# Help bottle feeding with bucket



## BCG (Jun 30, 2012)

Has anyone used a bucket feeder for free choice nursing? I have 4 bottle boer kids that are about 2 weeks old. They are pigs! From what I've heard, cold milk used for free choice keeps kids from over eating. My little oinkers however, will eat till it's gone and their bellies are about to pop. Will they regulate themselves eventually, or should I limit the available milk? I don't want them to make themselves sick.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I've always fed each indivual with a bottle so I know for sure how much each is getting so I don't know.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes I feed free choice cold milk. But, I do it from birth, so they dont know any different. From what I have read on the internet it is difficult to switch a bottle fed kid onto free choice.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

How cold is your milk? Mine is cold cold, straight from the fridge with a frozen bottle of water floating in it.


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## BCG (Jun 30, 2012)

Milk straight out of the fridge. I've only been giving them a little over their regular ration because they won't stop eating until it's gone. So needless to say, no ice required because there's nothing left to keep cold! Lol....little pigs!


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## LetsGoKids (Mar 20, 2012)

My kids get fed milk twice a day and drink all the does are making and are still hungry. What I have done is after they finish the milk is give them a gallon of warm water in the bucket. Most times they drink a little then seem "full". They have the water there until the next feeding. At first only some water was drank but now they have it gone by the next feeding. I did the same last year and my yearlings are the best I have raised so far. But its all a matter of what works for you. I like to keep the kids hydrated throughout the day and they seem less eager when I feed. I still get mauled but its more seeing me than a feeding frenzy.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

no the ice is to make it really cold to slow them down. i usually find even a bottle baby will slow down sucking if i switch them from warm milk to cold milk. i would probably try just what ypu are doing, give thwm a bit more than their ration several times a day, and slowly increase the amount. i dont know if they will ever adjust but that to me seems like the way to try tp introduce it. 

i love my bulk cold milk feeder and the temperament of the kids is amazing. they are friendly and easy to handle but dont mob me for food, non of that nomal clingy bottle baby behaviour. 

personally i dont feed waterhrough a bottle or milk feeder, i feel it is counter prodictive tp their development. they have a bucket of water in their pen from.day one and they quickly learn to drink from it. feeding waterbin bottles etc doesnt teach them to drink on their own from a bucket. but it would certainly make cleaning the feeder easy lol


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## Tabbytabtab (Jan 13, 2013)

Is it ok to feed cold milk? I've always fed warm milk. That would be so much easier when I have a couple bottle kids at the same time


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

yes surprisingly, they cope quite well with cold milk. it slows them down so they dont gorge. Even my bottle babies I feed cold milk, makes it easier if I am on the road, at shows etc. I dont have to find a way to heat bottles.


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