed it to the kids. We have never bought any. I think the dams colostrum is better for the kids. :thumb:


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## KW Farms

If you can milk the colostrum from the doe, then please do it this way. The stuff you can buy just doesn't work near as good as the doe's. Only use the colostrum supplement as a last resort.


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm

Following.


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## fishin816

I know something you can do that will be easier on the doe and the kids. Let them stay with mom, all the milk they want from her, and bottle feed them at the same time! That means they will grow well on mom, and mom can teach them goaty stuff, while they are still ensured with friendlyness! 

I prefer to dam raise 100% with my Nigerians. I play with them every day, and they are all very friendly. I think it is better for them to be raised by mom. I ONLY bottle raise if it is to save a life


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## GroundGoats

What about CAE prevention?
Or does that are super standoffish and you don't want those kids learning those traits?
Or situation where mom might not be producing enough milk or mom can handle it, like with a still growing first freshener?

The question was about bottle feeding anyway, not alternatives to bottle feeding.
I use a baby bottle with my bottle baby. The silicone nipple was easier for her to nurse off of.
I left my bucks on mom because they didn't have any issues at birth, and I wanted less work. I was planning on bottle feeding my doe because her mom hates to be milked/handled/LOOKED AT... I don't want mom to teach her to be a brat.
I also left the bucks on because I've read about overzealous bottle baby bucks trying to mount their owners and refusing to breed does when they mature. 
I don't want that, I want them to know they're goats!


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## J.O.Y. Farm

This thread is over a year old


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## GroundGoats

My kid turned a week old today, btw.
I fed her an ounce per feeding, but probably should have done a half ounce, and did 8 per day.
8oz a day is about 2x what she should have been getting, but she never looked too full, never got the runs or constipated, so I just kept a close eye on her.
Today, she got 8oz in 6 feedings, 2 for breakfast, 1 for 4 feedings, and she'll get 2 for dinner. That's a feeding every 3 hours.

Happybleats recommendeded feeding 10% of the kids body weight in at least 8 feedings for the first week, then scale down in number of feedings.

I monitor the weight of all 3 kids every day. 
Their growth curves are identical, so I decided to maintain my feeding schedule & amounts. 
She gets about 17% of her body weight! But she's almost a lb heavier, noticeably bigger, and doesn't have a bottle belly.
*shrugs*


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## fishin816

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> This thread is over a year old


LOL Skyla! I should have looked!


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## fishin816

GroundGoats said:


> What about CAE prevention?
> Or does that are super standoffish and you don't want those kids learning those traits?
> Or situation where mom might not be producing enough milk or mom can handle it, like with a still growing first freshener?
> 
> The question was about bottle feeding anyway, not alternatives to bottle feeding.
> I use a baby bottle with my bottle baby. The silicone nipple was easier for her to nurse off of.
> I left my bucks on mom because they didn't have any issues at birth, and I wanted less work. I was planning on bottle feeding my doe because her mom hates to be milked/handled/LOOKED AT... I don't want mom to teach her to be a brat.
> I also left the bucks on because I've read about overzealous bottle baby bucks trying to mount their owners and refusing to breed does when they mature.
> I don't want that, I want them to know they're goats!


Exactly another thing big dairy farms are worried about. If your herd is all tested negative, the kids wont get CAE. And like I said, if you bottle feed while dam raising at the same time, the mids will be very friendly. (My kis are VERY friendly even though I dont bottle feed!) And with your doe that you were going to bottle feed, if you play with tha baby daily, it is not gonna be a brat like its mom! I just think the pros outweigh the cons on dan raising. I like doing that muh better


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm

fishin816 said:


> LOL Skyla! I should have looked!


Hah!


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## 4seasonsfarm

I am bottle feeding my bucklings with nipples I got at TSC. They screw on a bottle and the cap is yellow and the nipple is red. You have to cut a hole yourself but they work good!! We also bottle fed a kitten with the same kind of nipple! 


Sent from my iPod touch using Goat Forum


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