Bottle training at three weeks

alsea1

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Anyone have any suggestions on how to convince a doeling to accept the bottle at this age.
So far she has flat refused and is kicking up a major fuss.
I'm worried she may get sick if this goes on.
She is being offered goat milk.
 

Hens and Roos

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Will she suck on your fingers at all? How about dipping fingers into milk and trying her to drink from a dish? Do you have another buddy who drinks from a bottle that can help show her?
 

alsea1

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We gave up. Brought her back to her mom.
She won. LOL
 

babsbag

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I had a doe die when her buckling was 3 weeks old. It took 4 days of him refusing a bottle before he gave in. I probably would have put him back with mom too but I couldn't.

I just pulled 12 kids at less than 2 weeks as I had a buyer who wanted bottle babies and I didn't know which ones. They all took the bottle after 12 hours. She picked her kids and I put the others back with mom and now, 4 days later they come looking to me for a bottle and they were only on one for a 1.5 days; I was surprised they got so friendly so quickly. I like this, I may do it with more of the kids. I love the personality of bottle raised goats, but not so much the bottle raising part...it takes a lot of time.
 

alsea1

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Personally I prefer goats that are dam raised. At least that's my exp. thus far.
My dam raised seem to be easier to deal with. The don't holler at me like the bottle goat does.
 

Pearce Pastures

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We were sold, years back and before I knew nay better, two doelings as "bottle babies". They so were NOT bottle babies and these shameless folks I KNOW pulled them off mom and handed us them. They were about 3 weeks old and had no clue how to use a bottle.

Training was a mess and I was very worried they would just die. It was a two person job-I held the kid on my lap with towels to try to catch all of the milk spilled and DH cupped the kid's nose with the nipple in it's mouth and pulsed it a bit to squirt milk into its mouth. I don't know how much we actually got them to swallow but it was enough.

After about 4-5 days, they were starting to suckle and thereafter got the hang of it. It worked out fine but was sure not fun.
 

alsea1

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It was my fault. I did not prepare her properly for the switch.
I did not realize it would be so hard on her.
I sold the kid to a new goat owner down the road. She was in a pickle because she started out with twin bottle kids and one died after disbudding. The one left was very despondent.
So she picked out one of my kidds and off they went. Well, neither of us was brave enough to persevere and I suggested maybe we better just bring her back and I would work towards getting the doe baby better prepared for leaving.
Lesson leaned. Luckily the kid is okay and none the worse for wear.
I have since changed my ads. LOL Available after weaning.
 
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