Can I muscle up goats milk?

[Our7Wonders]

I've read that some add things to cows milk to add extra calories for goats that aren't eating well or aren't thriving. Adding evaporated milk, buttermilk, and nutridrench. Can I do this with goats milk as well? I don't really see a reason I couldn't, but then I've been wrong about alot of things lately. Case in point: Bought a new doeling - not on the bottle, three weeks old. I managed to get ALL my bucklings onto a bottle this year - two were nearly two weeks old, one was almost 3 weeks and another was pushing 4 weeks. Two took to it right away, one was a days effort and another was a willing paricipant by day two, and like a champ by day 3.

This new girl, not so much. I can force a bottle into her - it's messy and she doesn't like it and I'm squeezing the pop bottle the whole time because she's not sucking at all - but it's keeping her alive. I'm up to 3 12 oz bottles - and she's not actually swallowing all of that - so I'd like to increase calories/nutrition if I can. What do ya think?

 

[Our7Wonders]

Oh, and I'll post pics and her introduction soon - just trying to work through the kinks first.

 

[Roll farms]

I wouldn't, or if you do, do it so gradually as to make it almost unnoticeable at first. Dietary changes, esp. when stressed out, could start a raging case o' the poos.

Myself, I'm against adding anything to any milk...just my opinion...my kids do fine on milk alone (I know yours is an exception b/c she doesn't want to eat at all) but 'mother nature' doesn't add anything to milk once colostrum's done.

Have you tried offering her the milk in a pan / bowl?

I'd probably skip her last bottle tonight, and then try in the morning. Maybe a skipped meal will make her hungry enough to try.

Be sure you leave plenty of hay / fresh water around her, and kid feed...maybe she'll supplement herself.

I would think you're having better luck w/ your kids b/c they're tasting 'their' milk, so to speak...it tastes like 'home'.

Best of luck w/ her.

 

[doxiemoxie]

This raises so many questions!

Will she suckle your finger? Is she nibbling at grain and hay? Drinking water? Was there a problem that she was pulled from mom at three weeks?

I also worry that you can cause her to aspirate milk if you're squeezing the bottle to force milk in.

+++ the advice Rolls gives +++ sometimes raising the pan a little off the floor helps them drink too.

good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Our7Wonders]

She'll drink from a bowl - but not in the quantity that I'd like her to. She'll nibble grain and her hay. She doesn't suck on my fingers - but nibbles on them, and my hair, and my clothes, and my shoes - she likes to nibble!

I've been on the lookout for an Oberhasli. I happened upon a dairy a few hours from me who has a naturally raised oberhasli farm - a raw milk dairy. She has 100+ oberhaslis. I'm longing for a good milking QUIET doe (the opposite of my non-stop screaming nubian). I asked all the right questions before making the three hour trip over (health related, ya know, CL, CAE, vaccination, cocci, worming, breeding questions). But I didn't ask if they were dam raised or bottle raised - I just assumed bottle, since they were being sold. Nope. I don't know the complete *why* behind it. I know she was behind this year, more so than other years and for whatever reason didn't have the intern(s) that she normally did. Things were being left undone that normally were not. And I'm a sucker for a cute goatie face.

I managed to get my bucklings on to a bottle at a later date so I figured I was up to the challenge. And she's sweet and adorable, and QUIET - and did I mention sweet? She's also stubborn. So here I am, struggling with her. She hates the bottle. But I need her to eat - so it gets forced on her. She'll lap it out a bowl - but not the 40-60 ounces she should be getting each day. I'm guessing from the bottle she only actually swallows 20-30 ounces total. I'm preparing a 12 ounce bottle (3x daily) and I stick it out until it's gone - but we're losing at least a couple ounces on the ground, on her chin, on me. I've needed a shower after each feeding. Milk is stickier than I'd ever imagined.

I did have her skip a bottle completely, hoping it would help at the next feeding. I've done it a couple times actually (not back to back though). It doesn't seem to help - she just views it as torture. I'll keep trying the bowl, perhaps smaller amounts more frequently. I've thought about putting a little milk on some grain for her too. Or maybe on small amounts of fresh veggies.

