Bottle-feeding a baby goat can be frustrating if you don’t know and have all it takes. It can be challenging if you don’t understand the baby’s or kid body language and other signs.
Well, don’t worry if you don’t know how to bottle-feed a baby goat because this page covers everything it entails.
In this article, we will discuss how to bottle feed a baby goat, when to start, how long, and other related facts. Let’s get down to business.
Contents
What is bottle feeding?
Bottle feeding is the process or act of giving a little animal milk or any liquid through a feeding bottle because the mother is unwilling to breastfeed her kid.
What does it mean to bottle feed a baby goat?
It means giving a baby goat milk or water via a sterilized bottle.
Advantage of bottle feeding a baby goat
- It protects the baby goat against some diseases and infections:
Some diseases and infections move from mothers to the baby through breastfeeding. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) is one of the goat diseases that pass from mothers to their kids through colostrum.
Bottle feeding the baby goats with heated colostrum or pasteurized milk reduces the infection rate.
- It encourages a great bond between the goats and their owner:
Bottle feeding creates good chemistry between baby goats and their owners. Baby goats will get used to the person Bottle-feeding them.
- Friendliness
According to backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com, bottle-fed baby goats are friendlier than dam-raised ones.
They suggest that bottle-fed goats love to associate with humans due to their existing relationship with their owners.
- Better Milker
Baby goats that take milk from bottles tend to produce more milk than the ones that suck their mother’s natural milk. This is probably because they spend more with humans.
- Easy Accessibility
Some baby goats don’t access their mother’s breasts without a heated tussle. On the contrary, bottle-fed baby goats don’t undergo any stress. They open their mouth and drink the milk from the bottle.
- Easy Weaning
Bottle feeding makes weaning simple and fast. The bottle-fed baby goats aren’t attached to their mother; they share a seemingly weak bond.
It is easy to wean them by reducing the milk you give them. Similarly, you won’t face any problem separating them from their mother.
Having discussed the importance of bottle-feeding goats, let’s see how long it will take to bottle-feed a baby goat.
How long do you bottle-feed a baby goat?
Bottle feeding begins from birth, immediately after the doe “birth” her kid. That’s because a baby goat needs colostrum to develop an immune system and antibodies that can withstand diseases and infection.
At what age do you stop bottle-feeding goats?
Some baby goats need milk for four weeks, while others require six to eight weeks to adapt to solid meals.
In a nutshell, you might bottle-feed a baby goat for four to eight weeks, depending on its response to a change in diet.
Meanwhile, according to hobbyfarms, eight weeks is the best time to wean a baby goat. Don’t bottle feed a healthy baby goat beyond eight weeks.
How long do baby goats need milk?
Baby goats need milk for three to four weeks. Gradually introduce them to solid feed in the third week together with the milk. Then, you might stop giving them milk in the fourth week if they respond positively to the changes.
However, it’s okay if the baby goat’s response to the change wasn’t impressive. It means you must include milk in his diet until the eighth week, even if it’s once (4-6 oz) per day.
How often do baby goats need to be bottle fed?
You must give a week-old Baby goat 350ml of milk three to four times daily. The same applies to three-week-old baby goats, although you might add a small amount of hay (alfalfa) and small-sized grains like cereal, oats, barley, etc.
Four-week and five-week-old baby goats need at least 400ml of milk twice a day and other nutritious pasture meals containing minerals, vitamins, and carbon.
Mathematically, it means you will bottle-feed a week-old baby goat every six hours, which could be a bit stressful.
Instead, set a conducive time to bottle feed the kid but ensure you meet the required number of times. Ensure there’s a regular supply of fresh and edible water.
When do baby goats start eating grass?
According to Purina mills, a baby goat can start eating hay two weeks after birth.
Hays contain numerous elements and nutrients that will enhance their growth.
However, not all baby goats can start eating grass after two weeks. Some take three, while others need five weeks to accept the change.
Don’t force them if they don’t like it. Keep bottle-feeding the kids until they can eat forages and concentrated mixtures. The good news is that no healthy goat exceeds eight weeks before eating grass.
Meanwhile, weaning your baby goat or making them eat grass is a gradual process. It’s not what you can achieve in a day or two.
For instance, give the baby goats a small amount of hay and grains, and see their reaction.
You can increase the quantity the next day if they love it. Keep doing it until you eliminate milk from their diet.
Baby goat bottle feeding chart
How much milk should a baby goat drink?
Give the baby goat colostrum throughout the first day. Purchase colostrum from a nearby store and put it in a sterilized bottle to prevent bacteria infection and other germs.
Measure the weight of the baby goat. Calculate 10% of the overall weight to determine the sufficient amount of colostrum. For instance, a 7-lb kid would need 0.7 lbs of colostrum, equivalent to 11 Oz.
As stated earlier, a baby goat needs at least 300ml of milk thrice a day. It means you will give at least 900ml of milk to the baby goat every day for seven days.
Mathematically, 900ml multiplied by 7 (900ml x 7)= 6300ml. Hence, a baby goat needs at most 213oz of milk in the first week.
The baby needs the same quantity of milk in the second week. However, you might reduce the amount of hay or other solid feed.
The goat needs 400ml of milk twice in the third week, which is equal to 800ml every day. The baby goats need 5600ml (189 Oz) of milk and some roughages in the third and, probably, fourth week.
You can decide how much milk to give your baby goat in the latter days, depending on its response to changes in feed.
What To Know About bottle feeding
- There is no special way to bottle-feed your goat. Find the method suitable for you and your baby goats.
- Check the baby’s stomach to know when he’s eaten enough.
- A wagging tail sometimes means he is satisfied.
- The baby goat would chew the nipple to show its satisfaction.
Conclusion
Bottle feeding is an exciting task if you know your goat and what he wants. Understand their feeding language, and you will be fine.
Sources
https://gmsgoats.com/blogs/raising-dairy-goats/hy-bottle-feed-baby-goats
https://petkeen.com/goats-feeding-chart-guide/
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/raising-goats-bottle-feed-kid/