# is milk replacer okay or not??



## kellygoat (Mar 16, 2012)

I'm a 1st timer with 2 Nigerian dwarf girls, one about 2 weeks , the other a bit older. Both had been dam fed - I bought them from a backyard herd that was growing out of control and not very well cared for. I was told to use milk replacer - all I could find was Land o' lakes brand.
BUT - I've read a few places online strong statements that this can kill them! I don't know what to do! I've been giving them a mix of half replacer, half store bought goats milk. It's day 5, they still hate being fed by me, but poops look healthy and so do they.

Please, any advice appreciated - obviously I don't want to KILL them!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

I've never tried milk replacer, but have heard the same dire warnings. On the other hand, I have had several people buy kids from me and put them on a bottle with replacer and they grew up just fine. I used whole cow's milk on one and he developed FKS and passed away...so next time I have to bottle feed I will likely go with replacer unless I have plenty of goat milk from my girls.


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## Natural Beauty Farm (Mar 18, 2011)

Firelight.......May I ask how you can equate Whole Cows milk giving a kid FKS?
That is like saying a plane crashed in turbulence because the pilot ate beans for lunch.

Whole cows milk is a food source
FKS is a management issue in the herd before kidding.

I love whole cows milk, because it is quick, cheap and I don't have to worry about anything but the temperature and amount.

Not all replacers are bad, some are soy and some are whey. 
The soy replacers are found in the cheaper feeds, they are not natural to the life stage of a kid and the protein is so concentrated that if it is not mixed exactly right can cause scours and death very quickly. It has to be not too hot, not too cold, not too much powder, not too little. They run about the same price as a gallon of whole milk though, so it is advertising that gets people to buy it instead of milk.

Whey replacers are a little better, they are absorbed easier than the soy product, but they are about twice the price. You still run into the perfect mixing situation, and I found them to settle out if not stirred for 5min or more. Because of the higher price, they have to have great advertising. But for convenience, they come in handy on older kids instead of storing 100 gal of milk. I have seen breeders mixed 2/3rds goat milk with 1/3 whey based replacer to stretch the milk supply on kids over 4 wks. 

So it really is your choice, check labels, check prices. I think you will find though that using whole milk is cheaper and better in the long run if you are without goats milk.


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## Farmgirl675 (Oct 21, 2010)

I prefer whole milk, that being said i have used milk replacer successfully in the past. I used the same replacer we use for our calves. The key to milk replacer is proper measurement and using water that is at least 101 degrees BEFORE you add the powder, it will not mix properly with cold water. Follow the direction on the package, those who state that it is deadly were probably not doing something right or had other issues and blamed the replacer. If i need to bottle feed and don't have a momma to milk then I use whole milk strictly because it's easier and cheaper.-


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

If your new kids are doing well with the Land O Lakes and the whole milk mix...keep it up! As long as they are gaining weight and are pooping like a kid should, there's no reason to change. ANY changes made at this point would affect them, they've adjusted to what you are feeding after being on their mom's so just keep doing as you have and also provide a good quality hay and a bit of the grain you will be feeding them...babies start to pick at solids at 1 week of age.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

From all the research I have done, and the breeders I have talked to, the cause of FKS isn't fully understood. So can you please tell me how I was supposedly mis-managing my herd to cause this?

Secondly, I've heard breeders scream and berate others for using replacer because they insist it causes FKS. From what I understand, FKS has everything to do with the poor little things tummy, so what they eat has everything to do with it. But then I personally think it might have more to do with the frequency and amount of feeding than whole milk vs. replacer. I think I was letting the little guy get too greedy at bottle time.

But as far as some research can tell, honestly, its about the does' calcium to phosphorus ratio during the last two months of pregnancy. My doe had been getting plenty of calcium but perhaps not enough phosphorus as I had decreased her grain the last month because of people saying too much would make too big kids. I don't do that now and have never had "too big" kids or another case of FKS. Its just one of those things where people go: THIS causes it, no THIS causes it. You're wrong! No you're wrong! ...and so you have people insisting that milk replacer or even whole cows milk causes it.

http://goats.wetpaint.com/page/Floppy+Kid+Syndrome


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with milk replacer. IT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE. Kinda like breastfeeding. If your baby is doing fine on what you are feeding....then keep it up and don't change it. Changing will cause more issues for you than keeping what you are doing. I have always used milk replacer for ALL my animals and never had one die because of the replacer.


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