# 1 month old kid-to young to wean?? right??



## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

I recently put a deposit on a buckling- He is now almost 1 month old. The man told me I could pick him up when he was weaned. Well-he e-mailed me tonight and wants me to go get him now-the moms udder is chapped... :roll: -he said he is eating feed, but I am betting there is NO WAY to get him to nurse a bottle- What to do??? Could he live? I have never weaned a kid that early!!


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

:shocked: So tell him to put some Lansinoh or an udder cream on her udder and keep him on his momma for another 4 weeks. I think it would be pretty difficult to get the buckling to take a bottle this late..... :whatgoat: 
The earliest that I've weaned a buckling was 7 weeks old... and that was too young. He is finally filling out now at 8 months old but he sure started out slow. 

Jess


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

He said he already put udder cream on her, but he and his twin sister are too hard on her....I was going to get him at 3 days old to bottle feed and he told me no-leave him with the dam-so I agreed-I wish I had went ahead and got him... :hair:


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

that's waaayy to young to wean a kid.. i left my boer kids on the dams/on the bottle till at least 3 months!! dairy kids stay on 2-3 months


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

1 month old ....for a boer is way to young...  ...to be weaned... and... I know.. that kid will not take the bottle.....at this point... the breeder... should leave the kids on mom anyway..... boers can be safely weaned.. at 2.5 months old.... ... Chapped is nothing .... ...it's not a rip or tear..... and can be healed with no effects... after the kids are weaned.... :? 

I would ask the breeder ...to keep the buckling on her ...for at minimum ...2.5 months old.... or you will back out of the deal.... it is not a normal weaning time... The kid.. may not get maximum growth achievement ....without a good start of the months on... moms milk or at least the bottle.... I can't believe he is wanting to pull the kid... just because of the doe being chapped.. :scratch: It sounds to me like... the breeder is strapped for money... and wants to cut the cord early.. to get it ...not caring about the health of the baby.... sorry... it is just my opinion.... and the breeder... is being very unreasonable.... :hug:


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## Gumtree (Aug 15, 2009)

this is going to sound contrary to every one else.....  
but i got 3 , 10 week old alpine doe's on the bottle and continued to feed them till they were 5 months old
so it can be done  if your patient onder:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

In my past experiences ....boers are more stubborn.... :wink:


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

If he won't take a bottle, he might take a bowl. Its not idea but if the guy is insisting and you want the little guy I would try it. 

You can train the little guy to a bottle but it is a little frustrating and time consuming(not to mention messy) on both parts. If you let the little guy get a little hungry before trying it might be easier. A little sweet stuff on a bottle of goat milk is mighty good when your hungry. Hopefully you have a ready supply of goats milk and a Pritchard nipple. Pritchard nipples seem easier to make the transition with as they are softer. With a little patience it should work out.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

im sorry but a good breeder wont do that - they will know that the kids growth potential will be greatly reduced and beings that he is a boer thats their whole point -- to grow big and meaty. 

I would tell him you said you would take himat 3 days to bottlefeed but now that he is 4 weeks on mom there is no way you are going to pull him and risk loosing him or having him stunted.

I bought a 6 week old kid under the same kind of circumstances and she was so stressed she got overloaded with cocci and just about died. Not worth it!


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

I called him this morning and he is planning on letting the other kid ( the one he's keeping) stay on the dam. he still wants me to go get him-so I guess I will- he said he would keep him until he is 2 months but he is still going to take him off mom either way- I told him that 1 month was way to early and he insists that the dam is more important to him than the kid-so I guess Ill have a fight on my hands- I guess I'll try the bowl of milk thing....


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

I would go get the little guy as fast as I could and then sever all ties with that unreasonable breeder. I would try to make him understand that if the baby dies it would be his fault since he insisted on weaning too early. I think he should give you your money back if he doesn't make it. Keep all emails you have from this guy just in case you have to force the issue.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I called him this morning and he is planning on letting the other kid ( the one he's keeping) stay on the dam.


 onder: That doesn't make any sense ...why would it be any different.... :scratch: :whatgoat: He is being very ....uncaring ...for a precious life..  ..IMO.... if it were me...I personally.... would ask for my money back and not get the kid....but it is your decision.... :hug: ..... If his Doe is more important than a kid... then why ...is he keeping the other kid on her? That is so sad... :doh: :roll:


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## SterlingAcres (Oct 19, 2009)

I agree. It sounds like he's strapped for cash and is trying to sell the kid off early.


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

This guy is just trying to get money quick. I have met many a breeder that don't care what happens to the goat after its sold, they only care about how much money they can get from it and how quick. :veryangry: I have delt with many of those people and I only got two words for them. "Your stupid."

In my understanding, when a kid nurses, they tilt their head up. The milk goes to a different compartment in the stomach altogether. Thats where most of the nutrition from the milk is digested. If the kid drinks milk from the head down position, it wont get as much of the nutrition in the milk.

We don't wean our doe kids until their 4 months. Buck kids get weaned at 3 months.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

We got our first ever goat at 10 days old. The previous owners didn't have a bottle so he started out on the bowl. He was not nutritionally stunted from the bowl feeding. He weighed 120 at a year old. He did just fine on a bowl instead of a bottle. He grew a little slower than he would have as a dam raised buckling since he got cows milk instead of the higher fat goats milk. There are pictures of Jacob on the site but I will let you do the search. Having to put him down due to meningeal worm infection is still a rough spot and I don't look at his pictures. He is greatly missed.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> We got our first ever goat at 10 days old. The previous owners didn't have a bottle so he started out on the bowl. He was not nutritionally stunted from the bowl feeding. He weighed 120 at a year old. He did just fine on a bowl instead of a bottle.


 Just an example... not trying to be mean... :hug: My boer bucks.. at 1 year old weighed over 200 lbs.... they where on their momma's... for 3 months then pulled.... staying on momma is always best.....but I know... that there are times ...when because of mom's health ....they must be pulled earlier than expected... or.... if they are orphaned....... IMO ....this situation ..is very unfair to heathersboers :hug:


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

I understand Pam. Jacobs grand sire was the only big one of the bunch. All the rest were on the smaller slow growing side. Jacob is the one who was out of Collateral Damage lines.


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks for the advice y'all- he isnt really a breeder-he has about 4 does and a buck, and I dont think he really knows what he is doing- I had to send a deposit to keep him from wethering him at 2 weeks old!!!- This will be the first and LAST one I get from him- If he werent a tri color I would let him keep him-he posted him for sale at 3 days old, and I should have waited instead of jumping on him, but he is gorgeous!! I can give it my best shot- i dont have to spend a lot on him-he was priced cheap-so that does help...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I understand Pam


 :hug:



> Thanks for the advice y'all


 Your welcome...I pray... that it all works out for you.... ray: :hug:


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