How much milk should a baby goat drink?
To arrive at the exact amount of milk a baby goat should drink, you must first put under consideration the age, size, health, growth rate and body weight of the the baby or kid goat. Having this understanding will put you in the best position to arrive at how much milk a baby goat should drink.
But In general, a baby goat is expected to drink an approximately 10% of their body weight of milk per day. That is why you must first know the weight of the baby goat.
Take for instance, if your baby goat has a body weight of about 10-pounds then you are expected to give the baby goat not more than 1 pounds of milk in a day and you are expected to increase the quantity of milk in respect to the body size of the kid goat as the goat increase in size. This is the general guideline in practice.
Note: we have always advised that you still seek guidance from experienced farmers or from your veterinarian for further advice in this subject if you are not still clear.
Contents
How many ounces of milk should a baby goat drink?
| Age | Amount of liquid milk per feeding | Feeding Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Colostrum, 10% of body weight* | |
| Days 2 – 10 | 4 – 6 oz | 4 – 5 times/day |
| Days 11 – 21 | 7 – 12 oz | 3 – 4 times/day |
| Days 21 – weaning | 12 – 16 oz | 3 times/day |
*e.g., a 4-lb kid would need 0.4 lbs of colostrum, or about 6.5 oz (0.4 lbs x 16 oz/lb)
The amount of milk a baby goat should drink a day will depends on the age. Like from the table above a day old baby goat should consume 10% of milk in respect to it body size per day.
When the goat is getting to 2 to 10 days then the quantity of milk should be decrease to 4 to 6 oz per day while when they get to 11 to 21 days they should consume 7 to 12 oz per day
All this food should be split into smaller feeding in such a way that the goat is not undefed or overfed and also the nutritional needs of the goat are meet
Can a baby goat drink too much milk?
Yes, It is very possible for you to overfeed your baby goat with too much milk and it is is very bad for a baby goat to drink too much milk because if this happens, your baby goat could suffer from diarrhea and also suffer from other digestive related issues.
Hence you have to monitor the quantity of milk your goat consume per day and stick to the general acceptable rule, to ensure they did not only drink up to the recommended quantity but also that they don’t exceed this quantity in respect to their body size and their age .
Oftentimes, baby goats will act hungry when they see the owner. However, it is very important not to overfeed them with excess milk at one feeding because it can have a negative effect on them and can cause diarrhea and can easily lead to dehydration.
However, it is the responsibility of the owner to stop feeding them even before they are full. If you feed them to the point that they lack interest in their bottle, then it is advisable you stop feeding them and such amount should be reduced by one to two ounces during the next feeding
How often do you bottle feed a baby goat?
How often you feed a baby goat still depends on the size and body weight but in general It is recommended that you try as much as you can to bottle feed your baby or kid goat every 2-3 hours during the day then at night you can make their feeding schedule last longer like every 4 to 5 hours.
While you are taking your time to feed the baby goat, you should check and also ensure that the milk they are feeding on is adding weight to their body, this is the only way to know if you are giving them enough milk.
Also you have to watch your baby goat for signs of diarrhea issues because this is one of the signs to tell if you are overfeeding the baby goat.
How do I know if my baby goat is getting enough milk?
There are signs that will show you if your baby goat is having enough milk or the recommended quantity of milk per day is given. Here are signs you should watch out for:
- Weight gain: one of the first sign is the weight gain aspect. If the baby goat is taking the right quantity of milk then it should gain weight and also the growth rate should be noticeable.
- Alertness and energy: another sign that shows your goat is having enough quantity of milk is the level of alertness the goat exhibit and also how active the goat is all through the day.
- Full belly: after each feeding, you should check the stomach, is it filled up? If the kid goat have gotten enough milk then it should have a round belly.
- Good Appetite: when your baby goat is having an increasing appetite for solid meal, this shows that the goat is feeding well or is having enough milk.
Do baby goats need water or just milk?
For a baby goat to survive, what they feed on the very first few weeks or month they are delivered really matters.
In fact it is recommended that they should be placed strictly on milk in the very first few weeks. It is only after this few weeks that they can now start taking water along side the milk.
What we meant here is that, a baby goat should take only milk when they are born and as time goes by they can now start taking water gradually and the amount of water and solid food they take should be increasing as they grow in size while the amount of milk they now drink should decrease.
Can baby goats drink cold milk
Giving your baby goat cold drink is not recommended, because they won’t consume as much as they should when the milk is warm and also your baby goat might end up with digestive problems.
Now, how warm should this milk be? I know you might ask this question. Well, your baby goat milk should be warm enough just as their body temperature. It is recommended that the milk should be between 100-102°F.
Baby goats should never be given cold milk. If you are storing your baby goat milk in the fridge, ensure it is heated before serving it to your baby goats. Never give your baby goats cold milk if you do not want issues with your goats
It is important that your goat milk is warm just like it is coming from their mother
For the overall health of your goat, you are to ensure that your goat have access to clean and rich milk that are free of any disease or that are not contaminated.
Conclusion
If your goats are having any health symptoms it is advisable to take them to a recommended veterinarian. Also, you can get a prescription on how to feed your goats and the required amount of milk to feed them.
However, as a general rule, ensure that you do not overfeed your goats and that your goats are not being fed with cold milk. Also endeavor to daily examine the health of your goats and get the attention of a veterinarian if needed.
Lb