# 6 week old bottle baby refusing milk



## Morielle

Hi, I'm a first time goat owner and have 2 twin 6 week old bottle fed babies. I've had them for 4 weeks now and never had any issues but last week I transitioned them gradually off goats milk to raw whole cows milk due to supply issues. They were doing fine but then one of them started resisting milk. I've tried offering him goats milk again and cow's milk but I have to strongly urge him again and again to take his bottle just to get a decent amount of milk into him. His energy level is fine though and he's frolicking around just as much as his twin sister.

Is this a common problem? Could he be self weaning this young? Should I be worried?


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## ksalvagno

Is he eating any grain? Have you had a fecal done?


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## happybleats

It is not normal for a bottle baby at 6 weeks to decide hes done, in my 8 years only one who is sick goes off milk, not that it can never happen..just not to me lol...they love their bottles! It could be the transition was too fast for him..some need more time to adjust or he was getting too much to digest....I would pull him off milk for 12 hours...feed electrolytes instead..If you have c d antitoxin on hand give that a few days....after 12 hours slowly begin milk again..What breed is he and how much does he weigh..how much milk per bottle do you normally feed?


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## Morielle

No grain, just browse and leftover compressed grass pellets if he finds them. 

He's a Nigerian Dwarf, looks a good size/weight for his age. Ill have to to weight him today to make sure. He's always had a good appetite (except for a couple days after castration).

I think happybleats might have a good ooint about transitioning yoo fast. What should I give him as an electrolyte? If he is still resistant to his bottle this morning I'll try that treatment.


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## happybleats

I have three Nigerian bottle babies..my 6 week old gets 6.5 oz of milk 3 times a day, plus she eats hay and a bit of feed..I would start out with 6-7 oz of electrolytes for your little man , see if he will drink it...Once you have his tummy settled, knowing how much he weighs is important..
weigh him and multiply that by 16 to get his weight in OZ then multiply that by 10% to see how much milk per day he needs..divide that into 3-4 feedings..This would be a good idea forhis brother too..when I brought my girls home they wee feeding them 20 oz 3 times a day! it was way too much...even at the 5 oz they started off on here their tummies were round..by cutting the milk by half and adding hay and not evena handful of feed, they seem less "heavy on their feet" more active and just look like they feel better..

Also C D Antitoxin will help reduce the toxins in his tummy caused by undigested milk

Homemade Electrolytes

A half gallon of hot water
2-6 Tablespoons of Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses or what you have on hand or honey
1-2 Tablespoons of Either Sea Salt, Epsom Salt, Baking Soda or Table Salt.
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar


Mix well and drench or let them drink it.


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## Morielle

Yup, he's still resisting the bottle. He acts all excited at first, latches on and then drinks maybe a few Tbsp. then pulles off. I have to wait about minute before he will take it again. He acts hungry and then pulls of every subsequent time too. He is still just as peppy as ever and still is eating browse, etc. I'm sure its not the milk temp and his sister is eating just fine even though they've been fed exactly the same. I just weighed them and they are both 13.6 lbs. They are 6 weeks old today.


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## Morielle

Wow, ill do that calculation. Thanks! Ive been feeding them about 12 oz 3x per day.


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## Morielle

Okay, that calculation says a bit over 7 oz. Really?? I think they would be super hungry with so little! They are pretty active little things as it is and we go on long walks every day and take them with.


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## NigerianGirl

From what I heard that is the very least amount they need I know a lady who let's them eat untill they stop by themselves and hers are as healthy as any and grow quickly into great milkers


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## happybleats

Sounds like he has undigsted milk in his tummy...they act hungry but can not eat..he really needs C D Antitoxin....dont offer her him any milk for 12-24 hours...allow time for that milk to be taken care of...keep offeringhim the electros...as the milk sitting in his tummy begins to be absorbed he will want to eat..if by days end he still refuses the electro bottle..and you dont have or cant get cd antitoxin...then you may need to use Milk of magnesia to bind the toxins..

10-12% is not the least they should get but the most they should get per day. There is room for small adjustments but tummies should be flat but firm not pooching out. Its not good to let them eat all they want...some goats survive this meathod but it doesnt make it healthy...they can only digest so much milk then the rest sits and become toxic..Just as this little guy is active still but wont eat..soon he can become sluggish and sick..here is a article to go into more detail on this subject...
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/overfeedingnewbo.html
I have seen many sick kids and deaths do to over feeding...it is avoidable.


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## Morielle

Neither goat likes the electrolyte drink...should I dilute it with more water?


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## happybleats

You can add a bit more water if it will help : ) or a bit of honey to make it sweeter..for the one eagerly drinking his bottle...


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## Morielle

happybleats said:


> Mix well and drench or let them drink it.


What does drench mean?


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## ksalvagno

Give orally.


