Help weaning. Please!!

kombertini

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i have two mini goats about 5 months old, brother and sister. The girl took to feed and hay and is eating normally but the boy is another story. He's now half her size because he refuses EVERYTHING but a bottle. I honestly cannot keep bottle feeding him but I also can't let him starve either. I've tried different grains/pellets/ oats. He won't go near it and forget shoving it in his mouth, he just spits it out. One person even suggested to shove a little bit of the leafy part of alfalfa in his mouth several times a day to help him get a taste for it. I did that for a week, nope, he still hates it. I've even tried to only give him one bottle a day in hopes that he would get hungry enough to eat the food that's out there. NOPE. Its hard to believe he's half his sisters size now but here we are. I'm at the end of my rope. Please help!
 

babsbag

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I have never had one that wouldn't eat at 5 months. This is just an idea, but maybe soak some pellets in the milk and see if he will eat that.

@Goat Whisperer, any ideas? How did you get yours to drink milk from the trough? Maybe that would transition this little guy.

Hopefully some other members will have some ideas, and welcome to BYH.
 

lcertuche

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What do you plan using him for? Personally I would just cull him. If he's a little runt you wouldn't want him for breeding purposes. Is there something physically wrong with his mouth that he can't eat. Again a reason to cull. Some animals just seem to born with a failure to thrive and will eventually die early. If he's to be a pet contact someone with vet experience, otherwise cull. This could be giving away, selling or if it was me going to freezer camp. I don't know where you stand on that though. Sorry if this offends you.
 

kombertini

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I have never had one that wouldn't eat at 5 months. This is just an idea, but maybe soak some pellets in the milk and see if he will eat that.

@Goat Whisperer, any ideas? How did you get yours to drink milk from the trough? Maybe that would transition this little guy.

Hopefully some other members will have some ideas, and welcome to BYH.

Thanks! I'll try that! If you come across any other ideas I would love to know. Thanks again!
 

kombertini

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What do you plan using him for? Personally I would just cull him. If he's a little runt you wouldn't want him for breeding purposes. Is there something physically wrong with his mouth that he can't eat. Again a reason to cull. Some animals just seem to born with a failure to thrive and will eventually die early. If he's to be a pet contact someone with vet experience, otherwise cull. This could be giving away, selling or if it was me going to freezer camp. I don't know where you stand on that though. Sorry if this offends you.


His mouth looks fine. At least compared to his sisters mouth. He's a pet. If this continues I'll have a vet look at him. Thanks
 

Goat Whisperer

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I would have a vet look at him, and have a fecal run. I've bottle raised many kids and this is NOT the norm!

I agree with Babs. It might not work but it's worth a shot.

Are you absolutely sure he isn't eating anything? Is his rumin empty? I would think he's eating at least something when you aren't around. Is he skinny or just small?

Will he eat tree leaves, vines? Have you tried chaffhaye?

I train my babies to drink from a trough by using a bottle nipple and as they suck lower it into the trough and they eventually drink right out of the trough. I don't think this method can be used for this problem though.
 

babsbag

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I was just thinking that the trough might give him the idea that food comes from somewhere other than a bottle. Also, if he would eat from a trough it would be easier to sneak the soaked pellets into the milk. Just a thought.
 

TAH

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We had a doeling that would not wean. I started with putting molasses in the milk once she loved the taste of molasses. Then I started to put soaked rolled oats in the milk with molasses . Eventually I took the milk away completely and see was eating hay, alfalfa pellets, etc.
 

misfitmorgan

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I would have a vet look at him, and have a fecal run. I've bottle raised many kids and this is NOT the norm!

I agree with Babs. It might not work but it's worth a shot.

Are you absolutely sure he isn't eating anything? Is his rumin empty? I would think he's eating at least something when you aren't around. Is he skinny or just small?

Will he eat tree leaves, vines? Have you tried chaffhaye?

I train my babies to drink from a trough by using a bottle nipple and as they suck lower it into the trough and they eventually drink right out of the trough. I don't think this method can be used for this problem though.

Thats the same thing i had to do with my lamb, to teach her to drink her milk from a bowl at 5 weeks old. :clap
 

misfitmorgan

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On the thread topic....yep i would train him to drink out of a trough or a bowl. To wean my lamb off i trained her to drink out of a bowl and put ever increasing amounts of water into the formula(i actually added less formula powder or mixed milk with water) until it was just slightly cloudy water because she refused to drink water at all at 5 weeks old. She was good on the hay but grain she didnt quite get so i started mixing layer mash into the milk water and that got her to like it.

I would think he has to have something in his rumen dont know how it would work if not. i agree try different feed/forage options, fresh grass, fresh hay, pine needles, leaves, etc. My goats really love gingersnap cookies but i dont think that would help much lol.
 
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