# Milk Replacer



## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

I know its been said milk replacer is bad for kids but does anyone know why specifically? I was trying to look it up but theres not a lot on it and so many people use it!


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I found this online

"Milk replacer should contain approximately 20-22 per cent protein. Calves less than three weeks of age should be on an all-milk protein milk replacer. Non-milk sources can decrease available protein to the calf and result in diarrhea. Milk replacers of non-milk sources are fine for calves over three weeks old."

I found it here http://calfcare.ca/feeding/milk-feeding/milk-replacer/evaluating-milk-replacer/

It wasn't in-depth, but it was informative about the many things that affect digestability. I really learned a lot from that page, and I would not have found it except for your question. Thanks @Goatzrule

For calves, of course. Most replacer is for calves.

Hope this helps.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Soy is a problem. Also the other added ingredients can cause problems. Most of the time it is just diarrhea, but that can quickly turn to death with little ones.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Nothing I have tried has worked well. Not just upset stomachs but they just never grew well. Now over the years I have heard great things about I think it’s called does match maker, something like that from land o lakes but recently heard people having issues with it as well. I’ll never touch replacer again after I bought a bad batch of dumor replacer and lost all my bottle kids. I’m still mad at myself to this day over it because whole milk ended up being the same price as the replacer per gallon it was just that the replacer was easier to stock up and store and actually watering it down a little and mixing half replacer half whole milk they didn’t scour. So it’s either whole milk, fresh goat or cow milk for me


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

"Does Match" by Land O Lakes (division of Purina) used to be a good replacer. I used it successfully for years. Then, they changed an ingredient. (Kind of like the generic vs. real medications, the main ingredient is the same, but the additives and carrier are different and can cause bad reactions). 

I had a lot of kids with diarrhea, slow growth and even one death. Sorry, Purina, I won't use it anymore.
(I raise up to 40+ bottle kids each year, so I kind of know what I'm talking about!).


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I think that @Goatzrule was asking about the specifics of the chemistry, the particular ingredients, that can cause problems. I believe that Goatzrule accepts that there are actual problems.


----------



## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

I have only ever used fresh milk or whole cows milk. But when teaching someone on why its a better idea to use X over Y, I need a good explanation


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Go ahead and read that page I linked, @Goatzrule It had a lot of good info in an easily digestible form. About ingredients, percentages, ages...

Milk has one job to do, feed infants. Amazing we can mess that simple thing up so badly!


----------



## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

Thats is really helpful


----------



## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

When we had bottle kids (years ago) it was pure luck that we happened to be able to milk their mom (who rejected them). Reading this (and other threads here where kids were sick from replacer) I am glad we did! I never knew there was anything wrong with replacer.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I always had great results with Land O Lakes Doe's Match milk replacer powder, but I haven't used it for a long time. I'm now using whole milk with a can of evaporated milk and a cup of half and half, as recommended by one of our moderators here. Works great.


----------



## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

KW Farms said:


> I always had great results with Land O Lakes Doe's Match milk replacer powder, but I haven't used it for a long time. I'm now using whole milk with a can of evaporated milk and a cup of half and half, as recommended by one of our moderators here. Works great.


@KW Farms
Do you mix a gallon of whole cows milk (from grocery) with the evaporated milk and half and half then store it in the fridge or do you make each bottle separately using portions of those ingredients? I'm trying to learn so forgive the questions....but I was wondering if you only had one or two bottle babies if it would spoil quickly premixed. I have ND's and can't see them using that much milk quickly enough at an ounce or two at a time in the beginning.
Also, do you dilute the evaporated milk first?


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm probably in the minority here, but honestly, if I can't just use goat's milk from one of my does, I buy whole cow's milk from the store and just use that. A pinch of baking soda (bicarb) in the first bottle of the day (each kid) and then the rest of the time it is just milk. 

The only time I have a problem is when I am careless and they get greedy. That would be my fault, of course and that hardly ever, ever happens now.

There's nothing wrong, not at all, with doing more mixing stuff in. But I don't, and it is fine.

'Course, goat's milk is always gonna be better.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I've used replacer every year, sometimes alone or other times mixed with goats milk. Either way, I have never had a problem with the growth or health of the kids. I don't remember what brand, just that it was made with milk protein and did not contain soy. (I'm at work, the leftovers from last season are at home). My bottle kids grow at the same rate, sometimes faster, than their dam fed relatives.

