How to get a baby goat to eat grain

[junkman]

Why do you want them on grain? They need to develop their rumens. The rumen develops by eating roughage (hay). Just feed good quality hay for a while. I had standard dairy goats and Boers, and we never fed grain until the does were in late pregnancy or milking. The bucks rarely got any supplements. We do get high quality alfalfa here though, which is very high in protein. If your hay is not good quality that may be why you have to feed a supplement. In the meantime, just feed hay and introduce the grain later when they are older.

All my goats are wethers, so I feed them nutrena 16% medicated feed, small amount, 1/4 cup in the mornings to help reduce them from getting stoned, plus it helps with coccidia. I do feed them 2nd cut hay and they have a pasture to graze

 

[Ridgetop]

I see. Sometimes it takes babies a while to learn to eat new food. He may just take longer. I bought some special lamb builder pellets for an undersized lamb who had to wean at 6 weeks. She refused to touch it! I tried mixing it with rolled barleycorn that she had been eating with her mama but she picked out the corn and barley, leaving the expensive feed that was supposed to help her grow! She only started eating it after I put her in with a group of new lambs and their mamas. They started eating it with their mothers and eventually she followed suit. I would have culled her for size, but her mother was ill and then was euthanized so I am giving her a chance to catch up before deciding to do that. Her bloodlines are excellent, so I hope she will be salvageable. I will wait to breed her until she is over 100 lb. in hopes she will grow to normal size.

Does your wether eat chopped apples or other treats? Maybe mix some of that in with the pelleted feed? Or you could try adding a bit of Karo syrup. Young goats are like human children and like sweet things. Molasses is also good to tempt finicky appetites, but it is high in iron and can cause constipation.

 

[junkman]

I have tried a small amount of sweet feed with his regular food, he will nibble a little and that's about the extent of that, now the other little one eats all his feed and looks for more, both of them were raised by their moma, and not bottle babys, so they are still skittish of humans. My other 6 were bottle fed, and we didn't have any problems with them

 

[Ridgetop]

Probably why they are different. Don't worry about it. If the vet wants them to have something for the cocci, have him give you an oral liquid medicine that you can give with an eye dropper or syringe. That way you don't have to worry about them eating the medicated feed. Eventually they will follow the others' lead and start to eat the grain .

 

[junkman]

It's a slow process, but at least he is starting to nibbling at it