# Sticky  Bottle feeding info



## StaceyRosado

Bottle feeding info

This info is for those who are either in an emergency situation and need info quick on how to bottle raise. OR if you are interested in bottle raising from the start and want to be prepared.

Bottle feeding schedule for minis by StaceyRoop
_Week 1
1-2 ounces every time hungry (usually every 2-3 hours) can have up to 4 ounces especially if left longer between feedings.
_ _
Week 2
2-4 ounces every 3-4 hours (like feed at 6-9-12-3-6-9)
From then on out I increase the ounces once per week as needed. 
Week 4
I reduce the amount of feedings to 4 times a day. 
Week 6
Reduce feedings to 3 times a day (by this time they are at 6-8 ounces per feeding) 
Week 8 
If weaning reduce down to 1 feeding a day and reduce amount
_ 
_Its not an exact science I just try to gauge how the kid/s are doing and if they need more or less. They need more if they seem tired or listless. Feed less if they don't seem to want all the bottle or want to skip a meal._

Bottle feeding schedule for minis from Lost Prairie


_*Birth to 14 days;*_​_*1 1/2 to 3 oz=5 times a day.*
*6am, 11am, 3pm, 8pm, 12 midnight*_
_*15 days to around 30 days*_​_*3 to 5 oz=4 times a day*
*7am, 11am, 5pm, 12 midnight*_
_*31 to 45 days*_​_*5 to 7 oz=3 times a day*
*6pm, 2pm, 10pm*_
_*46 to 75 days*_​_*7 to 8 oz=2 times a day*
*8am, 8pm*_


Bottle feeding schedule for standard dairy goats by goathiker
*For my kids
Birth: 20 oz of colostrum or colostrum replacer in the first 24 hours. 4 oz a feeding or whatever they will take. You can give more then the 20 oz. just not less. Many bottles a day every couple/three hours plus one at night.

3 days old: Move to 4 bottles a day every 4 hours 12oz at a feeding. When they start wanting more move them up 1 ounce at a time till they are taking 4 16oz bottles. They can go 8 hours at night at 3 days old.*

When should you start bottle feeding? 
If you are just starting out considering bottle feeding you maybe wondering whats best for kids and mom. There are many options out there and you can choose what works best for your farm and your life style. 

Some options include the following:

_Pulling straight at birth - don't even let mom see, lick, smell etc the kids. Start on colostrum from mom as soon as birth is complete. This is the preferred method for many who are set up to bottle feed_

_Leave on mom for 24-48 hours to allow kids to get first colostrum from mom. Then pull to bottle feed._
_~JaLyn says she does this to allow does to know what to do in the event she is not there at the birth in the future. ~_

_Leave on mom 100% BUT supplement. At 3-4 weeks of age separate kids and mom during the night, milk mom and feed kids with bottle. What is the reason for this? StaceyRoop says she does this so that kids can go on the bottle to their new homes faster. It gives the kids the bottle baby attitude a bit but not overwhelmingly so while affording you the chance to be away all day and not worry about needing to feed young kids their bottle. _


With any method you choose you will need to "teach" most kids the bottle. They most likely will fight it in the beginning. Very few will latch on immediately.

Here are some techniques on how to encourage a kid to take a bottle. 

*From Lost Prairie:*
*If the kid won't take the bottle at first, just keep trying, It'll get hungry. Try putting your chin on the babies head, or rubbing the sides of it's mouth. make sure the nipple isn't cold, and make sure the milk isn't too hot or cold. If the kid is resisting, sqeeze the bottle a little so it can get a taste of the milk, sometimes once they get a taste it 'clicks' that that's where the milk comes from.*

_From JaLyn_
_When i pull baby after 24-48 hours on mom I wait til the baby is good and hungry usually 3 or 4 hours before i introduce bottle. Sometimes you will have to hold baby's head still while putting nipple in her/his mouth. I've also had to wrap my fingers around babies mouth with nipple in it and squeeze down and let go and repeat this a few times. Make sure you use a nipple that has a very small hole while teaching baby, you don't want a steady flow and aspirate baby. Once baby learns to take bottle you can always make hole a little bigger as needed. If the baby refuses to take bottle at this point then i wait another hour or two and try again. I do this til baby will take the bottle but so far haven't had any trouble getting one to after the second go around. It also helps if you can tickle their behind to help stimulate them to want to take it._

_*Other simple tricks include:*_
_*Molasses or karo syrup on the nipple *_
_*Making sure the milk isn't to warm or to cold*_

What kind of milk should I feed my bottle baby?

Replacer
Most will say "stay away from replacers" But not all are junk. Read the labels - whats in it? If it lists to many ingredients its junk. 
Do not get an all stock replacer. One for goats specifically is going to be best.
Land -O- Lakes makes a kid replacer that's what I use in a pinch and kids grow very well on it - StaceyRoop

Whole Cows milk
Either fresh or from your local grocery store. Must be whole milk and not 2%

Goats milk
Obviously the best if available to you - freeze extra from previous kiddings or use from mom if your kids aren't orphans. Doesn't have to be from the same breed of goat. Lamancha milk can feed a Nigerian dwarf.

