Newly adopted doeling! pix p 2

[freemotion]

So baby Rose came home this evening, and she is not happy being separated from mom. She was born March 20. She is not really eating, but I kinda expected that, weaning is so stressful, and she is a bit young. Should I push for the bottle, or the bowl? She was too upset to consider either, but I will try again in an hour or so.

She was eating hay when I left her, and I made her a little cave to go into, which she liked. She is safe in a stall by herself but can see the other girls through the slats in the boards. Mya is ramming the boards. It is her stall. I was going to set her up in my hay storage area, but thought it would be better if they could all see and smell each other. So Mya got kicked out, and is with the pygmies. They have full access to the outdoors and the pasture.

When I was looking at her at her birthplace, she spent the whole time outside with us, while mama was inside eating hay. She played and nibbled fresh clover and ran in once or twice for a quick nurse from mama. She has never had a bottle.

Suggestions?

 

[miss_thenorth]

Congrats! but unfortunately I can't offer any advice.

 

[freemotion]

I'm sure some of the goat people will stop in when they get in from morning chores....or before bed tonight. Off to check the baby.

 

[StoneBridge Farm]

If it were me...and I am NO expert... but have had my share of goats... I would give her some in a bowl. If you go back to a bottle, it might be even harder to wean her. Introduce her slowly. Good luck!

 

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Well, she still won't take either, but I left a bowl with fresh milk and a pan of water side by side, and she sniffed each several times, but no sips yet.

Just now, with my company, she was eating hay and found Mya's pan of alfalfa pellets and was jumping around and playing, so she is feeling better. But she cried when I left. Not being bottle fed, she is not really focused on people, but she is friendly enough. She just discovered that I can scratch her itchies better than she can!

 

[Cybercat]

Pictures, please?

 

[dixie chicken]

Currently, I have four kids ranging from 3 weeks to 1.5 months and am bottle feeding them all. So, I am really new to goats but have been reading a lot! I understand that they need milk / formula for about two months. I have read that you can give their milk by bowl but a bottle or nursing is preferred. It has something to do with the way they hold and streatch their neck up when nursing. Food gets to the correct stomach or bypasses some stomachs. I do not have my reference material here with me - sorry. If it were me, I would try to bottle feed just to make sure she is getting the correct nourishment.

 

[FarmerChick]

Bottle feeding at 1 month is hard for them to learn. It will take alot of time on your part to get her to accept that bottle this late in the game! Keep trying if you want too....or keep pushing the bowl.

Of course, she must have the milk somehow...LOL-LOL


I figured you would be coming home with 2....HA HA HA....I am amazed you held to only 1...HA HA HA


So milk for at least 2 1/2 months, no need to worm until 3 months old. Until they truly eat real solid foods and graze they don't get wormy yet.

Also be sure it has it's CDT shot. 1 month we give this shot. You know all that!

Other than that, be sure you train it to drink milk somehow and have fun with your new goat!!!!

 

[freemotion]

I left another bowl in with her. She keeps sniffing the water bowl but not drinking, it will be hot today. So she will either get dehydrated or drink......I am home all day, except this evening, when I go to a horse show to watch my clients in the championships.

I took her outside for an hour this morning with the two pygmy-x's, who behaved themselves quite nicely. Of course, baby Rose knows what that head-tilt warning means, and she skedaddles! And I scratch and pat the pygmies to reward their good behavior, to give them a good association with the baby.

After a little while of exporation of the area near the barn (guineas are SCARY!!!) we went out to the pasture for a while. She ate grass hungrily and then galloped around for a bit. So cute! She is back in the stall with some hay, water, grain with a little beet pulp (soaked), a bowl of milk, a pan of water, and a handful of fresh-picked grass. She should find something to eat in all that!

I will take her out again later and get some pictures to post tonight or tomorrow, whenever my voice-activated computer is back online (dh )

Any hints on getting her to drink? Just let it happen? I've shoved the bottle in her mouth many times, she tries to chew the nipple with her back teeth. She sniffs the bowl but won't drink. Tried to dip her lips in it, she just resists. Not sure how hard to push it, or just stop obsessing and wait.

 

[freemotion]

She had a nice long drink of water (it is HOT today!) and I am warming up a bowl of milk and taking it out to her now. Here's hopin'!