# Bottle Babies



## CAfilly (Jun 27, 2012)

I've only had my kids about 8 hours and already tons of questions :laugh: 

I've heard that a lot of people don't prefer bottle babies because of them being obnoxiously friendly. I think I now know what they mean! One of my kids is extremely outgoing, and he is constantly sucking on my fingers, clothes, arms, hair, etc in search of a bottle. I guess the only thing I can compare it to is puppy biting for dogs. Is this something he will outgrow, or something I should try putting a stop to? If I need to discipline it, how do I do so?
The other kid is much more quiet, and just let me hold him for thirty minutes without even sucking on me at all. He was quite content being held.. whereas the outgoing one doesn't want to be held for more than a minute. He was also the first one to the top of the ramp. I think he is going to be my troublemaker :roll: 


Next question... I put free-choice minerals out and they are nibbling on it periodically. I'm also giving them 2 bottles a day (morning & afternoon), and a small flake of hay in the evening. Should I be graining them too? I read that wethers shouldn't need grain, but then read somewhere else that they should have it for atleast the first year while they are growing. It just seems like a lot of food during the day and the breeder warned me against over-feeding, so I'm a little paranoid. 


I also posted this question earlier in Goat Frenzy but I might as well just ask it here while I'm at it... They aren't showing an interest at all in the waterer. I have been showing it to them all day, but have yet to see them take a drink. Should I be concerned or will they find it in their own time? The temp here was over 100 today and is supposed to be up to 107 by the end of the week :GAAH: 


That's all I can think of right now.... There are sure to be more to come.

Thanks everyone :lovey:


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## DavyHollow (Jul 14, 2011)

Bottle babies can be . . . interesting to say the least haha.

For the nibbler, all I can think of is a bit of tough love. Don't let him get away with things that will become an issue when he's older. Reward him for good behavior and when he does something naughty just stand up, put him down, and refuse to love him for a bit. He'll get the point soon enough.

I'd provide them with free choice hay, if you can. Unless they have huge hay bellies, it can't hurt to add more.

As for the grain, alittle can go a long way. My 3 babies are about 2 months old, and get about a cup to split between the 3 of them twice a day.

For the water, try adding something sweet smelling, like a bit of gatorade, soda, honey, or sugar. Something that smells strong. Then slowly decrease whats in the water. Put a bit of the sweet water on their lips and then jiggle your finger in the water. Thats the best I can think of. You shouldn't need much, just a spoonful or so.


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## Goat Mom (May 1, 2012)

They are adorable! Aw!

I have two bottle babies. I brought them home a week after they were weaned. At first they were nibbling and sucking on everything they could get their mouths on whenever I went out there, but they don't do it anymore. They just quit on their own.

Our vet told me to give them a little feed mix like Growena for calves and a half a flake of alfalfa each day because they need the extra protein for the first year.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

We had a nibbler too. We would just push his nose away, and when he finally stopped nibbling (took about a million pushes), we'd reward him with petting. Lot of work, but it payed off! He began to behave himself.

I wouldn't feed wethers grain personally, but if you want to make sure it has a good balance of amonium chloride. If they are already wethered at this age, they could be at a slightly higher risk of urinary stones. I would add a little seasalt to their minerals as well to encourage them to drink pleanty of water. As for them not drinking yet, ours learned bit by bit by watching their mommas ... maybe it will just take them a little time (= Try giving them some molasses water!


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## CAfilly (Jun 27, 2012)

I know with puppy biting we just push their nose away to discourage it, and eventually it starts working. I'll do that with them as well.

I am giving them Manna Pro minerals which include amonium chloride. I knew they would specifically need that, and the grain doesnt have it. I bought Purina Goat Feed, but am considering returning it, because it seems like they are getting all they need with the minerals, hay, and baking soda. I know the Dumor and Noble have amonium chloride as well, but don't think they would need that much of it... :? 

I'm going to go add something sweet to their water. That seems like a great idea  

Thanks everyone!


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## CAfilly (Jun 27, 2012)

Success! They loved a little dab of honey in the water... Lapping it up now! I'm so glad I don't have to worry even more about the 107 degree forecast tomorrow... I'm freezing some fruit to give them as treats tomorrow afternoon. Yikes!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm one that agrees on feeding babies grain for the first year... I feed 2x a day, 1/2 cup 18% with added Calf Manna and BOSS, free choice browse and quality hay, after 5 months old I up the grain to 3/4 cup 2 x a day til a year old, at that time I go by how they look and feel to decide on when to add or cut.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

CAfilly said:


> Success! They loved a little dab of honey in the water... Lapping it up now! I'm so glad I don't have to worry even more about the 107 degree forecast tomorrow... I'm freezing some fruit to give them as treats tomorrow afternoon. Yikes!


Oh, good!! Silly sweet-tooth goaties  And we've done a similiar thing with the treats. Our does overheated last year, and we gave them water-ice. Of course being new owners what we thought was heat stroke really wasn't and they were fine ... but they were very happy goats afterwards. :ROFL:


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## Dandilyun (May 21, 2012)

Hey there! I am in Quartz Hill, the Antelope Valley, so we aren't so far from you! The weather last week was pretty brutal. I grabbed my goats and doused them with the hose. They weren't happy, but I felt better lol. They were dry in 5 minutes!

I am a new goat mom too...got mine in May. I have one that I still give a bottle to, in the evening. Just a regular baby bottle filled with water. It's the suckling he wants...he doesn't care what is in it. Sometimes I add some seriously watered down goat electrolytes, but mostly water. I feed my goats grain twice a day. Barley in the morning, oats in the evening. There is a huge amount of oat waste. The barley is also wasted, but not as much. I give them maybe half a flake a day, and free minerals. They waste sooo much hay, but I was told to expect that the first 6 months, as they like to pick out the afalfa leaves and leave the hay. I am starting to give them less, and move it around before adding fresh. I also got some oat hay pellets, but they don't seem to keen on it. I was told by my breeder to keep the diet pretty strict the first 6 months and not introduce a ton of stuff. I just started giving them strawberries. They also have browse, and are learning to eat new weeds. Yay!

They are growing and gaining weight. My wether is really outgrowing my doeling, which I suppose is normal, but I am concerned that she is not growing fast enough, so today I will research the nutritional needs of a 6 month old doe.

Congrats on your new babies. Yep....pay hardball. It's cute now when they jump on you, paw at you, climb on your shoulders, put their hooves on your chest, whatever. But I am already getting sore...they are getting heavier! Now I am a lot more pushy too lol. Pushing them off, then giving them a scratch on the side.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

I love bottle kids and very much enjoy having them around every spring, but yes, they can get pushy at times...I will smack them in the nose when they get too out of hand.

I personally wouldn't give them any grain..They really don't need it. I don't give it to any of the doelings/yearlings that we have, just the milking/pregnant adults. Plus wethers can be prone to UC, so I wouldn't give them any alfafla either. Just a quaity grass hay and pasture if it's available 

Congrats on your new babies


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## rosti (Feb 1, 2011)

Lost Prairie said:


> I personally wouldn't give them any grain..They really don't need it. I don't give it to any of the doelings/yearlings that we have, just the milking/pregnant adults.


I don't give kids grain either and they grow just fine. When they start nibbling, I just shove them away for the first 10 times. Then I start giving them flicks on the muzzle. It always works. Congratulations on your kids!


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