Heating your kids milk:
Heat water and place milk that's in the bottle in hot water. Check on wrist for temperature. Some kids like it a little hotter then what you feed a normal human child.

What kind of bottle/nipples should you buy?

The most preferred kid nipple is the Prichard nipple. This one screws onto a Pepsi brand bottle (must be pepsi not coke, the threading is different) and you cut the tip off for the desired flow amount.

Baby bottles
Yup the human kind - you may need to get the medium flow nipple and as they get older cut a larger X in the tip for faster flow.

If you have some information to add to this please PM me (click on my name and choose the private message option) and I will add it for the quick reference.

Feel free to add your bottle baby info in a comment/reply. Questions and discussions will be made into their own topics so please don't post them here. Lets keep this streamlined and helpful


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## ThreeHavens

I found the prichard nipple great to teach my baby on -- the tip helped him to learn to "latch" onto it. After he learned to latch, I switched to the human bottle and nipple, which worked better for me. I cut a larger X on top. The bottle is also smaller and comes with measurements, which is nice compared to the bottle you have to use for the prichard nipple.


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## Trickyroo

All my questions I had have been answered 
But im sure I'll have more , lol 
Very happy this sticky has been made !
Thanks Stacy


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## SugarBush Farms

There are 2 more types of nipples that I use. I actually keep all 3 types (Pritchard, Controlled Flow, and Gum Rubber) and use whatever the kids like best. Most eventually end up with the Controlled Flow or Gum Rubber nipples, they tend to start with the Pritchard then after a few days go to one of the other two. The gum rubber can be really hard to get on and off the bottle the first few times.

Pritchard Teat Nipple:









Gum Rubber Nipples:








These have a small 'x' in them that you enlarge to increase the milk flow

Controlled Flow Nipples:








These you cut off the tip.


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## ThreeHavens

SugarBushFarms: What bottle do you use for the Gum Rubber Nipples?


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## StaceyRosado

soda bottles just like the pritchard except you dont twist on you have to pull and wiggle them on - not fun! We used them with our oberhaslis and they are very stiff and it was much harder to teach kids the bottle.


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## ThreeHavens

I found they leaked like crazy!


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## SugarBush Farms

We take the plastic band off the bottle(the one left from where the cap attaches) and they fit down better on the bottle. I also tend to put the gum rubber ones in hot water for a little while before attempting to put them on. I used them for my market wethers last year and they worked fairly well with minimal leaking. My favorite are the controlled flow nipples, I used them on everything until the wethers(who had hit 60 or 70 lbs) ripped through one.


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## DaisyMayFarm

I use the Gum Rubbers for my twins, I just use a plastic coke bottle and put the nipple on the inside of it. Like this:


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## katie

how do you keep them from leaking? thanks so much for posting this


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## StaceyRosado

in what way are you experiencing leaking?


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## NigerianGirl

I just use regular bottles with regular nipples lol but I have Nigerians !!


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## katie

it just continually drips. we have pritchered nipples


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## StaceyRosado

yeah that happens


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## rdmtnranch

Hey I have a question. If the breader can't get you a supply of goats milk so youcan transition baby to cows milk. Could one use store bought goats milk?


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## rdmtnranch

For the transition that is


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## RedGate

If you can get whole pasteurized goats milk in the store then yes  However the stuff in the can is NOT good. Even smells icky. I actually have not had a problem just switching straight to cows milk when I've had to. When I had several on the lamb bar I used cows milk fill in for however much more they needed. Sometimes that meant mostly goats milk, sometimes lots of cow, lol with no tummy upsets  I do try to switch it slowly if possible, but hungry babies gotta eat


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## rdmtnranch

Thanks. I have seen it in the dairy isle. I think I will get some because the breeder didn't think she could get me much.


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## OwnedByTheGoats

I have heard people ask questions about how to cut the open. I made (or took) these pics to show people.

Oh, and I use rubber nipples sold at feed stores. They are pink, not black. I find the black ones to be too hard for my lambs. Once the goat/lamb can bite through the pink ones we switch to black. I just slip them on soy sauce bottles or old glass coke bottles.


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## NavaBoerFarm

Thanks Stacy for posting this

How about raw cows milk?


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## giddyup8487

*bottle feeding boer goats*

been reading several posts on the bottle feeding schedules, amts etc..... Question: Havent come across anything specific for Boer Goats. Would the feeding amts be similar to the dairy goats?


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## SugarBush Farms

giddyup8487 said:


> been reading several posts on the bottle feeding schedules, amts etc..... Question: Havent come across anything specific for Boer Goats. Would the feeding amts be similar to the dairy goats?


Yes, we used pretty much the same amounts and schedules for our boers.


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## happybleats

yes..the same..here is a article from Tennesseemeatgoats on how much and how often : ) 

tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/overfeedingnewbo.html


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## ThreeHavens

After supplimenting quads, I wanted to add that I prefer human baby bottles to the pritchard. I could never get the opening for the pritchard quite right. The human baby bottles stand up to more abuse, I like seeing the measurements and amounts on the side, and I'm more comfortable with the material of the plastic.


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