Bottle Baby Question

Buzz'n Billy

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Important Tidbits:
  • We have a bottle baby that is 34 days old. She weighed in 3 days ago at 11.6 pounds (and I swear this week she is growing by the hour - seriously).
  • Our farm is about 30 minutes from home. One or both of us is at our farm every day usually from about 7:00 am to 4:00 pm - sometimes earlier, sometimes later.
  • Our herd has 6 adult does and 3 kids (including the one bottle baby).
  • The herd is "corralled" into a half-acre net fence that has electric on it. The entire 10 acres is also fenced with electric.
  • Our bottle baby, Totes Magoats, hangs out with the herd during the day. She goes home with us at night.
  • She forages very, very well with the entire herd and appears to be ruminating very, very well. She eats goat pellets like a champ and loves alfalfa.
  • She has solid, large BB poops.
  • Today she did not want to leave the herd. She kept running back to the net fence and one time even braved the shock to get back in with them.
Question:
When would it be okay to let her stay with the herd full time - meaning overnight? If she is eating well and we made sure she had her entire ration of bottle milk before we left for the day, would it be okay?
I'm not entirely sure that I even want to do this, but this was the first time she ran back to them and it was very different.
Our plan has been to wean at 10 weeks.

Your thoughts? Opinions? Ideas?

Thank you in advance!
 

Pearce Pastures

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I would continue to bottle feed her but it sounds like she is fitting in with the herd fairly well. If they are rough with her or won't let her drink or eat, then you may want to think about it a bit longer. Does she have any place like a creep feeding pen that she could go to if she felt the need to get away from the big goats, or where you might be able to put a little separate set of water and hay for her in case the others won't allow her to eat/drink? Would she have shelter?
 

Buzz'n Billy

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@Pearce Pastures
Thank you for your reply. We would continue to bottle feed, just give daily ration during the day and stop that nighttime bottle - she would still get entire amount.
The herd is very accepting of her (she has been with them during they day since she was born). They play with her, sleep with her, teach her all the goat secrets. There is no problem with her getting pellets and alfalfa - hubby and I play bouncer with ALL the kids and they get their full ration. They are in a heavily wooded area (and are moved every 5 - 7 days to another heavily wooded area) and have all the leaves and browse their little goat bellies can eat.
The herd has shelter, but this is Florida and the dry season.
Currently we do not have a creep feeder, but like I said above, all of the kids are supervised during feeding time and get a full ration.
 

Buzz'n Billy

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We made the transition. Our kid stayed with the herd for her first full night (without us there) Monday night. Hubby got to the farm early and she was playing and running and jumping. Happy to get her bottle, but he said she did not appear distressed or unhappy.

I guess we were good Maa's to our little goat!

Thank you for your advice and support.


totesonalog.jpg
 
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secuono

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I weaned my lamb at 6wks. At 4wks, she was out with the flock most of the day, I brought the bottle to her. At 5wks I only bottle fed her once a day and she lived outside, day and night.
 

Buzz'n Billy

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It's been over a week now and our little gal is thriving! She's very excited to see us, but loves her herd.
We have a wean date set of January 1st, and are starting to work toward that goal.

I must say that having a bottle baby was not in our plan (at all!), but it's been a great experience and one we both really, really enjoyed. I know that we'll have a buddy for as long as our little one is at our farm. I'm looking forward to watching her to continue to grow up into a big goat.
 
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