# Bottle Boers



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

My doe Charish had quads so now I'm bottle raising two of them. I realize that most of the members of this forum have bottle raised lots of baby goats, but this is my first go around. Man... that first 24 hours wasn't that much fun. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get them to get the hang of it. I'm thinking letting them get a drink off their mother before I brought them in the house was a *bad idea*? Now on their second day they are starting to get the hang of it. Quite rewarding. These two were only about 4.8 and 5 pounds. Anybody have boer kids that small? Did they grow out OK? If they did, did they catch up quick, or did it take awhile? I can't remember what Goat Spot member gave the tip on here to try and make a shelf with your hand to mimic what the visual a baby would have being under it's mother, but thank you. That's how I finally got them going. I'm curious to compare the two I'm raising to the two Charish is raising.  Here's a pic.


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

awww Their so cute!! 

iv never buttle raised but my 2 show nannies and their smaller that all other boer nannies their age 

i hope that helps


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## MotleyBoerGoats (Mar 23, 2013)

we never let the babies suck off the momma unless the momma is having trouble passing her afterbirth. Or if the baby is really weak other than that its not a bad idea but only a bad idea if you really dont feel like putting up a fight with a kid who doesnt want to take the bottle. lol but im glad they doing great


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## LamanchaAcres (Jan 11, 2013)

Our this year bottle baby nubian is huge! Aslong as there getting fed well there shouldnt be a huge difference between them and there brothers/sisters.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I have a doe that was 3lbs and some change at birth. I got her at almost two weeks old. She isn't quite as big as other does her age but she is catching up. She really took off at around seven or eight months. Placed 3rd in a class of 15 commercial does as a yearling. The two above her were almost two years old.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

LamanchaAcres said:


> Our this year bottle baby nubian is huge! Aslong as there getting fed well there shouldnt be a huge difference between them and there brothers/sisters.


Right on. I do notice Charish keeps her's cleaner than mine.  Her's are snow white. Mine look a little dingyier and have some nutri drench spill marks and poop stains.

Question. I'm going to be using the milk from my Saanen doe Rose. Rose gives what I would describe as "2%" milk. There is nothing wrong with it. I drink it myself. But would it be a good idea to add a little whipping cream to Rose's milk? Or would that just be asking for trouble? If you did add some, how much would you add?


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

MotleyBoerGoats said:


> we never let the babies suck off the momma unless the momma is having trouble passing her afterbirth. Or if the baby is really weak other than that its not a bad idea but only a bad idea if you really dont feel like putting up a fight with a kid who doesnt want to take the bottle. lol but im glad they doing great


Gotcha. I will confess, I was sort of in shock at what had happened. I'd never had a doe kid quads successfully. I had no idea which ones I wanted to leave on Charish and which ones I should bottle. I had a call in to a mentor.. I wanted some colostrum into those little girls.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

letting mom feed them a day or two is not bad...as you said they need that colostrum...it does make transition to bottle a bit more hairy but sounds like you did great...And they are adorable..congrats!!!!


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## MotleyBoerGoats (Mar 23, 2013)

if you add whipping cream it will give babies a tummy ache and maybe constipation just tell what i have learned i wouldnt worrie about it you can always feed grain later as she gets bigger


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Well Tim since they're in the tub youd think they be just as clean as Charish keeps hers.
OOh boy are you gonna have fun in another few days with em jumpin out.
Bottle babies can do well & grow just as well as dam raised.
I use the one from Fiasco farm; a gal of whole milk, one quart buttermilk 
and a can of evap. I like to add a half scoop of probious powder to it after warm.
If you can find the Bulgarian buttermilk (Darigold) so much the better half the time we can only find reduced fat.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

happybleats said:


> letting mom feed them a day or two is not bad...as you said they need that colostrum...it does make transition to bottle a bit more hairy but sounds like you did great...And they are adorable..congrats!!!!


I had colostrum froze. I kept them on it for about 36 hours till I ran out and switched to Saanen milk.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

They are adorable! We picked the smallest one to bottle raise out of our triplets... or if she had two bucks we'd take one of the bucks!  

Cosmo is a quad and she was bottle fed... if that says anything about size.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Tenacross said:


> Right on. I do notice Charish keeps her's cleaner than mine.  Her's are snow white. Mine look a little dingyier and have some nutri drench spill marks and poop stains.
> 
> Question. I'm going to be using the milk from my Saanen doe Rose. Rose gives what I would describe as "2%" milk. There is nothing wrong with it. I drink it myself. But would it be a good idea to add a little whipping cream to Rose's milk? Or would that just be asking for trouble? If you did add some, how much would you add?


