# How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or parent



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Title says it all.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

Hard to say. I sell my dam raised kids no sooner than 8 weeks sometimes 9 weeks old. 
For bottle kids I wean at 10 weeks or so. 
I have dam raised kids that are still nursing at 7mos old because their dams let them.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

Thanks, Logan.
My "filly" now 11 years old, was still nursing at three years old until her momma was ready to foal again LOL.
I'm thinking about a month old nubian buckling who's still on his momma. I could put a deposit on him if I like him. He's be Pan's replacement as a herd sire.
But I plan on posting lots of pics of him here before I make a deposit .
I got lucky with Pan.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

With boers...bucklings can be weaned at 2.5 months old.....if the bucklings are being naughty ...they must be separated.... I try though... to wean at 3 months old....at minimum...but.... I have been known... to leave.. some of my Doelings a bit longer.... you have to remember... to give the Doe... at least 1 to 2 months of dry up time...for her next kids....although.... the longer the better....

Some Does ....will never wean their babies on their own...so.....we have to separate them.... for 1 to 2 months..... so they stop nursing....

bottle feeding... I'd say 2.5 months old at minimum...remember ...this is for boer kids.... :wink:


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

THank you. I love bottle feeding Pan. I just wanted a guide to go by.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

:wink: :hi5:


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

HA! I have a one year old doe that still tries to nurse from her mother as both of them have 2 week old babies on each now.

I dam raise unless we have to bottle feed and normally sell at 8 weeks at earliest, but I like to wait to sell until 10 weeks so I can be sure they are eating good.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

I dam raise and the first time I ever retained a kid was in 2002 and she was 3 years old and her mom would still allow her to nurse! I had to take her to my moms to finally get her completely weaned.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

THat's cool that the mother-daughter bond can be so lasting. THat must be a sight, babies nursing off one doe while she nurses off her mom LOL.
As much fun as I'm having with Pan, I think dam raising must be best for most people (and goats). Pan is so dependant on me. After all, in nature being separated from his momma would mean probable death. (Unlike baby parrots or raptors who are used to the parents leaving to find food.) And not everyone can spend all day and night with their bottle baby.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*



freedomstarfarm said:


> Hard to say. I sell my dam raised kids no sooner than 8 weeks sometimes 9 weeks old.
> For bottle kids I wean at 10 weeks or so.
> I have dam raised kids that are still nursing at 7mos old because their dams let them.


Three of my doelings were still sneaking drinks well into their first year - i wondered how long they would continue - i noticed a couple weeks ago they tried (and their mom pushed them away) despite the fact that they are 18 months old and were very pregnant at the time...............it reminds me of the kids you see nursing when they are 4-5 years old.


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

I wean all bucklings at 8 weeks old and doelings no later than 12 weeks old.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

Actually I'm looking at having surgery to fix my leg at some point here, so if I could wean Pan at eight or nine weeks I could schedule the surgery for a week or two after that.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*



Zarafia said:


> THat's cool that the mother-daughter bond can be so lasting.


Yup!! It is so strong that I feel bad separating them. But of course, if I never did we would have a thousand goats.
Just this morning I went out and all the new moms were cuddled with their babies. Then I saw Shasta and her 1yo Merry sleeping together. (Merry is pregnant and only weaned a few weeks ago.) Poor Angel (who is also pregnant) looked so lonely as her mom kidded yesterday and she was in the pen with the new ones. Nobody was snuggling with her. :sigh:

I never worry about weaning though. I have a buckling sold and was wondering when it would be okay to let her take him. He is only 3 weeks so she may decide to go ahead and give him a bottle.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

I'm hoping that Pan and I can have a lasting mother-son bond LOL, but I'm guessing that being a buckling, even after he's wethered, he'll start becoming independent.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

I have a wether and a buck who were bottle babies. They still treat me like Mom.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

Very cool.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

*Re: How old do goats normally wean (bottle raised and/or par*

My doe raised her kids. She started weaning at about 4 months and was done by 6 months.

Her doeling is an in your pocket girl. My doe that was bottle raised is not nearly as annoying as the dam raised kid...go figure!


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