# Pritchard nipples leak (not on pop bottles)



## genabroesch (Sep 18, 2013)

I purchased lamb and kid 18oz bottles from a local milker(he bought new bottles),they are not soda bottles. I bought a brand new package of Pritchard red and yellow nipples, snipped the tip, filled them with the milk, slid them in the PVC bottle holder and the milk runs out all over my babies faces, making them spat and get frustrated(not to mention bathing them in milk). Any help will be appreciated. I am back to hand holding the bottle for 22 babies....probably holding a bottle yet as you read this...lol


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

These one will leak when you tip them, there isnt really a way around it. The lamb nipples dont hardly leak at all though.

And for 22 bottle babies, I would definately buy a Lambar instead! Much, much easier to deal with


----------



## genabroesch (Sep 18, 2013)

I have a lambar with upper nipples and tubes, but these babies are coming in at about a rate of 8-12 a day. We are buying them from a local milker and raising them. So not all of them understand what to do til about the second or third feeding. I tried it and they hate the big grey nipples. So I went back to bottles. Also, I worry that I will not know how much they are drinking if I use the bucket. Until I get mason jars for the tubes. I have also heard the buckets with the lower nipples are better(no tubes). The seller told me to boil the nipples. ??? who knows why. Thanks for the help!! :greengrin:


----------



## genabroesch (Sep 18, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> These one will leak when you tip them, there isnt really a way around it. The lamb nipples dont hardly leak at all though.
> 
> What color or where do I get these "lamb nipples"?


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I've always used the aquafina water bottles for the Pritchard teat nipples, they don't leak. I have used them many times. You need to make sure they are on tight though. It is normal for it to leak a little if they suck too hard and want a short break, but that is minimal... 22 kids, wow how long does it take you to feed? I would think with all those kids running around you would indeed be better of with an automatic feeder...


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

They're the black ones. Like this. You can also try the ones that go on the 2quart calf bottles like this.

Black lamb nipple http://www.jefferspet.com/soda-bottle-lamb-foal-nipples/camid/LIV/cp/M3-SB/

red lamb nipple for 2 quart bottle http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Rubber-...t-Bottles-Sheep-Calf-Foal-Lot-3-/281014315000


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh an boiling the nipples would be to sterilize them.


I lambar feed when I have 4 or more kids. I feed them cold milk from the fridge, and float an ice pack in the bucket so the milk stays good for a long time. The kids eat when they are hungary, but they dont gorge themselves on the milk because it isnt warm, that makes them limit themselves.

Its better to let them eat until they are full, they grow better when they can self feed rather than eating measured amounts.

When the lambar gets low I add more milk and change the ice pack.


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

We made one from a 5 gallon bucket, some air line and the grey nipples, it didn't take them long at all to get used to the nipples and they did great. Plan on doing that again next year.


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

When they are first learning the lambar, it helps to have one-way valves on the tubes so the milk doesnt go back down the tube when they let go for just a second.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

A word of caution on bottle babies and warm milk - DO NOT let them eat until they are full or you *will* have dead babies. I've already made that mistake, and it is a horrible, painful death for the bottle baby.

PS My pritchard nipples don't leak when rinsed with warm water and used with an empty soda bottle.


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

GoatCrazy said:


> A word of caution on bottle babies and warm milk - DO NOT let them eat until they are full or you will have dead babies. I've already made that mistake, and it is a horrible, painful death for the bottle baby.
> 
> PS My pritchard nipples don't leak when rinsed with warm water and used with an empty soda bottle.


Really? Where did you go wrong? We raise bottle babies and feed them normally more milk than anyone I've talked to. I watch their bellies and growth rate and formulate how much to give using this. Don't get me wrong, we don't let them gorge themselves either, but we feed more often than most people too. I wonder if that helps the overeating issues?


----------



## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Take your pritchard nipple and shake it. You should hear the "ball bearing" rattle. If not poke around and find it...it may have moved out of the "hole" it fits into. I bought a new package and they all leaked...the bearing was under the "washer" thingy. If not, take it back to the store and tell them it's defective. They should not leak that fast, they may have a little drip, but leaking is not good.

