Taking kids from a skittish doe? Need opinions

Bottle raise kids from a skittish doe?

  • Keep them on the dam and hope for the best

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Alibo

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First some background...

I have a Spanish doe who was my first goat. She is three and I have had her for two years. Before me she was a brush goat that was never handled, and probably rarely saw humans. We purchased her with her first kid and ended up selling the kid because she was so feral it took a team of people to catch her.

Backsy(the Spanish doe) has warmed up to us a little now, we can approach at arms length and I can pet her occasionally. She did let me pet her through labor and after, which felt like a huge breakthrough but sadly she is keeping her distance again.

She kidded a week ago and is getting up on the milk stand to let me milk her but I have resigned myself to her always being a little standoffish and never a pet. I have spent countless patient hours to get her this close. She has never been aggressive per-sey but has challenged my small children a few times.

All this being said, her two doelings, which I love already, are getting fast! They are extremely healthy but they are taking a page from Backsy and running from me. I have to corner them now just to catch them. I hate to corner or even chase any of my animals because I feel that breeds fear.
Should I pull them from their mother and bottle feed?

I cannot have two more girls that are difficult to handle. Trimming feet and worming are things that have turned into a family affair for Backsy. Would the kids warm up with time? And then logistically how hard is it going to be to keep mom from breaking down my door to get to her girls?
 

Alibo

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Won't let me upload any pictures :(
 

frustratedearthmother

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Depends on what you think is more work I guess. Do you have time to spend gentling the kids? I've found that most can be tamed - IF you have the time to sit in their pen, let them crawl all over you and give them lots of scritches. If not - pull 'em! ;) Might be a little tough to get them on a bottle after a week - but not impossible. Good luck!
 

Alibo

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Not more than like an hour a day. I usually spend about 30 minutes each night with the kids when I pen them up for milking the next morning. And then all throughout the day the human kids and I are out there petting and socializing. But while by this point the other dam raised kids are getting friendly and playful with us, these girls are getting more and more scared.

Bottle raising is not all that time consuming for me since this and my children are my full time job however I am worried about the stress it would put on the mother. How long will she carry on about her babies and how long would I need to keep them separated before they stop trying to nurse?
 

Alibo

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I do not think so because the other doe and kid I purchased from the same herd was very friendly. Her previous owners just happened to take a liking to her and named her and tamed her to an extent. It only took me about three months to get that doe to be affectionate
 

Alibo

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Right now I have the doelings (Starshine and Twilight) in my house for some human time. But how long can I keep them in before I should return the to nurse?
 

NH homesteader

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That's good! I guess I would be tempted to bottle feed them, if you intend to keep them and hanging out with them isn't working to tame them. I don't have anything more helpful than that though, lol. I've never bottle fed goats!
 

Alibo

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Thank you, that is helpful. I have been leaning toward that myself but rationalizing that to DH will take some work. I usually let nature take its course but I am not sure how long I can let them learn from mom before it is irreversible. Should have sold Backsy ages ago but she is the one I have quite a soft spot for :love
 

Alibo

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20170309_155209.jpg
yay it uploaded
 
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