The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: poppy2012 on May 16, 2012, 09:13:10 pm
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hi there - just a quick question about feeds with my 5 week old kids. they have been bottle fed as much as thy want, normally the 50ml bottle each four times a day. they dont want to take more than this at every feed, but the british goat society says they should be on 850ml or round abouts by now 3 times a day. is this necessary or can i do as im going? or does any one have advice on dropping to three feeds from 4? i think they should feed little and often, but maybe this leads to them being weaned later? they have access to hay and have started concentrates a sprinkle in the mornings...any advice would be greatly appreciated :) :goat: :goat:
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MIne get 4 feeds of 500ml each a day, so total intake is about 2litres. If you can feed 4 times rather than three you can continue to do that way, and maybe reduce the amount per feed or drop one of the feeds and replace with mix or whatever hard feed yours are getting.
I have never fed mine more than 2ltrs milk per day, but they are eating hay by two weeks and then are on small amounts of goat mix from about 3 to 4 weeks.
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By five weeks, mine are eating hay and hard feed, and gradually take less milk, so they are only having three feeds a day, then two. By six weeks they are only on a bedtime bottle. I would not worry too much, as they are taking as much as they need/want.
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Could I ask another under this heading?
I have 2 x 9w old males rearing for the freezer, currently on 3 x 350ml a day, slowly down from their 500ml, after following wytsend's advice about not giving them too much.
What rate should I be reducing? They are on a mix of replacer and goats milk, I don't want to be buying another back of replacer if I can help it, but I don't want their growth to slow. They do eat concentrates, but I've only just got them to drink water so. The younger ones with their mums followed mum's example and drink.
Do I still aim to wean at 12 wks or do meat boys take milk for longer?
I'm beginning to wonder if I should have taken these boys on, but at least it's nice to get them onto grass when its dry weather :)
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I weaned all the kids at 12 weeks last year - by then they are bashing their mums udders so hard, it is the mums I am feeling sorry for!
By then they are having some concentrate and grass and hay - and of course any tree or bush they can get too!