# Bottle feeding questions.



## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

Ok, so I've been reading and trying to prepare in case I have any kids that need to be bottle raised. I just want to be ready.

And, you know I need you guys to hold my hand until I get through some kiddings (without problems). Can those of you who have raised bottle babies please tell me exactly what I need to be prepared and how I do it from first feeding onward.

Thanks guys - I can't do all this without you.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

"Forewarned is forearmed", or something like that. lol Since I've just been through this with a "well baby" I'll take this aspect. Someone else can help out with the "weak baby" aspect.

Ok, Lucky (c-section baby, rejected by mom who didn't realize he was her baby). After he survived his birth, he was a little weak at first, so we kept him warm, with a heating pad, under a big towel in a medium sized dog crate. (Actually he spent the first couple of hours on Hubby's lap watching TV). I had milked out mom while she was still sedated and had about 8-10 ounces of colustrum. I used a flutter valve nipple, but a regular baby nipple will work too (cut a larger hole in the baby nipple like an X). It took a while before he would accept the nipple. I was patient and just kept trying till he got hungry enough, I guess. The first time he just got it all over everything, second time he got maybe an ounce, next time a little more and then he had the hang of it. After that, no problem.

Now, of course, you would had cut the cord and dipped it and all that first. 

You must never microwave colostrum. So, I put a sign on the microwave DO NOT NUKE BABY MILK! So, I wouldn't screw up. I had a small amount and Cocoa was not going to give me anymore! She just refused! LOL So, I didn't want to waste it. It does need to be pretty warm though, so heat it in a water bath on the stove. It should feel warm on your wrist, but not toooooo hot.

It's pretty basic really, and not so hard as you'd imagine. Good luck! :hi5:


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## Julie (Oct 6, 2007)

I made a pdf for bottle feeding a while back, I created it to cover bottle feeding a variety of animal species including goat kids, fawns, etc. and I tried to include all the details needed for bottle feeding how to. There's alot of informatio in it, and you can download/save it to your computer for reference.

Here's the direct link to my pdf - http://juliesfunnyfarmlibrary.tripod.co ... eeding.pdf

All the information in it was taken from my personal experiences.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Julie- when I tried to open the pdf file it froze up my computer and wouldn't open it :shrug: May just be my computer though???

My experience may not help too much... the one time I had to bottle raise it was with twin Bucklings and they latched onto that bottle IMMEDIATELY! I tried three different nipples with them.... the pritchard teats, regular livestock rubber nipple, and a regular human baby bottle. They prefered the human baby bottle. So you can pick one to keep on hand incase of emergencies or you can get one of each to try. The colostrum is the main thing... if you can milk it from mom and give it to them that is the BEST thing to do... if not then they have powdered colostrum and live colostrum that you can buy at most feed stores or online a Jeffers (which is where I buy mine). If you are pulling a kid because the Mom has too many to feed then I recommend leaving the kid on the Mom for 24-48 hours (no more than 3 days) to ensure that the kid gets the amount of colostrum needed. Here is a bottle feeding chart for MINIS that I made up. At the top is just notes that I put on there for myself. The milk mixture is incase you aren't able to milk the Dam or if you don't already have some goats milk frozen. Hope this helps :greengrin: If you have Microsoft Word I can email you the file also. Just let me know :wink:


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

The pdf froze my computer also. I'd love to read it but...

Brandi - that chart was perfect. If anyone has the same type of chart for full size dairy breeds I'd love to see it.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

We have Mini-Nubians but we have bottle fed full sized Nubians though, we went with the chart in Your Goat.


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

Froze for me too.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Cinder said:


> Brandi - that chart was perfect. If anyone has the same type of chart for full size dairy breeds I'd love to see it.


I will see what I can find for ya :wink:


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Found one!!! Here is the link for the Bottle Feeding Schedule on FiascoFarm. It is for Nubians :greengrin:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/feeding.htm#bottle

And incase you can't view it on there I saved it as a pic so you could look at it here :wink: :


















Hope this helps!!!


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