[cuckoo]

Hi,
 
My Boer / Togg cross kidded yesterday at about 3pm - she had triplets - two larger male kids and a smaller female.  The smaller one was slower to stand but has fed from mum and is continuing to feed - all be it for short bursts. She is now just as active as her brothers.
 
I have spoken to 2 more experienced goat keepers who both would seperate her and bottle rear - as if leave all 3 she may get pushed out etc.  I have equipment for this as obviously it is a lways a possibility when rearing but also I have someone who would be interested in taking her and rearing her.  They were going to buy her anyway at weaning.
 
How much do people charge for kids to bottle rear? Her cost at weaning would be about £200. She is from a very nice 50% Boer doe and will be eligible for registration with BBGS - although clearly I will not have the cost of milk replacer and time spent feeding etc if i sell her now.
 
What is easiest way to introduce bottle - should I seperate her and leave for a few hours before so she is hungry - I understand as she is just over a day old I may have some problems.
 
Thanks
 
 

[Anke]

I normally separate the kids from their dams at 4 days - when mine go for disbudding. Until then the milk from mum could contain colostrum, so it better for the kid directly than for me and cheesemaking anyway. So I would leave her on mum for a few days, but make sure she gets her fair share of milk (checking for full tummy, see if she is as contented as her brothers and watch when they latch on - i.e are they pushing her off?).
 
Will your kids keep their horns or are they going to be disbudded? If yes, then easy - take them to the vet and on coming home just try and feed a little bit from the bottle (preferably milked out form mum). It takes a few attempts and they may get quite hungry, but usually works by the end of the day. I would then slowly move her from  mum's milk to replacer if you were to sell her on before she is weaned. Probably would take at least two weeks for that.
 
If she is going to keep her horns - leave it at least for 4 days, a week may be better (depending on how well she is getting on with feeding from mum, but 4 days is minimum), and then take her out of earshot from the dam, let her get hungry and slowly introduce milk. If you put her straight onto milk replacer this may be quite difficult as it is a completely different taste. Also make it up quite a bit more diluted than it says on the bottle, as otherwise likely diaorrhea. Temeprature is quite important to get to the same as it was from mum - again difficult to get right (drop onto back of hand or forearm, should feel slightly warm but neither hot or cold - if you have fed children  it is easier to do.)
 
As to selling price, really depends on how much your feeding her on the bottle is going to cost - if you milk the dam - very little, if using Lamlac  -probably quite a bit more... I am sorry I do not have any idea as to how much that would be, I milk my goats so costs don't come into it.

[cuckoo]

Thanks for the prompt reply - She is feeding at seperate times to her brothers so at this stage does seem to be able to feed without getting pushed off - she just doesnt seem to feed for long - but is very active and alert so must be getting milk.  She will be being disbudded so maybe best thing to do will be to keep her with mum and assess her in a few days time to see if we seperate her.

[ScotsGirl]

Goats seem to be different to sheep for some reason, but I would be inclined to leave her with mum and just supplement with bottle if mum hasn't enough milk. It takes a bit of perseverance with lambs but has worked well for me and saves them being lonely and motherless.


As it is not a milking mum and presuming you leave boys on until weaning it should be ok.