The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Merlinn on March 24, 2011, 09:58:35 am
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I have a set of triplets to bottle feed due to their mother having mastistis. They are now 9 days old
and I need someone to give me advice on exactly how much artificial milk to feed them daily.
Can someone help please?
Many thanks
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Breed? Size?
Personally I feed as much as they'll take x4 a day at that age. Once they're used to bottle feeding (and I find kids far worse than lambs), they'll drink what they want and that's the best guide.
At two weeks I drop down to x3 a day and start getting them nibbling hay and creep.
Good luck.
Oh, I found that kids were easier when both the milk and the bottle teat were quite warm (37-40C). I tucked a lot of kid under my arm to stop wriggling to begin with (I had to feed after they'd been on mum too, last year and they resisted). Eventually we all came to an arrangement that suited us :D
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This might seem a silly question - but how long do the kids need to be off of her, can they go back on her once the treatment has worked? I know with dogs the vet says to keep the pups on the mum to help keep the milk flowing through.