# Bottle baby boer won't take bottle



## takentogether (Feb 9, 2013)

We picked up a month-old boer buckling yesterday, and he's doing well, except that he refuses the calf bottle we're trying to use. He bumps and nuzzles us for food, but spits out the bottle immediately, when he does accidentally get it in his mouth. We do also have a nanny in milk, but she won't let him nurse. He won't drink out of a pail, either. He does have lice, and is being treated for those, and he eats some hay and forage. He won't eat goat pellets, either. I've got to get food into this kid! What can we do for him?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How big is the nipple? A calf bottle sounds like it is too big for him. Being a month old makes it hard to get him on a bottle too. I would get either a pritchard nipple which is a red nipple on a yellow screw cap or a lamb nipple which is a gray nipple. Also make sure the milk is warm enough. What type of milk are you trying to feed him?


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

If you try to use the Pritchard nipple make sure you put a hole in it cause they don't come with them. They fit Pepsi product bottles the best and you need to remove the ring the cap is connected to or they leak horribly. 

At a month old you can teach him to use a bowl. Use your finger to transfer the milk from the bowl to his mouth and he will get the idea. It won't be quick but if he's hungry he will figure it out.


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## takentogether (Feb 9, 2013)

He was already on a bottle when we got him, and all the stores around here only have calf nipples. :/ I got the smalllest one I could find, but maybe there's something in one of the smaller stores. We could call around. We had tried him on cow milk because the breeder had him on calf milk replacer.


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Use a baby bottle

Or
Soda bottle put a hole in the lid


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## llamell (Jan 26, 2013)

My first baby i put milk in a sandwich bag and a small slit in one corner, put my finger in the bag to the slit n he sucked on my finger, it was warm n he liked it way better than the baby bottle, after a few days he would take the baby bottle so long a it was wet n warm....

I found cans of puppy milk replacer that was real goat milk, it's like $6 a can (soda can size) but much better than cows milk or powder replacer!

Good luck! Post pics!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The other thing you can try is putting karo syrup on the nipple. Sometimes they like the sweetness and will then suck on the nipple.


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## ahead-by-a-hare (Jan 6, 2013)

I have used baby bottles before especially when the feed store is closed and Walmart is open 24/7 LOL. Just make sure your hole/slit is big enough. They don't like to work hard for food.


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## takentogether (Feb 9, 2013)

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! Baby did great with a plastic baggie of milk over the weekend (so messy though - there was milk everywhere, lol), and yesterday I picked up a regular baby bottle from Walmart which he LOVES. I timed him at 8 minutes to finish 10oz of milk, so I'm pretty sure he's got it down pat at this point. =)


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

good to hear : )


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## llamell (Jan 26, 2013)

Yay!


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