No matter what I use, I always add a bit of baking soda to the first bottle of the day.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

mariarose said:


> I'm probably in the minority here, but honestly, if I can't just use goat's milk from one of my does, I buy whole cow's milk from the store and just use that. A pinch of baking soda (bicarb) in the first bottle of the day (each kid) and then the rest of the time it is just milk.
> 
> The only time I have a problem is when I am careless and they get greedy. That would be my fault, of course and that hardly ever, ever happens now.
> 
> ...


I'm straight whole milk too, sometimes I'll put a little plain yogurt in it. One year I tried the mixing half and half and evaporated milk but didn't really see a difference and it was a pain since my little store, is literally a little store and doesn't carry the other. But I got another jersey cow last year and timed her breeding so I'll use fresh cow milk which I like best with growth.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes, I've used active culture plain yoghurt, too.


----------



## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks all for the good info. I always have plain whole milk around since my daughter drinks it by the bucket full. I'll remember the pinch of baking soda trick too.


----------



## Island Milker (Dec 11, 2018)

Goatzrule said:


> I know its been said milk replacer is bad for kids but does anyone know why specifically? I was trying to look it up but theres not a lot on it and so many people use it!


My two cents on the matter is when it comes to the milk from the mother, it would be unpasteurized and full of enzymes and life really, leave it on the counter for a day or so at room temperature and it would curdle just like what would happen in the goat baby's stomach...
Now with the pasteurized milk the baby needs to draw on her/his own reserve of enzyme power to digest the milk where if it were unpasteurized the milk would already have the lactase, lipase and phosphatase enzymes in it
Now do this with pasteurized milk from the store and well i am not sure what would happen, definitely not what would if it were unpasteurized.

From what ive read about these milk powders is that they are processes at high temperatures first to pasteurize it than second to reduce it down to a powder and it must be reheated again to for some reason ?!?steam clean?Ultra High Temperature milk IE DEAD MILK
all the while good old fresh milk doesn't have any of those processes in it.
i could be totally wrong, though this is my impression.

Maybe this link will help
https://nourishedkitchen.com/10-reasons-drink-raw-milk/


----------



## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Okay so I want to try and explain why I don't use replacer.

If you buy a 50 pound bag of milk replacer how long do you think one bag will last? 1 week? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? it depends on how many babies you are raising sometimes it can last a month or 2. You might not see it but it is growing Bacteria and fungi! Now have you heard about peanut butter? That Peanut butter has rats and roaches and other pests that fell into the grinder? Ya it my not say there might be that kind of stuff but if a peanut butter factory can't keep them out then neither can the replacer factories!

Almost all of the replacer I have used in the past had soy. I don't eat soy and I won't let my goats or any other animal eat it. They also bleach it. Bleaching it not only kill bad bacteria but also the good bacteria. Bleaching takes away vitamins and mineral which is why they have to add them back. Most of the vitamins are rock based because they are cheaper and easier to get. I don't know about you but I don't see very many goats eating rocks. They can't break down the complex protein chains. Which leads to malabsorption, weak and slow growing babies, Liver failure, Parts of the stomach and intestine shouting off, And low blood sugar.


----------



## SandyNubians (Feb 18, 2017)

My personal experience with replacer is mixed. With my first bottle kids, I loved it, thought it was so easy and convenient. I did realize they grew slower than dam raised kids. They always also seemed rather depressed compared to the dam raised kids who are always jumping and playing. 3 years ago I got 3 wethers. I also bought a 50lb bag of locally made replacer. The bag of replacer lasted 11 weeks. Those kids did seem like they were doing well, outgrew my dam raised kids. 2 years ago I bought dumor Blue Ribbon replacer to feed 7 kids. Every single one died within a week of starting on that( they were previously on goat milk) Like mariella said, Im thinking it was bacteria. The replacer I got was 1 year expired! (TSC gave me my money back) it smelt fine so I used it. I had 2 die within 24hrs then another 3 died, I tired switching to goat milk again but by the end of the week the last 2 had died. That's why I refuse to use MR again. Unless it is from the local maker and its fresh! I raised this year's bottle kids on goat milk, my bottle babies were(are) actually double the size of my dam raised kids! This is just my experience. I'm not really against it, but I wouldn't recommend it. I would rather use whole milk.


----------