I agree that milk should be fed in smaller quantities, more often. I start my bottle kids with 4-5 feedings/day. I prefer mine to be a little bit hungry, that way they learn to eat hay/grass/grain faster.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

mjs500doo said:


> Really? Where did you go wrong? We raise bottle babies and feed them normally more milk than anyone I've talked to. I watch their bellies and growth rate and formulate how much to give using this. Don't get me wrong, we don't let them gorge themselves either, but we feed more often than most people too. I wonder if that helps the overeating issues?


I don't know where I was going wrong, but I killed quite a few newborn bottle babies and every one of them was exhibiting classic signs of enterotoxemia. It was horrible! It got to where I gave away any bottle babies rather than try to raise them myself and kill them. I finally found the formula for bottle feeding on tennessee meat goats site, and I haven't had a problem since.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Ive been feeding babies all they can eat warm milk, twice a day for 15 years and have never had an issue. Other then maybe the first day or two when they dont typically eat that much anyways. And other then colostrum, I never pull the bottle from them if they are still wanting to eat.

As for teats, the pritchard, once you nip the end of them off, wont work well at all to hold milk in. They arent designed to work like that.


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

My pritchard nipples will dribble a little milk out when the kids aren't sucking but they aren't leaking. Are yours leaking a lot around where it screws on or from the actual nipple itself? I have found that if you just barely snip the end just to get the hole open they don't leak near as much as if you cut the whole tip off. I have found that some bottles do not work well with the pritchard nipples, depends on the threading on the bottle. I personally use Dr Pepper bottles but have also used Sprite bottles and they both work great. Can you adjust your bottle holders so the bottles are held a little more horizontal? This might help keep the milk from running out.

As for the lambar, I start my kids with the grey nipples if I know they will be on the lambar. I stick a needle into the nipple, right next to the nipple so it goes in the bottle. This lets air in so the kids don't suck all the air out. These do leak, but they are made to be horizontal, not at an angle. I just feed them with a bottle until they are about a week old then switch to the lambar. If they were started on the grey nipple first they catch on really quick. The one way valves are lifesavers though, the kids can quit sucking whenever they want and restart without having to suck the milk all the way up the tube. I also pull down on the nipple, quick to get the milk to the top so they don't have to suck much when starting them. I have seen people make lambars out of coolers before, just drilled the right size hole in it and put the nipples in, the cooler stayed on the outside of the fence with the nipples sticking through the fence for the kids to eat when they wanted.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Hey Crazy, do you vaccinate with CD/T? I got to talk with my other half about what you said and she explained to me that those that dont vaccinate babies with the CD/T can indeed have kids get and die from over eating.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

TDG-Farms said:


> Hey Crazy, do you vaccinate with CD/T? I got to talk with my other half about what you said and she explained to me that those that dont vaccinate babies with the CD/T can indeed have kids get and die from over eating.


Curious, what age do you do your 1st vaccines? Since I've only had one kid this year, he will be done Friday or Saturday, but he's almost 2 months. I'm just curious at what age do you typically give the vaccine, for the future... I'm hoping to have 4 does kidding in the spring and I'm considering bottle feeding all the kids


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Even if you dont vaccinate the kids for CD&T its a good idea to vaccinate the dams 30 prior to kidding, the kids will build up the antibodies by the time they are born.

I vaccinate kids at 6 weeks and again at 10 weeks.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Okay, thanks


----------



## genabroesch (Sep 18, 2013)

Ok, so the bottle seller, now gave me a bag of nipples that a blue cap and red nipple, they say "Excel" on them. They do not leak, although the hole seems to be very small and takes forever for them to finish eating. The pritchard nipples were/are leaking from the nipple, not the threads. I only cut just the very top of the tip, just enough for the milk to come out. Maybe I got a defective package. Buying more today...


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

There is a valve on the pritchard teats that allows air in. This is to prevent a vacuum. For this same reason, they cant be used any other way then they way their were intended. On a bottle.


----------



## Jason_L (Jan 11, 2013)

Remember with the Pritchard Nipples - in the air hole - there is a little ball bearing - if that bb falls out - the nipple will leak. You should hear it rattle if you shake the nipple. As long as the bb is there - you wont have a leak issue.


----------

