Newly adopted doeling! pix p 2

[freemotion]

Could you take her back to the previous owner so she can be with her mother until she's completely weaned off, then just take her back?

It is a week tonight, would she take her back?

Now I am all freaked out.....is she gonna die?

 

[Carolyn]

She might not be ready for breeding for a year --got to be at least 80lbs, no one knows what will happen--I sure wouldn't go back to them for another goat- personally I don't think they know what they are doing. 4 weeks is way to young to wean--in my opinion. Ginger is a cute name. Have a good weekend. Carolyn

 

[lupinfarm]

She is doing ok, I gave up yesterday on the bottle. She was getting traumatized by the process. She was starting to run when she saw me, and would not let me touch her head without a fight. I have a tick to take off her ear and I am putting it off, gotta go do it now. I never got more than an ounce out of the bottle, and she and I would both be soaked, so I doubt any got into her.

I did catch her looking for an udder on one of the pygmies, one that is watching over her a bit.

I worry that she won't develop properly without milk, but I am at a loss as to what to do. I tried determinedly. It seemed that she would almost start to suck, then would try to spit out the nipple, and when I continually put it back in her mouth, she would just clamp down on it and hold still, waiting for her chance, then spit it out. Finally, she would kinda go limp and semi-close her eyes in resignation. It was just too much. I tried several times a day for 5 days. I bought every style of nipple available. I sucked from the bottle myself to make sure they worked. I enlarged the holes with an x cut.

She does have access to pasture, alfalfa/grass mix hay, alfalfa pellets, a handful of Mya's mix twice a day (barley, oats, sunflower seeds, beet pulp, all soaked, and for baby, a few finely diced veggies....carrot and whatever is available like brocolli, green beans, greens, apple, etc) pasture daily, and I pick dandelion greens for her for when she goes back in the stall. She will eat the whole pile, maybe 2-4 quarts of greens. She is a good eater and seems to be gaining weight when I pick her up. She has a solid feel to her and moves around and is very interested in everything.

She drinks well from the water bucket but won't drink milk from a bowl.

Oh, and I tried mixing a little milk into her grain mix, and tried soaking some alfalfa pellets in some, she takes a sniff and walks away, even if I just use a tiny bit of milk. The chickens have enjoyed all my experiments.

I will NEVER get an unweaned goat again. I will ALWAYS sell my babies at at least 2 months old, unless someone wants to bottle one from day one. Sheesh, this is nerve-wracking. I am usually very good with animals, so it is very frustrating and confidence-shaking, too.

ETA: Oh, and I changed her name to Ginger!

Why not put a nipple bucket in with her? ...If she was looking for an udder that might help

 

[freemotion]

Well, I tried something else and it seems to be working, but I need your input, goat people. I put some molasses in the milk, remembering how to get horses drink water at shows when we were gone too long to bring water for the fussy ones. We'd put a bit of peppermint in the water to disguise strange tastes.

So I put 2 ounces of milk in the bottle with maybe a third of a teaspoon of molasses, and she showed a teensy bit of interest, but the girl has gotten very strong (a good sign....) and I couldn't really hold her long. So she had a couple of sips, then I dumped the rest...most of the two ounces....in her bowl with her diced veggies and beet pulp and grain. When I got back from teaching, it was licked clean. She never finishes her tablespoon of grain/beet pulp, but she usually finishes her three tablespoons of diced veggies. It was all cleaned up and she glanced at her bowl when I came home.

So after some outside play time before the sun went down, I mixed up four ounces of molasses milk, and put it in with her usual veggie mix, a little bit less grain though, as I didn't want her suddenly eating more grain this way. She was not happy with the milky carrots, and tried to gingerly (snicker) pick a couple of carrot bits out. I left to milk Mya, and when I came back, the bowl was empty!!!!! Yay!!!

(I cried myself to sleep last night, I'm too old for that!!!!)

So my question is, how much should I give her? Should I gradually work her up to.....what? Someone give me a program, quick.

I am also thinking of gradually backing off with the molasses, too, as she accepts the milk.

 

[lorihadams]

Yay! sometimes you gotta treat 'em like children and sneak the stuff in!!! I'm glad it's working for her, I know that's a load off your mind

 

[MissJames]

How is the doeling doing?
I guess you have heard by now that 8 weeks is the earliest they should be weaned.12 weeks is better. I'm like you and assume the people with the goats know what they are doing.I'm finding out they are often still learning,just like us!
I have 3 doelings and have a 4th coming ,along with 2 wethers.They are Nubian/Boer crosses .I just love watching them!

 

[freemotion]

She runs and plays and climbs on one of my pygmies, who tolerates her nicely. She took in 6 ounces of milk yesterday, but ignored her last bowl. But 6 oz is a record for the week.

Yes, and I would assume (ooo, there is that word!!) that a veterinarian would know this stuff. Even though I already know that most vets know less than nothing about goats or ruminants, they focus on small animals. Not a criticism, just saying I should've known better.

Could it be that she is a bit more developed, being a large single kid? I hope so. I also hope that if she were going to go downhill, I would see signs by now, today is the 8th day w/o milk.

I am curious as to whether her ears will drop down or stay like airplane wings. She is 3/4 Nubian, 1/4 Boer.

How much milk should I be shooting for, in how many feedings? Now I am just happy with a couple ounces here and there, but she is always hungry and looking for food, which tells me she needs much, much more.

 

[Beekissed]

Free, its good news about your Ginger finally eating! This whole animal husbandry stuff can be nerve wracking, huh?

Maybe you could do it like I do the chickens.....just put out a certain amount...if any is left over, then reduce the amount. If its completely gone, then give more until there is a happy medium between completely pecked clean and half a container/feeder left over.

I know with all my children they ate different amounts, so maybe its like that with these "kids" also?

 

[freemotion]

Yes, it seems that she prefers a bowl with 2 oz of molasses/milk with carrot bits sticking up. If the carrot bits are immersed, she won't touch the bowl at all. Yeesh. Fussy little thing. I am hoping she develops a taste for Mya's milk and I can just milk into a bowl for her! But I'm probably just dreaming.....

She is definitely growing. It is already noticably harder to pick her up and carry her. I will have to start teaching her to lead so I can get her into her stall for the night.

She is stinkin' cute! I just love the way she bounces around with springs in her feet.

Goats are addictive.....

 

[big brown horse]

She is gorgeous! Such long and graceful legs, like a deer. I wish you all the luck with her that I can. I am not familiar with raising a goat myself, but I do know how tenacious they are. I'm sure she will be fine. You sound like a very good Mummy.