help baby goat wont eat!

[lyzyrrd]

Just got baby goats last night and one if them will not take a bottle... will not! But he seems to be trying to eat grain. They were born may 5th is it too early to let him eat grain only? Any tricks to get him to eat from a bottle? Ive tried snuggling him tried acting like a goat with the bottle under me everything. Currently in the bottle is whole milk and corn syrup.

 

[farmchick897]

Yes, it's too early for him to have grain only and not milk. Keep trying, cup under the chin or scratch above tail will sometimes work. Good luck!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Just got baby goats last night and one if them will not take a bottle... will not! But he seems to be trying to eat grain. They were born may 5th is it too early to let him eat grain only? Any tricks to get him to eat from a bottle? Ive tried snuggling him tried acting like a goat with the bottle under me everything. Currently in the bottle is whole milk and corn syrup.

When they are that age it is still too early for grain, but, they will nibble and chew on it but not actually swallow it.

Getting a bottle baby to start nursing from a bottle is the hardest thing. What you will need to do, I know this sounds terrible but it works, is force the nipple into his mouth, and hold it there. He will start gumming the nipple, and will get some milk as he does so. Then, after a few times of force feeding him, he should realize the milk is good, and start to suck.

Where did you get the babies? Have they had colostrum? Did they nurse from their mother at all be fore you got them? Personally, I would take the corn syrup out of the milk. It's not natural, and might hurt them. The whole milk is good, so keep giving them that.

Keep us posted!

 

[3acres]

Are you using a pritchard nipple? If not it might be worth a try. My first two ever bottle baby goats last year refused a bunch of kinds of baby bottle nipples and the black lamb nipples....they took to the pritchard nipples like they had been drinking off of a bottle for a long time....right off the bat on them. I was terribly worried I was going to lose them and was very excited seeing them take to those nipples.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Are you using a pritchard nipple? If not it might be worth a try. My first two ever bottle baby goats last year refused a bunch of kinds of baby bottle nipples and the black lamb nipples....they took to the pritchard nipples like they had been drinking off of a bottle for a long time....right off the bat on them. I was terribly worried I was going to lose them and was very excited seeing them take to those nipples.

Good advice!

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

The pritchard nipples are highly recommended. And I agree with the PPer... no corn syrup in the bottle. Stick with just the milk.

I've had luck with the following... Hold the kid in your lap and put the bottom part of your upper arm over the kid's nose. This mimics the udder which the kid will nudge to stimulate mom's milk. It will also send that signal to the kid to get ready to eat. Put a finger in his mouth and let him suck on that then sneak the nipple in his mouth. Hold the bottle up and out so he has to stretch his neck out like he would with mom. You can cup his chin with your other hand so you have more control over his head.

How is the kid acting otherwise? What did the breeder have the kid on before you bought him?

 

[lyzyrrd]

Well the breeder still had them on mom. One of the babies is definitely getting the hang of it but the other one is not as easy to work with. I did get some milk into them (sans corn syrup) I'm using a puppy bottle as that is what has been recommended by a few friends with Nigerians. I'm trying the Pritchard tomorrow. They are running and playing and jumping and having fun thankfully no lethargy yet. Thank for the tips so much!! I'll keep you all posted

 

[lyzyrrd]

Got 3-4 ounces In both of them this morning using a syringe. Even the stubborn one took it. The other baby (my easy goat), Mayo took the bottle as well. They are a little less playful this morning but I'm hoping they perk up with their full bellies. Thanks so much for advice. Ill get the pritchard nipple when we get in town today, but at least now I know that I can get milk into them if it doesn't.- Thank God! Thanks all!

 

[lyzyrrd]

This goat looks so much like my problem child Oreo!

 

[nok13]

frankly we used ;human nipples of various sorts from all the bottles that people would forget at the zoo; i had a plethora of nipples and bottles and would try varius ones until i found one that worked;

like someone said: put baby in lap (sit on floor much easier this way), with their knees folded up underthem (yes they kneel down and stretch neck up to nurse), place hand under bottle, with bottoms of your hand and fingers gripping kid's chin on eeither side (like bottle feeding a baby , we were taught to always have our fingers (pinky ) at least touching baby's cheek to stimulate nursing) and scratch around his tail... wagging tail means suckling instinct kicks in. without that, he wont suckle...

we also used to take a small amount of honey and put on nipple, or squirt warm milk on nose and lips and while it was licking, shove the npple in and if u spill some in mmouth, also massage throat, it will swallow, like the taste, and look for more.

if that doesnt work, try pan feeding (teaching baby to suck /drink from flat shallow bowl, but measure the amount before and after, adn away from other animals that would like to empty the dish.

if that doesnt work, see if anyone in your area has frozen milk (i used to freeze colustrum and milk for those in our area we could use eachother's milk and it would have the same local antigens)... or milk someone else's goat/cow/sheep -

at about five weeks u can introduce grains , a few at a time, to stimulate the rumen, and i think in the states there is also rumen starter that u can give also... good luck...
also make sure the kids are warm, a cold kid wont eat. i have kept kids in bedroom /in bed!! with us the first week, and offer bottle every time it would cry (like a real baby), so even if it didnt nurse well, it got to eat small amounts all day long (rather like with mom)... kids like physical contact, nuzzling, snuffling, stimulate their little behinds, like mom would do... all this encourages feeding responses. it workes with nubian ibex orphans, gazelle orphans, deer orphans and kids and lambs, not to mention various other mammals