# Feeding plans for a bottle baby show Boer



## Jason (Dec 10, 2013)

We had a doe throw a single doe this past Friday, then she refused to nurse. First time mom, so I'm not really thinking much of it at this point. At any rate, we have this little doe on milk replacer and she is doing very well, but having never done a bottle baby, I'm unsure of the best practice moving forward. 

With maximum gain and muscle growth in mind: are we better off to hurry the weaning process onto grain, or keep her on milk as long as possible? We normally feed the show goats Purina HSC Impulse, so that is most likely what she will be started on with a bit of grass hay to keep the rumen healthy. We use free choice mineral and a few other supplements here and there.

Feeding recomendations and schedules are welcome....thanks!


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

I would start with 3-4oz four times a day for the first four days (Thats a lot of 4's!) then lower it down to 3-4oz three times a day. But I am assuming this is for boers right? I only know about Nigerians, so you might need to feed more with boers. I prefer to dam-raise my kids. But I only bottle feed when its to save a goats life. And that is you case too.


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

Jason said:


> We had a doe throw a single doe this past Friday, then she refused to nurse. First time mom, so I'm not really thinking much of it at this point. At any rate, we have this little doe on milk replacer and she is doing very well, but having never done a bottle baby, I'm unsure of the best practice moving forward.
> 
> With maximum gain and muscle growth in mind: are we better off to hurry the weaning process onto grain, or keep her on milk as long as possible? We normally feed the show goats Purina HSC Impulse, so that is most likely what she will be started on with a bit of grass hay to keep the rumen healthy. We use free choice mineral and a few other supplements here and there.
> 
> Feeding recomendations and schedules are welcome....thanks!


Oh and may I ask, is the Purina grain the base of their diet?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Weigh her, multiply weight by 16, multiply that number by 11%, and divide by 4. Feed that amount every 6 hours. When she has finished the bottle, stand her up and stand over her facing the same direction. Place 2 finger of each hand on her tummy in front of her hip bones. You want to feel firm and full. Adjust milk as necessary to keep her full and firm. At about a week, stop the night time bottle and incorporated gradually into the other 3. Space out the feedings more so she isn't going more than 8 hours without a bottle. Going for a long time between bottles has a tendency to cause diarrhea. 

I would swap out the grass for alfalfa. Then I would start keeping some leaves (unless it is extremely fine stemmed, her little mouth can't handle stems yet) in front of her 24/7. My kids are usually nibbling on hay by about day 3. At about a week old, start putting a small handful of pellets/grain in front of her and poke a little in her mouth once a day or every time you bottle her. Keep the pellets/grain fresh. Give what she does not eat to your other goats, and replace for her. Once she starts eating the pellets/grain good, slowly increase until she is up to about 3 lbs/day split in to feedings. I would not wean before 2 months minimum and I usually leave them on the bottle until about 2 1/2 months providing they are eating at least a pound of pellets/grain a day. I hope this helps!

PS I don't like Purina. They are pricey, too inconsistent with their manufacturing process, and I've had too many problems with my girls eating their products. Their goat mineral is 45% salt, and that is too much.


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

Weaning her earlier onto grain will not help her growth, it will slow it down. She needed to be on milk for 3 months. I feed one ounce per pound every 4-6 hours. You may have to adjust it, you want a streamlined look to her, not sunken in, and not stuffed (big belly). 

While she is still on the bottle, do introduce grain to her, now is fine to start. Your goal, at the end of 3 months is to have her at least at 60lbs, and eating at least a pound of grain a day, I prefer to have them eating 2lbs a day of an 18% protein pellet, along with water, loose minerals, and alfalfa hay in front of her 24/7 from the start.
To get the size and muscle, a lot of milk has to go through these babies, without enough milk they don't have all the calcium to grow their skeletal frames as large as they could, alfalfa plays a role in that as well. Three months on milk is perfect, any less and you're depriving them a bit, any longer and it isn't really doing any good.

Every 20-21 days worm her and give coccidia meds.


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## Jason (Dec 10, 2013)

Thanks or the replies. She is currently getting about 7oz 4 times a day. We are planning on cutting that down to three this weekend with the amount fed being higher. She is playing with the hay already, and she even stuck her head in the feed buckets yesterday to see what the big girls were so excited about. That being said, that answers my question pretty well, so she will stay on the milk until some time in April and she can start on the grain when every she wants to I suppose.


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## Jason (Dec 10, 2013)

To answer the question I overlooked...yes, the Purina is our primary feed. We do not use any cracked corn, or other whole grains. I like the HSC because it allows you to feed without hay. We do keep hay for them a few times a week simply because I think it's good for their mental well being. They want to browse, so I fill the hay rack on the barn wall a few times a week so that have that to nibble on when they want to. Pelleted feeds are just plain easier for us to deal with, but that does come with a pretty good price tag.


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

Jason said:


> To answer the question I overlooked...yes, the Purina is our primary feed. We do not use any cracked corn, or other whole grains. I like the HSC because it allows you to feed without hay. We do keep hay for them a few times a week simply because I think it's good for their mental well being. They want to browse, so I fill the hay rack on the barn wall a few times a week so that have that to nibble on when they want to. Pelleted feeds are just plain easier for us to deal with, but that does come with a pretty good price tag.


Do you even let them have hay?


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## Jason (Dec 10, 2013)

Sure I do...about 3-4 flakes a week. Not so much becaue they need it with the complete feed, but because I feel that having hay to munch on fulfills their instinct to browse feed. I think it makes for a happier goat in the long run. Not to mention that, but we feed twice a day, and this gives them something in between to snack on if they feel hungry. When both are put out at the same time, they prefer the pelleted feed, and they just eat the hay later. The obvious exception to this is when I put a flake of alfalfa or clover hay out...then all bets are off until that is gone.


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

Jason said:


> Sure I do...about 3-4 flakes a week. Not so much becaue they need it with the complete feed, but because I feel that having hay to munch on fulfills their instinct to browse feed. I think it makes for a happier goat in the long run. Not to mention that, but we feed twice a day, and this gives them something in between to snack on if they feel hungry. When both are put out at the same time, they prefer the pelleted feed, and they just eat the hay later. The obvious exception to this is when I put a flake of alfalfa or clover hay out...then all bets are off until that is gone.


So you don't let them browse on a pasture?


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