# Need major HELP with bottle feeding



## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

Yesterday I got a 2 1/2 week old doeling. It was either me or another lady that didn't have any goats at all so I took her. I knew it was going to be hard considering she was use to being with momma and had no idea what a bottle was. But she wont take the bottle at all no matter what I try. She has drank a little from a bowl and has eaten some alfalfa hay. I have taken her outside and let her walk around the outside of the goat pen so my other goats could start getting use to her. Of course the girls tried to butt her through the fence but I expected that which is why I kept the fence between them.

I have been trying the "formula"...whole milk, karo syrup, and pet/evap milk.

Does anyone have any suggestions on getting her to take the bottle or should I just keep the milk in her bowl and see if I can feed her that way. I know I got in over my head but it's too late to worry about that as she is whats important now. I have tried 2 different nipples and am now trying a human baby bottle that I cut a cross in.

She's acting just fine but I'm freaking out. I even tried to hold Sweety and let the baby nurse since Candy is only a couple weeks older then herhb. She started to but then wouldn't. I guess because the taste or smell is different. 

If I can't get her eating good then I'm going to drive over to where I got her and see if I can find the lady and pay her to let her stay with mom till she can be weaned.

Any help would be most appreciated! Should I try a different "formula"? I read about one that has buttermilk in it...


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Keep trying with the bottle, even try placing your hand over her eyes while you try to get her to nurse, it's dark under mom and trying this may help. Also, try just giving her whole milk....or better yet see if you can get some goats milk. If she will drink from the dish she's getting something, it may be best though to get her to her mom BUT mom may not take her back.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Shame on that breeder. 

Liz has good suggestions. What I had to do to teach my bottle baby was to hold her firmly on my lap, pry her mouth open, and stick the nipple in and close her mouth (gently) around it. It took a few tries but she figured it out.

When the baby gets hungry enough, she will most likely eat it.

Where abouts do you live? I'm not that far from College Station and north of Houston :wave:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

first off stick with one nipple and one kind of milk for now -- its all different for her but the continual changes isnt helping you any.

As to the bowl method -- if she will take her milk that way then go for it


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Would it work to use a drenching syringe in a situation like this? This is a real question, I have no idea.

Jan


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

no I wouldnt -- she needs to get hungry enough to take the bottle


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## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

I poured myself into the internet when I brought her home and did try to cover her eyes with a hand towel as I read to do. Not much luck.

I will keep with the same "formula" and the baby bottle and see if she gets hungry enough to take it. I'm assuming it's ok since no ones said anything about it. I'm keeping alfalfa in her cage (she nibbles at it) at all times and took her out to let her "forage" but I know she needs milk.

Epona, I'm just a bit south of San Antonio. About 30 miles south of down town SA. And I'll keep putting it in her mouth to see if it takes.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yes you have to PUT it in her mouth -- pry that mouth open and make sure the nipple is dripping enough so that she knows it holds the yummy stuff.

Use the milk/formula that she is willing to drink out of the bowl.


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## DebMc (Dec 11, 2009)

I started bottle-feeding 7 week old twins who had previously only nursed off mom. I used human baby bottles, cutting a larger X in the nipple for better flow, and added a tspn of pure dextrose to 8-9 ounces of formula (Nurse-All) to make it more palatable, and it worked! They only took a couple/few ounces the first couple days. Like you, I had to force the nipple in their mouths initially. They'd suck, then spit it right out. On day 3 hubby fed them their bottles and from that point on they chugged them down. He must have the magic touch. <lol> Wish I could send some of it your way.

Deb Mc


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## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

We did it!! :clap: :leap:  

This morning I sat on my bed and held her little butt tight. It took me about 6 tries of forcing it in her mouth but she finally caught on and gulped down about 4 oz. :stars: The poor baby jumped as I was so excited I yelled out.

I guess the trick is to just keep trying and eventually they get hungry enough.

Thanks soo much for all your help. I feel so much better now that I got something down her. She may fight me again next time but atleast I know she will eventually drink it.

And her name is Cookie.

Crap, I have to go...Cookie just peed on the bed and my son his trying to feed her his bottle now.

Thanks again! :hi5:


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## DebMc (Dec 11, 2009)

:thumbup: WTG! Your determination paid off. And she's a smart "cookie". :kidred:



TXsouthrngrl said:


> ...Crap, I have to go...Cookie just peed on the bed and my son his trying to feed her his bottle now.


How sweet!  Sharing his bottle, that is, not the part about peeing on the bed. 

Deb Mc


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

glad you stuck with it -- hope from here on out it isnt as much of a battle


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## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

She's still doing good. Her next feeding was a bit of a fight but not as bad so she's getting the hang of it.

Deb, I thought it was cute myself that Cole was trying to feed her his bottle. Of course she had to ruin the moment by peeing on the bed...lol Luckily I already have a pad on it because of Cole so the mattress didn't get ruined or smell.

I'm going to spend extra time getting her into "the club" with the other goats as she HAS to be were ever I am. I even had to take her to my grandmas today or else she cries her head off if I leave her in her kennel and I'm not in the room. Plus, I threw a diaper on her and let her wander around the house. She likes to go lay with the dogs so I'm sure she would rather have furry four-legged company. I don't mind the bottle feedings but she needs to be with her "people". 

I got her a small dog house so she will be able to have a place to hide since its too small for the adult goats to get into. I'm gonna bring it in the house and attach a temp door on it to keep her in at night so she can start getting use to being in it. I brought Candy in the front yard and let her and Cookie spend time together. It was kinda cute watching them play and butt each other.

This has really been an experience.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Glad to hear that your persistance has paid off! I have to agree with you on getting her out amongst her own kind, do it slowly though as she is stressed enough being taken from her mom so early, it is really cute how bottle babies interact with kids and dogs...too sweet.


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## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

I agree. When do you think would be a good age to let her stay out with them?

I will be taking her out to them everyday for supervised visits. And let her spend as much time as I can outside around them. I take her out there on a leash but will let her off of it when inside the pen. I took her off once outside the pen and she ended up on the other side of the fence to the lower part of my property so Im really careful now.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Continue as you are doing, when its a bit warmer out you can leave her for longer periods with them and she'll be quicker on her feet to get out of harms way should any of the others be mean to her.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

I kept mine in for one whole day, then started making her stay outside and brought her inside to sleep for two more days. After that, it was outside and that's all!

But we have warmer weather.

The result is that she is pretty certain she's a goat and sticks with the others, but is still very oriented on me as Mommy


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## TXsouthrngrl (Sep 25, 2009)

Miss Cookie is doing wonderful! We don't even fight any more at feedings. I just shake the bottle near her and she comes running for meal time. I guess she figured out where the good stuff was.

I thought you couldn't potty train a goat?? Her fav spot to do her duties is my king BED! So we really have to watch her. I think the end of next week is her cut off time and then she goes out with the rest of em and I'll just take her bottles out there. She has been running around with them and besides a few minor bumps, I think they will all do fine todether.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

glad to hear she has figured it out


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Mine preferred the bed too, but if I caught her quick enough, she would go in a sort of litter box with shavings. 

My friend has bottle babies all the times and takes them to work. She trains them to pee on a towel.


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