Bottle Feeding

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 Please remember, this is just our experience and there are a million different ways you can raise goats and their kids. You may do things differently and it may work in your circumstances. 

But always when there is doubt, contact your local veterinarian. 

 If a young goat isn't being fed by its mother, bottle feeding is important. Your goat needs to be bottle-fed to get vital vitamins and nutrients. Bottle feed your goat using natural ingredients and an ordinary bottle. Have patience, as it may take a while for goats to take to a bottle. Make sure to be safe. If your goat won't bottle feed, consult a vet. 

 **COLOSTRUM** 

Colostrum is very important for newborn kids. A newborn kid must receive colostrum within its first 24 hours after birth. Colostrum is life-saving and full of protective antibodies. A newborn kid may become sick, weak, or suffer from various types of diseases if it was not able to suckle off its mom at all (especially within the first 24 hours after their birth). 

If you are unable to feed the babies colostrum from their mom, then you can substitute bovine colostrum. Usually, it’s available at any farm supply store. Feed the baby colostrum several times, during their first 24 hours. After that, gradually decrease feeding times. 

 Try Natural Food

 Nigerian dwarf bottle-fed babies don’t require fancy recipes. They can do just fine on cow’s milk or goat’s milk which you find in the stores. But try to avoid powdered or canned milk.

Because canned and powdered milk can cause digestive upsets and diarrhea (which is known as scours). Adding 3 tablespoons of corn syrup per gallon of cow’s milk is recommended and it will make good results.

 Formula

You can apply your own formula for raising your bottle-fed dwarf goats. Take 1 gallon of milk with 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 raw beaten egg, and 1 cup of buttermilk. Then mix the ingredients perfectly.

The buttermilk may contain enough good bacteria to keep the kids from scouring. This formula is similar to other baby goat formulas and should work for all types of baby goats.

 Keep their Head UP 

The Head should always be tipped up. If just introducing the bottle then gently hold their chin up with the bottle and once they are latching to the bottle themselves just tilt the bottle in an upright position. 

Switching your baby to a bottle for the first time can be difficult for some. It helps if you put them in between your ankles and gently hold them there, facing forward, put the bottle in their mouth at an upward angle, and gently support their head up to hold the bottle. 

 Bottle Temperature 100 - 115 degrees

Make sure the milk temperature is between 100 - 115 degrees. If it's too cold they won't take the bottle or worse they could drink and drop their body temperature dangerously low. 

You can heat your bottles up in a pot of water on the stove or in a microwave-safe container in the microwave. We use a tiny meat thermometer to test the temperature. 

 Don't overfeed 

Overfeeding your baby goat can be just as detrimental as underfeeding. 

Some kids are NOT the best judge of their intake and will keep eating. FEEL your babies tummy - Put your hand around their belly and gently squeeze with your thumb and forefinger. if the belly is squishy, should be fairly firm but feel full and give under your fingers, if the belly is full and tight he is getting to much food. Take note of how much during that feeding and reduce. 

 Be Patient 

The first few feedings will be frustrating, you will have milk all over yourself and a confused and hungry baby goat. The most important thing is to not get frustrated, just relax we know you are worried about them and ensuring they get the nutrition they need, just take a breath. Hold and pet your baby goat and try again. 

 What Type of Bottle to Use?
We use Pritchard style lamb/kid nipples;  They are advertised and designed for soda bottles, we find that they work best with a glass bottle. Be sure to cut a larger “x” with scissors before use. If the kid refused the Pritchard nipple we have used the old-style premie baby bottle from Walmart. 

 How Many Ounces Per Feeding?
We don’t stick to a particular amount of ounces, but rather go with the way the kid feels. In general, a newborn kid will eat about 1-2 ounces, moving up quickly to a maximum of about 6-8 ounces. At that point, the number of feedings determines the total amount, not the size of the bottle. 

 Bottle-Feeding a Newborn Kid through Week Two
With few exceptions, such as very weak kids or those who survived a traumatic birth and need extra support, kids go 8 hours overnight without a bottle from day 1. If I’m bottle feeding because the kid was weak, I keep it in the house. Healthy but rejected kids stay out with the herd in the hopes mom will rethink her position. They are started on a schedule of four bottles per day at 8a, 12p, 4p, 8p. In the first couple of days, I monitor closely to be sure they’re getting enough.

I always determine this on an individual basis by gently squeezing a kid’s belly after feeding. It should be fairly firm but never tight; too much feed can be just as bad as not enough. Sometimes you can tell a kid is satisfied because it pulls off the nipple, but some will continue going after food even when they are beyond full.

Feed four times a day, increasing to 4 ounces by week two. Begin offering free-choice minerals, water, and hay by day three. We do this in a kid creep for all kids because dam raised kids figure out how to eat from their moms and teach the bottle raised kids what to do.  For kids that start in the house, I try to have them moved out within 2-3 days.  It is critical to a goat’s future social health to learn from the beginning how to be a goat, so I do whatever I can to integrate them into the herd right away.

 Bottle-Feeding from Week Three to Week Four
Increase to 6-8 ounces per feeding, continuing 4 times per day until the end of week 3. If kids are eating hay well and seeming to grow well, this is when I reduce to 3 feedings a day: 8a, 2p, 8p. If the weather is particularly rough or I have any other reason to be concerned, I will extend the 4 bottle routine another week. Otherwise, by this time I’m ready to slow down on the bottles so we can use the milk for other things.

 Bottle-Feeding Weeks Five and Six
Continue feeding the 3 times a day schedule of 8a, 2p, and 8p. Kids should be eating with the herd; on pasture in summer and on hay in winter. They are energetic and into everything at this point. If I’m feeling good about my bottle babies’ growth, I’ll go down to 2 bottles a day in early week 6, at 8a and 8p. This is preferable, but again, it’s important to go by individual kids, the weather, any health issues, and any other factors that can affect their growth.

Bottle-Feeding Weeks Seven through Weaning
Bottle babies wean at 8 weeks. You can go longer, but 8 weeks is when they’re on their way to new homes. By the beginning of week 7, kids should be down to 1 bottle a day.  They’ll stay there until weaning when you simply stop feeding bottles.  It won’t hurt to continue bottle feeding until they're several months old if you have the milk and inclination, but they need to be having milk until 8 weeks.  The best indicator that they’re ready to wean is eating solid foods well and growing at the same rate as their dam raised fellows.

How to Decrease Bottles
I typically just stop giving a bottle altogether, but a more gradual approach would be to give half bottles for a few days before removing a certain time of day from the schedule. As long as they’re healthy, there’s no reason not to do it whatever way you prefer. For a goat I’m concerned about, I’d be more inclined to gradually decrease. Just be sure there is free choice solid food available for them to make up for the loss of milk nutrients.