So I've learned a hard lesson - and my sweet little doe has had to bear the brunt of that decision. My goal now, is to keep pushing milk in her until the earliest possible weaning date and in the mean time try to encourage as many other nutritional extras that I can - be it hay, grain, veggies, tree branches, weeds etc.

 

[currycomb]

are you milking a goat now? maybe put the doeling on the milk stand before you milk one and let her get a decent feeding in at least once a day, direct from the goat. you can then clean the doe up and finish milking her

 

[doxiemoxie]

And I'm a sucker for a cute goatie face.

Aren't we all! Don't be hard on yourself. There's nothing wrong with taking on a hard luck case and there are, regrettably, way too many people out there willing to gloss over important information just to get rid of a problem or make some money. It just helps if you know there's a problem up front.

The reason I asked about her suckling is that some kids don't have a strong suck reflex. Sometimes it is because they are "tongue-tied" just like in human babies. Is she using her tongue when she's nibbling? sticking it out when she calls?

Did you try the ol' sweet stuff on the nipple? (molasses, honey, jam)

You might consider tube feeding her just to get it done quickly and with much less mess. Plus you'll be more certain as to volume she's actually consuming.

If that isn't an option for you then, if it were me, I would consider slowly introducing her to yoghurt or a kefir and maybe calf manna.

I hope this is all coming across as helpful and caring and not like I'm some not it all (I am so NOT!)

 

[freemotion]

Yikes, flashbacks!!! I got Ginger as a baby pulled from her mama and I was assured that I could get her right onto a bottle. Ha. That baby doeling I raised gave me many tears, worry, sleepless nights, cussing out the person who sold her to me. But if it makes you feel better, she is a grandma! Yup, her first doeling is the one that had tangled triplets this year, and the "weaned early" girl had a set of triplets herself this year. Big, strong doe. So hang in there, and don't worry.

I raise my babies on 3 ten ounce bottles a day once they are two weeks (down from 4 ten ounce bottles) and they do great! So she is eating plenty of milk. Keep doing what you are doing and be patient. I could not get that much into my little one, but she was about 5 weeks when I got her home, and I suspect the guy mis-spoke and maybe she was a bit older.

She got hardly any milk into her. She flat out refused it. If I remember correctly, a great day was 4-5 ounces, but it was hard to tell....I'd have to weigh my clothes to be sure! I put carrot peels in the milk, grain, molasses, sugar, I tried it all. She learned to fish out the goodies.

She stopped crying and going out to the pasture all by her tiny self once I started adding slightly sprouted barley. Just an ounce or two twice a day was all it took to give her the protein she desperately needed. I also hung bundles of branches as I've promoted on many threads as it really grows big, healthy babies.

Remember, 30 ounces a day is all my 2-week olds are getting and they all thrive. That is all most babies that are dam-raised get if they are twins or triplets, unless it is a Saanen or other extreme producer. "Normal" babies get less milk. They have to learn to eat solid food more quickly and it is good for them.......breathe! You are doing great and she will be just fine in your capable hands!

 

[Our7Wonders]

Thanks all!

I put a little glug of molasses into a bowl of milk this afternoon and she drank most all of it - willingly! No fuss - AND I remained clean! I'd rather not fight her on it - it's not good for either of us - so if I can get her to take 2 or 3 bowls of milk a day I'll be a happy camper.

I know too much molasses isn't good for a goat - do you think a tsp. or so in each bowl to encourage her to drink it would be ok?

I'm sprouting barley for her - she's getting soaked grain in the meantime. I've got some pine and fir trees that she loves to nibble on - I let her prune them for me. And I'll introduce shredded carrots soon.

She is a doll! A little on the skinny side now, but she's so very sweet - and quite affectionate. I'll get the camera out there soon.

thanks again!

 

[Roll farms]

Obs are my favorites.

Just...don't tell my Nubians or I will *never* hear the end of it.

Get it? HEAR the end of it?