It's shame you can't lick your two as clean as she does. You need to work harder at it. Make sure to keep their little butts clean


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I would see how they do on just the milk...make it too rich could cause milk scours..if they don't seem to be thriving them some add a bit of buttermilk to it..


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

happybleats said:


> I would see how they do on just the milk...make it too rich could cause milk scours..if they don't seem to be thriving them some add a bit of buttermilk to it..


I will for now just give the Saanen milk. The only reason I mentioned it is because I have a couple of Boer does I milk sometimes and their milk tastes like half and half. Not kidding. It's my favorite milk to drink.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Ive heard it said that Boer milk is one of the richest around.
Our wether was a quad who got supplemented. By weaning he was the same size as his bros.


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## HamiltonAcresBoers (May 9, 2012)

Dani-1995 said:


> I have a doe that was 3lbs and some change at birth. I got her at almost two weeks old. She isn't quite as big as other does her age but she is catching up. She really took off at around seven or eight months. Placed 3rd in a class of 15 commercial does as a yearling. The two above her were almost two years old.


And she's such a pretty girl


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

HamiltonAcresBoers said:


> And she's such a pretty girl


Thanks!!! We love her! I'm showing her andfind another loaner doe at our state fair. The loaner doe is related to Sugar some how not quite sure but I know its close. I'm beyond excited about goats this year!


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## Ember (May 23, 2011)

Aww they are so cute!! I want a bathtub with baby goats in it!

I bottle raised a Boer/Pygmy cross last year she hated me at first but then got the hang of it and we were best friends after that. I miss that goat for sure.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Ember said:


> Aww they are so cute!! I want a bathtub with baby goats in it!


The bath tub didn't last long. The little girl learned how to climb out on day three. They've got their own kidding stall with a warming barrel outside now. They hear my sliding glass door move and they start their yammering. Cracks me up every time.


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## Ember (May 23, 2011)

I love bottle babies its like having a big puppy. My bottle baby sat in my lap and ride in the car. She'd lay next to me in the grass. Lay on my lap in the lawn chair. Etc. she even would follow me into the house!


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

I tried to read through, but I am late in this conversation. We have had runt kids born and assuming they are getting enough to eat, they will catch up. i wouldn't add anything to the milk you are getting. I would worry that may just cause complications. 
Make sure they are well vaccianted for CD&T
put a little baking soda in their bottles, one or two times a day or when you make any changes.
feed on a regular basis and if you miss a feeding don't double up or feed too close together, it is better to miss a feeding. 
Glad things are going well. I think I was the one that suggested to you to hold your hand over their head like a shelf. At least, if I was giving you advice that woudl have been what I had adviced. I still have one at 7weeks of age, that what suck on a bottle until I put one hand over her head. 
We are giving them Does Match by Land O' lakes. We have been very happy with it. I don't have a goat to milk like you do. I would think that would be the best.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

My bottle babies have always caught up with the dam raised kids. I did leave triplets on a doe last year and the smallest had a rough time. I would have to pull her and the doe out separate 4 times a day to make sure she got enough to eat. She did not completely catch up until she was about a year old. Her new owner is pretty happy with her now. She was probably the best of the 3 kids.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Well my bottle babies are no longer bottle babies. My Saanen doe "Blanch" freshened yesterday. I'd been planning this for awhile... I was letting my bottles boers suck Rose for a couple of minutes every morning when I milked her for them. I did this to keep them in practice for what was to come. When Blanch kidded a single hughmongus doeling yesterday, I pulled that rascal and immediately doused the boer babies with birthing slime and put them in front of Blanch. Blanch now thinks they are her's. She is a good mother to them. The bottle boers are a little intimidated by her, but will nurse her. They both filled up like balloons on the colostrum. So far... that hasn't given them the runs. The little buck seems to be nursing Blanch on his own. The little doeling only when I show up. I think they will accept Blanch as a mother with some time. I need to find a home for Blanch's gigantor doe kid. She drank 24 ozs of colostrum in 14 hours. She is huge. I will start her own thread somewhere.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Way to go Tim! It's cool how you planned this. So much easier than bottles!!! And no clean up.


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## JenVise (Dec 7, 2012)

Now you don't have to lick them at all!!!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

The bottle babies seem to have accepted Blanch. They will still nurse a little when I go in their pen and put them under Blanch, but it's obvious their bellies are already full. Blanch stands like a statue for them. Coos to them. Licks them. She's doing a heck of a job. I'm glad I kept her.
A couple of pics of Blanch.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Awesome!! Great job!!


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