bottle baby questions

Robyn8

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I have 2 bottle fed Nigerian Dwarfs. They are just over 9 weeks now. We've had them 2 weeks. They came from a local dairy and are both doing great but I have few questions.

#1: I'm having trouble weaning them. They were getting 3 bottles a day of about 10-12 oz when we brought them home at a little over 7 weeks. I'm trying to get rid of the middle of the day bottle but they cry terribly around that time of day. I have tried making the am bottles a little bigger...more like 14 oz, which they easily finish, and I have tried adding new hay around that time (even if they still have plenty as they seem to not want to eat the old hay). They do eat the hay, but I don't know if it's enough to keep them full. Should I try adding some grain? We have 18% lamb feed that we are giving our 4H lambs, so can I use that? Or do I just need to "toughen up" and deal with the crying? they don't drink much water but I have seen both drink water at least once so I think they kind of get it.

#2: Minerals. When do I need to offer minerals? We intend to keep them with Shetland lambs we are getting in August, so eventually we will need to bolus them with minerals or at least copper, I think. I have heard from some people that keep goats and sheep together that they offer everyone sheep minerals and bolus their goats with copper, so that's what I was planning to do. Does anyone on here do that? If so where do you get just copper? and how much do you give the goats?

Thanks for your help!
 

Wendybear

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In very new to raising goats, but my 2 nigies are around the same age as yours. My doeling, Sugar, is 7 weeks and my buckling, Spice, is a hair under 8 weeks.

I cut out their midday bottle about a week and a half ago. During the time they usually get their midday bottle, I give them their grain and freshen up their water while they are eating and hang out with them for a bit. They fuss when I leave but when I sneak out later (out of eyesight,) they are quiet and happy ... until they see me again. Lol

I leave them out baking soda and minerals in a black rubber bowl with about a half cup goat mineral on one side and a half cup baking soda on the other. I change it every other day unless it’s humid or the bowl is soiled.

And the copper Bolus I have heard is given anywhere from quarterly to yearly, but I’m not sure at what age it starts.

Are you enjoying your new babies? I am in Goat Bliss!!!

ETA: I didn’t realize you had another thread. I’m sorry!
 
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Donna R. Raybon

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Giving baking soda will cut down on consumption of mineral mix. It is the drive for sodium that ensures goat is getting enough mineral mix to meet needs. Rumen acidosis is caused by overeating of concentrates (grain/pellet) without adequate roughage (hay, forage, browse.) Best management practice is to always feed hay first, let them eat for fifteen to thirty minutes, then feed the concentrates.

Please, be careful about copper. Overdosing kills and nothing can be done about it. They can die weeks or months after you give the bolus. Talk to your feed store nutritionest and ag agent to find out what mineral problems your specific area may have. Our mineral mix is formulated for cattle or goats and no need to supplement copper.
 

Southern by choice

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In very new to raising goats, but my 2 nigies are around the same age as yours. My doeling, Sugar, is 7 weeks and my buckling, Spice, is a hair under 8 weeks.

I cut out their midday bottle about a week and a half ago. During the time they usually get their midday bottle, I give them their grain and freshen up their water while they are eating and hang out with them for a bit. They fuss when I leave but when I sneak out later (out of eyesight,) they are quiet and happy ... until they see me again. Lol

I leave them out baking soda and minerals in a black rubber bowl with about a half cup goat mineral on one side and a half cup baking soda on the other. I change it every other day unless it’s humid or the bowl is soiled.

And the copper Bolus I have heard is given anywhere from quarterly to yearly, but I’m not sure at what age it starts.

Are you enjoying your new babies? I am in Goat Bliss!!!

ETA: I didn’t realize you had another thread. I’m sorry!

Baking Soda is not necessary and your wether should not have it at all, as it renders ammonium chloride useless. Wethers need ammonium chloride to reduce possible incidence of Urinary Calculi.
Article on Baking Soda- http://www.alafarmnews.com/index.php/battling-bloat

The best article on Urinary Calculi (IMO) - http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/Documents/SLIDES/Urinary calculi.pdf
 

Wendybear

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Baking Soda is not necessary and your wether should not have it at all, as it renders ammonium chloride useless. Wethers need ammonium chloride to reduce possible incidence of Urinary Calculi.
Article on Baking Soda- http://www.alafarmnews.com/index.php/battling-bloat

The best article on Urinary Calculi (IMO) - http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/Documents/SLIDES/Urinary calculi.pdf
I haven’t read the links yet, but real quic
Baking Soda is not necessary and your wether should not have it at all, as it renders ammonium chloride useless. Wethers need ammonium chloride to reduce possible incidence of Urinary Calculi.
Article on Baking Soda- http://www.alafarmnews.com/index.php/battling-bloat

The best article on Urinary Calculi (IMO) - http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/Documents/SLIDES/Urinary calculi.pdf
Thank you for these excellent and informative links. I have a few questions about it, but have some things I need to attend to with my youngest son. And I would like to reread them both again, so I get my questions right.

ETA: @Southern by choice Sorry for the weird post. I was in a rush so I was going to read the articles later then I decided to read them real quick and didn’t delete the initial reply I had started.
 
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Robyn8

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I'm going to wait to bolus copper till after we have a vet come out and check out our set up. I have cut the afternoon bottle and they don't like it but I am preserving! They are drinking more water now though so that's good and I'm giving them just a small handful of grain when they used to get their bottle. They have hay available all the time.
 

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