Bottle fed 2wk old pygmy goats

[BYFarmer]

Okay, so we have been soley bottle feeding the boys w/occasional grazing time outside. On the bag it says to only feed them twice a day at 2weeks old. I have started slowing them down to 3-feedings a day at about 8-9oz. We also put some sweet feed out the other day, but that have little to no interest in that. Tips? DH got a bag of sweet feed at TSC, because he said that was all they had for goats. Is this what they "start" on? It said it was for all ages. Any tips on how to get them to eat some food, food? I just want to make sure I'm doing it right and giving them enough milk and feed. Thanks!

 

[Roll farms]

Offer them grass hay first. Even if they get to browse, I'd offer them hay.
They may not eat much at first, no reason to give them a flake...hang a couple handfuls near them 2-3 times a day.

At around 3-4 weeks I introduce them to a small amount of medicated goat feed (TSC has 2, but the Purina Noble Goat's the better of the 2, IMHO...or some other good goat feed).
The medication will help prevent coccidia, and it's got Ammonium Chloride to prevent urinary calculi.

Change the feed out daily, even if they didn't touch it. Stale feed will turn them off.

They won't do much w/ it at first, but it's good to get it out there in front of them...if mine just WON'T eat it, I sometimes drizzle a teaspoon of mollasses on it, to entice them to try it.

Don't mess around changing their feed, it could upset their tummies.

I kept pygmy kids on 3 bottles a day for 2 mos, then go to 2 bottles a day, then 1 bottle a day at 10 weeks, wean at 3 mos.

(The instructions on the bag are probably aimed more at 'get 'em weaned fast' and I'm more interested in 'get 'em what they need for optimum growth')