HI All, After the untimely demise of twin Nubian kids I had just purchased (and heartbroken little girls here at home) yesterday I found twin Saanen doelings, born Mar 15, dam raised 'til now. The owners planned to send them to auction if I didn't buy them. One takes the bottle well, the other not so well. Before things get sticky here, any suggestions? Should I encourage them to pan feed or? I have bottle fed kids before but not kids that had been on their dam this long. Thaks! Julie in OK

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), March 28, 2002

Answers

Switching kids to a bottle after being dam-raised isn't too difficult. Once they realize they can only get milk from a bottle and not mom they don't seem to mind. However I didn't have much luck getting them to pan-feed.Also doe kids don't seem to eat as much or as entusiastically as buck kids.They really do better with milk from the store than powdered milk replacer. hope all goes well with your new kids.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), March 28, 2002.

I've had good luck getting them to pan feed; for me it was easier than getting them to take a bottle. When they get hungry, and start trying to ingest your fingers, lower your hand to the milk pan. Mine got the hang of it quickly.

-- Lis in Iowa (theshihtzu@lisco.com), March 28, 2002.

If you have gotten them each to nurse already from a bottle, before long they will be very enthusiastic about it. With the kids I have switched, they sometimes have to have the bottle nipple slipped into their mouth before they will nurse, after a few times of this they will take he nipple voluntarily. I wouldn't switch them to a pan- I mean, you've just made the transition trom a mother doe that is always there, nursing them and mothering them, and switching them to a bottle and you is a big change for them! But at least they are used to the shape of a nipple/teat. Pan feeding them right now would just be one more stress. With the doe that is not nursing as well, if she gets good and hungry, and you then put the nipple into her mouth, she should take it. It will really help if the milk is warm, just like mom's. As time goes on you can gradualy reduce the temp until they are drinking cold milk.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 28, 2002.

They'll take to the bottle when they figure out that's where the only milk comes from. We don't pan feed, we feel it's too easy to get milk into the wrong stomach with the head down and neck not stretched. But we also have enough babies that we use a lamb bar after a few days on the bottle. After being on mothers milk for a while they should do fine, either with store bought milk or the only milk replacer we use, Advance Mulit-Species milk replacer. No soy, and ours do very well.

Dennis

-- Dennis (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), March 30, 2002.

I have a question about weening my 2 goats.

-- Dodi Faye (okeefarmgirl@aol.com), January 29, 2005.