New Alpine Baby

[Alexz7272]

So I picked up this baby this morning! She is about 5 weeks but her momma just passed. She is exploring grain but not actively seeking it. Have not observed her very long, as I got her an hour ago. But the farmer told me she may need to be bottle feed. Any Alpine people out there willing to give some advice? She was with her momma until yeaterday. Her sister (who stayed with the farmer) was actively eating grain and hay. Maybe she's just a little slower? Thank you!!

 

[samssimonsays]

Congrats! I would def. bottle feed her until 12 weeks old.

 

[Alexz7272]

Congrats! I would def. bottle feed her until 12 weeks old.

What type of schedule for feeding would she need? I wonder if it is the same as my sheep! Haha, thank you!

 

[samssimonsays]

I have never bottle fed. I know @Goat Whisperer @Southern by choice @GLENMAR @babsbag and I am blanking on others screen names right now... but these all have good schedules. This is the info I have saved for myself in reference.

3 to 12 weeks

• When the kid reaches three weeks of age, you will need to increase the amount of milk to 20 oz. three times a day. Then continue to feed this amount until you are ready to wean at eight weeks for buck kids or 12 weeks for doe kids.
  

 

[TAH]

You can feed her goats or cows milk from the store. I only bottle feed till they are 7-8 weeks old. Everybody has there own age. We had one doe that didn't want to wean till she was 5 months old.

 

[Southern by choice]

To reach maximum size on a Standard dairy breed you want a minimum of 12 weeks. Many go longer.

We go to 2 bottles at 12 weeks for standards and continue til 16 weeks.

At around 14weels we give 34 oz bottle 1x day. Wean at 16.

Many breeders that show and want maximum size allow for even longer.

Some do wean at 8 weeks but we see a lot of stunted and small goats when weaned early. We also see more incidence of nutritional deficiency to include Goat Polio.

 

[babsbag]

You will probably have a tough road getting her to take a bottle at 5 weeks. If you have any other does in milk I would pen them up against a fence or in a milk stand and let her nurse. If not, and you need the bottle it will be tough. The latest I have done is 3 weeks and I have a friend who has had them die at 6 weeks rather than take a bottle. Since she is probably eating some hay she won't be starving for the bottle which will make it more difficult. I would get her some goat pellets, like Purina Noble goat and see if she will eat it. Also, good hay of course.

At this age she can do a bottle 2x a day, about a liter (I use a one liter coke bottle) each time, maybe a little less. Use cow's milk from the store, don't do a milk replacer. Watch for cocci too at this age and with losing her mom she will be stressed. Might want to do preventative just to be safe. Also, a CDT shot if she hasn't had one recently.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Southern by choice]

Sometimes kids may not take a bottle but you can train them to drink the milk from a trough.

 

[babsbag]

Sometimes kids may not take a bottle but you can train them to drink the milk from a trough.

That would be your area of expertise as I have never had a trough fed baby. Do you just put it out there and stick their face in it?

 

[Southern by choice]

Dip your finger in it and let him suckle, continue doing this and lower your finger into the milk. The milk needs to be really warm though... at first. Once they get the hang of it they don't need it real warm.