Dwarf Nigerian bottle questions

[Wendybear]

I have 2 baby Nigerian goats. My 7 week old doeling, Sugar, drinks her bottle like a champ! She latches on and almost sucks the bottle out of my hand! She is finished in less than a minute it seems.

Spice on the other hand, hasn’t perfected his technique and he is almost 8 weeks old! He takes forever to drink compared to Sugar (3-4 minutes) and he makes a mess and is very slow. He has chewed through so many nipples bc he keeps trying to slip it to the side and his back teeth are so sharp! I’ve resorted to putting electrical tape over the holes bc he does it every single time and I can’t afford to keep replacing the nipples. He finishes his bottle but it’s like he has to keep stopping to take a breath, then he’ll get back on the bottle for a couple seconds then pop off, take a breath and get back on. Never with a strong suction like Sugar though.

Is that okay? He loves his bottle, he is just slow and a little awkward. His poops are pellets, he pees normally, tho not as often as Sugar. And they both get 2 10 oz bottles a day.

Does all of this sound okay?

ETA ... I don’t think this is going to get any replies bc I inadvertently used a similar title as another multiple post. I can’t change the title and I don’t feel like typing this over again so I am going to @ some names I remember and hope for the best lol

@Baymule @Latestarter @RollingAcres @goatwhisperer

 

[Latestarter]

Some goats are just slow... It seems that it's usually the males as well... They are close to weaning age and you could start weaning him now if you really want. As long as he's eating hay and pellets/grain when you give it he'll be fine.

 

[Wendybear]

Some goats are just slow... It seems that it's usually the males as well... They are close to weaning age and you could start weaning him now if you really want. As long as he's eating hay and pellets/grain when you give it he'll be fine.

Some goats are just slow... It seems that it's usually the males as well... They are close to weaning age and you could start weaning him now if you really want. As long as he's eating hay and pellets/grain when you give it he'll be fine.

That’s what I was thinking; that he’s just slow. Lol ... I just wanted to make sure and that 10 oz twice a day was enough.

I thought I remembered reading that Dwarf Nigerians shouldn’t get weaned before 4-5 months. But I don’t remember why or where I read it. I’m fine with weaning sooner if it doesn’t matter for them. I’m all about “one less thing to do,” even though Ive enjoyed every moment with them.

I was going to go down to one bottle at the end of the month. Should I start halving the amount they get per bottle now? Can I wean them both at the same time even though they are a week apart? I think it would be torture for Spice to watch Sugar get a bottle and there not be one for him lol

 

[Southern by choice]

Nigerian Bucks are generally weaned by 8 weeks, some sooner as they must get separated from the does as they are fertile at this point. Unless it was a really small dwarf from a large litter.
Absolutely no reason to keep him on milk that long. Hay and feed should be introduced at 2-3 weeks old. Ours have it introduced by 1 week.
Start halving the bottles now then next week go to one and then done.

Or you could cold turkey them and stop giving them bottles.

If you have a doe and a buck you need to separate them now. Nigerian Bucks are fertile by 8 weeks and doelings can cycle by 9 weeks, most 12 weeks.
Far too many don't think it will happen and then they have a 7 month old doe kidding. NOT GOOD!

 

[Wendybear]

Nigerian Bucks are generally weaned by 8 weeks, some sooner as they must get separated from the does as they are fertile at this point. Unless it was a really small dwarf from a large litter.
Absolutely no reason to keep him on milk that long. Hay and feed should be introduced at 2-3 weeks old. Ours have it introduced by 1 week.
Start halving the bottles now then next week go to one and then done.

Or you could cold turkey them and stop giving them bottles.

If you have a doe and a buck you need to separate them now. Nigerian Bucks are fertile by 8 weeks and doelings can cycle by 9 weeks, most 12 weeks.
Far too many don't think it will happen and then they have a 7 month old doe kidding. NOT GOOD!

Omg! I don’t have a place to separate them unless I bring one in the house! But I’m thinking (hoping) I’ll be okay bc he was born 4/8, and she was born 4/14 so she shouldn’t be cycling yet? He goes this Saturday to be banded. Now I’m nervous ... should I bring one in until then?

Also, I noticed that both yours and @Latestarter reply was specific towards my buckling. Do the doelings typically get milk longer, or should I wean her too? If so, how much longer?

 

[Southern by choice]

Does and Bucks wean the same. If people are dam raising they will just leave them on longer but they don't need to be. Our girls tend to get weaned more often then not a bit later because @Goat Whisperer conveniently forgets how old they are. Plus our Nigerians are usually still being raised with the Miniature Lamanchas, Lamancha, Nubian babies altogether. We separate bucks either at birth or within a few weeks. Bucks one pen, does another. We bottle feed and also co-parent.
Well, even if you band him or "cut" you still need to separate. Those "pipes" are still loaded and he can still be fertile for 3-6 weeks afterward.

 

[Wendybear]

Does and Bucks wean the same. If people are dam raising they will just leave them on longer but they don't need to be. Our girls tend to get weaned more often then not a bit later because @Goat Whisperer conveniently forgets how old they are. Plus our Nigerians are usually still being raised with the Miniature Lamanchas, Lamancha, Nubian babies altogether. We separate bucks either at birth or within a few weeks. Bucks one pen, does another. We bottle feed and also co-parent.
Well, even if you band him or "cut" you still need to separate. Those "pipes" are still loaded and he can still be fertile for 3-6 weeks afterward.

What???? Still loaded??? 3-6 weeks??? ***feeling faint*** I had no idea. I was so careful with my timing for the banding bc I didn’t want this scenario. I’m going to have to bring one in the house aren’t I? Oh wow Is that even possible? My father is going to kill me, if I tell him I need him to build me another area so soon.

A dog crate for at night so he doesn’t destroy my house, and maybe tether him right outside my glass door, so i can see him? Sugar will be able to see him too bc I’m sure she’ll be sad. I need to really think about how I’m going to approach this. Any suggestions or advice for this new dilemma I’ve found myself in is much appreciated! Oiyvee ... I was just starting to feel like I found my groove too!

ETA: Maybe I should start a new thread since it’s a different topic now.

 

[Latestarter]

You can buy a 16' cattle panel and bend it in a circle and attach it with carabiner clips to allow access. Put water and hay in there for him and you can slide it around inside the bigger pen where the doeling is. You may need a sheep panel vice cattle panel depending on the kid's size. The cattle panels have like 6" holes and baby goats can go right through them. The sheep panels are (I think) 2"x4" holes and they can't get through. You can do the same thing with a section of fencing, but it would need additional support (T-posts).

 

[Wendybear]

You can buy a 16' cattle panel and bend it in a circle and attach it with carabiner clips to allow access. Put water and hay in there for him and you can slide it around inside the bigger pen where the doeling is. You may need a sheep panel vice cattle panel depending on the kid's size. The cattle panels have like 6" holes and baby goats can go right through them. The sheep panels are (I think) 2"x4" holes and they can't get through. You can do the same thing with a section of fencing, but it would need additional support (T-posts).

That’s a great idea! I have fencing and T-posts!