# Bottle raising



## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

We had a little girl born yesterday and all is going well. Our issue is mom is scared of people and already pushing baby away from us. I don't want the baby to be like her and hard to handle or catch to check over. Why day do I pull baby from mom? Happy to keep trying to milk mum and bottle feed to baby. 
Thanks!


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## LuckyDuckFarm (May 26, 2015)

We always took the babies as soon as they were born and bottlefed them ourselves. You _can_ do it now, though it'll be a bit harder since the baby's probably imprinted on it's goat mother. It's definitely still possible, though.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

I wait for at least two days if not three so kid can have all the colostrum she needs.
Not all dam raised kids turn out as wild as their momma.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

How do you get them to take a bottle after 2 days?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

EZ peazey. Put a little molasses or dark karo on your finger. Wipe some on nipple. Insert finger into mouth. Then nipple. It may take a few tries but she'll latch on.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok that sounds great. I want to make sure she gets plenty of colostrum. But I don't want another hard to handle goat.. Also this little girl may get should to a family with young kids so want to make sure she is going to like people and not run away.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

I think for the next ones I might pull them before they nurse on mom! I have tried feeding her this morning. Not interested... She is still near her mom. Do I need to keep them completely seperate? How long can she go without accepting bottle? I was almost going to let mom raise her and just handle her heaps but mom is just bad! She will flee and then try and butt me when I am trying to handle them


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Are they more likely to get sick/ die when trying to bottle raise?


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## LuckyDuckFarm (May 26, 2015)

We always just bought colostrum in a syringe at our farm/feed shop because if the babies imprinted on the mom they would do anything to get to her and it's harder to have them take a bottle. That's our experience anyway.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No. My bottle babies are just as healthy as dam raised. Sounds like you will need to totally pull her so she can't see mom.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

I've had good luck bottle feeding kids that have been on their mom by waiting until they are hungry to try to bottle feed. That means separating from mom so they can't nurse. 8 to 12 hours without milk. Then place the nibble in their mouth. Gently squeeze bottle so a little bit of milk goes into their mouth. Mine will start to suck if they are hungry enough. I've done this with kids that have been on their mom for the first 16 days of life. It can be done. Good luck!


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Also make sure the milk is WARM not luke warm really warm, they like it like that.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

So, we left her on mom until day4 and pulled last night. She has had a little bit over this time (20 hrs) she will drink if we open her mouth and get abit to dribble in. She would have had about 400ml so far.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

Bree_6293 said:


> So, we left her on mom until day4 and pulled last night. She has had a little bit over this time (20 hrs) she will drink if we open her mouth and get abit to dribble in. She would have had about 400ml so far.


How much does the kid weigh?


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Just under 1 kg. I have offered more but this is all she is willing to take. She is getting more comfortable with us so hoping we can get her to drink more..


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

It sounds like she is getting enough milk then. Especially good considering this is her first day off mom and on the bottle. She's pretty little after all.

Off topic but where do you live? I always have to convert your posts from metric so I know what your talking about! Lol


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Her tummy still feels good. Not sunken in. 

Haha Yes sorry I should probably do that! I live in Australia


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

Her stomach sounds good. Your doing a good job. I think my first bottle baby probably got half that amount on her first day off mom and she was 12 days old! So your doing really good. 

That's cool you live in Australia. My family wants to go there someday for vacation (even though you guys have all those seriously venomous creatures)... Don't worry about the conversions. I need the practice so I don't forget them.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

It is amazing here  I love it  and the venomous animals are not that bad  we just stay out of their way! Haha

She seems happy so far. Her mom is just so wild it is hard to convince baby (grace) that we are ok and not going to kill her!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Well she just took a bottle easier than ever and drank 100ml! 26 hrs after removing from mom


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

That's great! You'll have to post a picture of her.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

This morning she drank 150ml  once the teat is in her mouth she will drink easily now  although she seems to have lost her voice??

This is her: 
Grace


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

And when should she have baycox?


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

Oh, what a beautiful girl! 

I think most people start cocci prevention at 3 weeks old.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I start the cocci prevention at 14 days of age.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

She has also got her voice back haha.. I will ask my vet what is best for baycox


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What a cutie!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

She has become slightly runny in the poo department. What should I do for her? Still bouncy and happy


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would give her probiotics. I would also put a pinch of baking soda in 1 bottle a day.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok  she has been getting probiotics in her 10am bottle each day. I will add baking soda to a bottle too.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Bree can you tell us what your vet says about bay cox? I'd love to know when to give it to my babies. One said 14 day and another 3 wks on this thread. Would be interested to hear what yr vet says too. Thanks! Glad all is going well for her. She is really a adorable baby!!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Yes I will let you know  
Grace only had the runs for about 3 hrs and then was all fixed. She gets probiotic in her morning milk and baking soda in her night bottle. All seems to be going very well


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok so she has watery poops now!! No blood or anything and still jumping and drinking perfectly but watery runny poo  only been like this for about 2 hrs! Will be watching her all night!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Buck Naked Boers said:


> Bree can you tell us what your vet says about bay cox? I'd love to know when to give it to my babies.


That ones funny, after asking your vet about a drug NOT approved for the US, cover your ears really well before they answer. :doh:


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Baycox is approved in Australia as far as I know  it's what the vet gives us.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Vet said best at 14 days old also. She had hers just now at 13 days as she has a little watery diarrea and I stress! Otherwise she is happy and healthy. Gaining weight well. Good temp. Bouncy and all that haha


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)




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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Aw, sorry, the advice won't work as well here either :lol: Completely different. We are going into a drought cycle, it will be interesting to see if all the cloud seeding they are doing will work or rebound on them. It's already failing though :lol:


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

So she still has runny poos.. Not to keen on her bottle this morning. Drank a little bit but normally she is a guts! She is not as bouncy this morning. Will take her temp again soon. When she went to pee before it wasn't as much as normal, but she has had watery poos.. Just making her Some warm electroyltes now.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Temp is 39.0 C


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

102.3 Fahrenheit i think..


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