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## happybleats

I use a drenching gun or syringe with no needle..get it past the tongue ..go slowly and be sure they swallow : )


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## Morielle

Well, here's the status: we just couldn't get him to take much of the electrolyte mixture. Yesterday morning I sat there trying to force it ddown his throat but he would. not. swallow. So I went to town to buy pepto. I tried the pepto around 5 pm. mixing 1 Tbsp. with maybe 6 oz warm water. He drank it all up! Thats the first significant amount of fluid he has consumed in days! I wasn't sure how long I was supposed to wait to acertaine he was okay to drink milk again but was worried about keeping him off it for too long so for the 8 o'clock feeding I did offer him some. Ive reduced the amount I'm giving the girl to 7.5 7.5 oz so I warmed him the same. He only drank about 5 oz. Does this mean he isn't well still or that I'll have to gradually get him back to a "full" serving? He still isnt acting too out of sorts and I know he's been eating some feed. Thanks in advance! This forum has been a really helpful aid!


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## happybleats

I understand..with holding milk can be hard, How ever If he still wont drink his milk, then most likley he still has some toxcity. Is he still pooping berries, peeing ok? Take his temp and see where it is..be sure its not somethng else going on..101.5-103.5 is normal range..
Be sure there is a pan of water and one of electrlytes handy for him to choose from. You might be amazed to find he is actually drinking on his own..Pull up a tent of skin and see if it pops back or does it fall back slowly?? this will tell you if he is getting dehydrated...also check his eyes...are they sunken or are they look normally set?
Also check for anemia..Pull that bottom eye lid down and see how red the inner lid is..it should be deep pink to red..if its pal or white when he is anemic...
Once you have donehis check up, give him 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in enough water to drench...just pull it up in a syringe and get it behind his tongue and drench slowly so he has to swallow..give him some probios or yogurt if you dont have probios. 
The fact he is still active is a very good and so he just may need a bit longer to get the tummy settled..NO MILK until he is 100%..dont want to add more wood to the fire when you want the fir to go out 
you are doing a great job with him...


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## Morielle

Thank you!! Ill update again when something changes


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## Morielle

I just took his temp...I might not have had the right angle but it was low. 100.4. I had my 3 human children all climbing on me and the goat while I was doing it (they are pretty concerned too). Ill take his temp again in an hour or so. What should I do if it is actually that low?

I checked his skin and he doesn't seem seem particularly dehydrated so you must be right in that he is drinking on his own. I figured he was too young to be able to  I see him walking around eating leaves and other brush...I'll try to watch for poops and pees.


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## awshucksgoatfarmvt

Morielle said:


> Hi, I'm a first time goat owner and have 2 twin 6 week old bottle fed babies. I've had them for 4 weeks now and never had any issues but last week I transitioned them gradually off goats milk to raw whole cows milk due to supply issues. They were doing fine but then one of them started resisting milk. I've tried offering him goats milk again and cow's milk but I have to strongly urge him again and again to take his bottle just to get a decent amount of milk into him. His energy level is fine though and he's frolicking around just as much as his twin sister.
> 
> Is this a common problem? Could he be self weaning this young? Should I be worried?


Try putting some honey or molasses on the nipple, and not adjust the formula


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## ksalvagno

You need to get his temp up. Normal temp is 101.5 to 103.5. 100.4 isn't dangerously low but you do want it higher than that.


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## happybleats

> Try putting some honey or molasses on the nipple


,

Honey works : ) put it on you rfinger first and let him suck it off afew times..have a bottle of electros ready with honey on the nipple..slip it in when he is going good on your honey covered finger..: ) works great in teaching new borns to suck..

100.4 is a tad low...do retake later, see how it is....if its still low...you will need to warm him up...eith put him in a dog kennel with a heat lamp or heater near...or if he is still small enough to sit on your lap.make a tent out of a blanket and warm the air with a blow dryer...its not terribly low so it shuld take long to get him warm...but a low temp means his body is slowing down...so we need to address the gut issue....let s seehow his temp is in an hour
grazing and nibbling is great..keep hay out for him as well..I would give any feed until we get his tummy issue resolved..it will be very hard to digest right now..
keep up the great work!


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## Morielle

His temp is back within the range of normal  yesterday I started giving him a probiotic mixed with molasses (EMs) with warm water and he drank 3, 8oz servings throughout the day. Tried milk this morning and he drank 8oz no problem. Same for lunch. He is acting aSUPER hungry. Does he sound all better?


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## Morielle

He looks like he lost a decent chunk of weight though.


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## happybleats

sounds like he is through the worse  Good job!!
...be sure not to start him off with too much milk ..increase slowly so his tummy adjust...if he needs 8 oz a bottle you can either give 4 milk then 4 oz electros...or feed him every 2 hours instead of every 4 at 4 oz each time...what ever works best for you....day two you can increase a bit more and so forth it should be done over a 3-5 day span
Good job with him!!!


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## Morielle

Thanks for all your help!


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## happybleats

your very welcome...glad he is improving!


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