The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: fifixx on February 27, 2013, 11:18:00 am

Title: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: fifixx on February 27, 2013, 11:18:00 am
My good old goat, plenty of experience - decided not to show one of her twins how to suck - so now I'm milking her and bottlefeeding him. 

Does anyone have any clever tricks to fool him back to the teat?  He is quite big and her udder is low down, so I think the problem was initially he didn't get going down low...

Much cursing and pleading over the last 48 hours......!
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Anke on February 27, 2013, 08:27:54 pm
Sorry I have never done it that way round....
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: sokel on February 27, 2013, 09:00:13 pm
I did do this the once and it did take quite a few attempts to get the kid onto mum successfully.
The way I did it was give the kid the bottle as close to the teat as possible and once it really gets into the bottle I got it used to having my hand lightly over its eyes.
once it fed like this from the bottle I would  take the bottle out and instantly push the mums teat next to the mouth untill it latched on keeping the eyes covered.
Once it got used to sucking the teat I gradualy started covering the eyes and putting straight onto the teat.
If I remember right it took about 3-4 days before the kid was back feeding full time from mum with no help from me
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Penninehillbilly on February 28, 2013, 12:27:10 am
Could you pop 'mum' onto a slightly raised platform (Pallet?) so it isn't too low for him? Once he gets the idea he should find it for himself.
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: fifixx on February 28, 2013, 10:01:46 am
Fed him his bottle yesterday, then caught the little sod feeding off mum....!!
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Daisys Mum on February 28, 2013, 10:40:29 am
Quote from: fifixx on February 28, 2013, 10:01:46 am
Fed him his bottle yesterday, then caught the little sod feeding off mum....!!
Love that what a crafty little sod, getting 2 feeds. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Penninehillbilly on February 28, 2013, 05:28:59 pm
Quote from: fifixx on February 28, 2013, 10:01:46 am
Fed him his bottle yesterday, then caught the little sod feeding off mum....!!
Typical male - always wants more than his share  :-J
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Anke on February 28, 2013, 06:14:19 pm
Quote from: penninehillbilly on February 28, 2013, 05:28:59 pm
Quote from: fifixx on February 28, 2013, 10:01:46 am
Fed him his bottle yesterday, then caught the little sod feeding off mum....!!
Typical male - always wants more than his share  :-J

... and knows how to get it....
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: sabrina on February 28, 2013, 07:37:06 pm
 :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
Title: Re: Getting a kid to suck teat after a bottle
Post by: Lesley Silvester on February 28, 2013, 10:52:07 pm
Love it. Are you sure his father wasn't a labrador?