# Switching kids from milk replacer to cows milk - Help?



## Skybison (Apr 25, 2014)

I bought two bottle babies yesterday, they are on half replacer half goat's milk, just as the seller was feeding them. They are doing just fine on that, however, I will not have access to anymore goat's milk once the gallon the seller gave me is gone (unless I can get a hold of some more somehow).

If I can't find any goat's milk, I would have to switch to full replacer which I really, really don't want to do. I have heard a lot of bad things about milk replacer. 

OR, I could switch to half replacer, half store-bought whole cow's milk, and then get them away from the replacer completely and graduate to only cow's milk (or maybe see how they do and keep them on half replacer).

Does that sound too risky? These girls are 6 weeks old, a little on the thin side, nibbling a lot at straw (ignoring the hay) and grass. They have free-choice minerals, as I noticed them eating sand and dirt. Will store-bought whole cow's milk be safe to feed to them? Anything I should add to it?


----------



## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

How many ounces of milk are you feeding them? Can you get them weighed? I feed all store bought vit. D milk and mine do great. Iv never used a replacer. I would just switch over to all cows milk. But that's just me.


----------



## Skybison (Apr 25, 2014)

I will get them weighed, they look a little thin. Right now I am feeding them 8oz three times a day. Is that not enough or is it too little? That was going to be my next question. I'm very new at caring for kids.


----------



## cmany (Apr 22, 2012)

I dont use milk replacer for kids at all...and maybe that is why they are a bit small???

Formula we have used for kids who were bottle fed is...

1 gal whole cows milk, 1 cup cultured butter milk and a can of evaporated milk plus goat nutri-drench

Basically what you do is take out 3 cups of the cows milk, add the butter milk and evaporated milk, shake it up then add back a cup of the cows milk. Add one pump of nutri-drench to the first bottle.

Here is a recipe for switching them over...

The best way to change from replacer to milk is:

Mix up a quart of any good livestock electrolyte mix (I prefer Vi-Tal) But any good MILKLESS electrolyte powdered solution will work (read the ingredients) , ( or in a pinch you can use gatorade, pediolyte or sports drink) , add to each bottle 2 pumps of goat nutri-drench (or equivalent) and a tsp of molasses or corn syrup to each bottle for energy.

This will be a 4 day feeding process:

Day 1- use this exclusively in all bottles
Day 2 -give 1/2 this solution and half milk (regular whole cows milk from the grocer)
Day 3- give 2/3 milk and 1/3 this solution
Day 4-give all whole milk 

This is supposed to help prevent upset tummy...


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I have fed replacer with great results as long as the replacer is 100% from milk. Soy makes them sick fast.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How much do they weigh? At 6 weeks old my Nigerians were getting 3 10 to 12 ounce bottles per day. Any change should be done slowly.


----------



## Goatfarm17 (Mar 4, 2017)

When switching from replacer to whole milk . On day two do you mix the electlroytes and milk together or do you do 1 bottle milk and then 1 bottle of electrolytes


----------



## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

Have used Land O'Lake kid replacer so often over the years. Never had a problem and they have been healthy good growing kids. Also lambs. Of course goats milk is best if you have it and since I've heard so much bad on here about milk replacer - would never try any other brand if I have to use replacer. I mix the replacer as they tell you on the bag and never increase quickly. Always feed warm. I never over feed either. I feed more bottles per day (abt every 4 hours) with less milk.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Never mix electrolytes and milk. Either slowly switch milk over or do 24 hours of electrolytes only then give new milk.


----------

