# Placing bottle babies in with the herd



## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

This really only pertains to those with bottle babies who have been raised inside and small herds without separate pens or the means to have them. Those with larger acreages have it made.

When you you release them into the rest of the herd? Do you do it by age or by size? Both of my bottle babies are only 2 months old but they are big. If I was to put them in the pen with the older goats would they be OK? I will not just be throwing her to the wolves and would introduce them over several days under supervision. I am going to put a few hiding places out there for them also.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

what I did was let them play outside while I was there then bring them in at night. THen I soon left them out there unsupervised during the day and inside at night. Then it was outside penned up in teh kidding stall at night out during the day. It worked out well and the bottle baby learned to be a goat :thumb:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

When I introduced bottle kids to the herd...I would take the bottle baby into the pen with all the other goats, let them all smell each other, let them get used to each other, etc. take the baby out the first time you do this....do this a day or two later. Then after a few times doing that, start leaving the baby in there by itself for about an hour at a time, then gradually increase hours with time. Eventually, i'd say about 1 or two weeks, you can leave the baby in there. That has worked for me everytime. :wink:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

hey Kylee the above post was your 1500th post 



> Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:17 pm
> Posts: 1500
> Location: Wapato, WA


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions. I need to get these 2 out with the other goats to learn to be goats. I also may have a few more coming in. A bottle mama's work never ends.

Congratulations Kylee 1500 is a great accomplishment and shows how much help you are to the rest of us and how proud you are of your goats.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

YAY!! :clap: I didn't even notice til you said something!! I'm on my way to 2000!!! :wink:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I just looked and oh my I am on my way to 10,000! :shocked: I talk to much


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

This past summer I was given to lil orphan bucks at 3 days old who's momma had pasted . The gentleman did have time for bottle babies . I had a bunch of new mommas and kids at the time . I would feed the babies and the let them run with the rest. They were 2 weeks younger and a bit smaller in bred but they did fine .I did lock the orphans up at night .The bottle babies learned to be goats from the get go.


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## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

ever since hope was a couple weeks old
weather permitting of course
i would take her out with me to do chores
if i went into the pasture she went with me
i have left her out to pasture twice now on really nice days and then left
when i came home (only gone a couple of hours) i would let her out to pasture and she would explode like a bullet out of the gate and not stop until she was on the back porch
:doh: 
but it is all well and eventually she will be out permanently
the only thing that is keepingher in the house now are the temps over night
i'm afraid she would get sick


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

I can't put them out right now. Its nothing but sopping wet MUD and they have never been on muddy ground. I know, I am raising a couple goat wusses but theire my babies.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I just started getting our bottle-baby doe used to being w/ the goats yesterday. I put her in a kidding stall (it is the hog panel-kind, so she can see everyone around her) I also put a couple of our month-old, dam-raised babies w/ her. . . they squeezed out though, somehow. Anyways, I put her and the crate she's been sleeping in, for the day. My does that she is around now are all pretty nice and are definitely used to being around babies.  Because it's cold, I brought her in at night.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

I did the same as Stacey! Only on the nice days I would let them outside to play though but they gradually were moved into the barn and I would take them their bottles.


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