How to Bottle Feed a Baby Pigmy Goat

A pygmy goat is a miniature goat that is much smaller than a normal goat. The first 24 hours of the pygmy goat's life requires careful planning. An orphaned goat needs bottle feeding with colostrum, since its mother cannot feed it. Colostrum is the milk is produced by the animal's mother after it first gives birth. Colostrum contains vital nutrients for the kid, such as vitamin E and iron. You might have frozen colostrum leftover from a previous breeding season, or otherwise contact local farmers or feed stores to obtain some fresh colostrum. It's important that the baby goat be fed colostrum within the first 24 hours of birth to help build its immune system.

Things You'll Need

  • High-quality colostrum from cow or goat
  • Baby's bottle
  • Syrup
  • Syringe
  • Goat milk replacer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed between 12 and 16 oz. of colostrum to the goat. If you are using frozen colostrum thaw it in a warm bath of water. Then, heat it to approximately body temperature, or around 100 degrees. The goat needs to feed on this during its first 24 hours, and consume about 10 percent of its body weight.

    • 2

      Transfer the milk to the baby bottle. Support the kid goat either by straddling it between your legs or holding it in your arms. Be gentle to avoid startling it.

    • 3

      Dab syrup on your finger and place your finger on the goat's tongue to encourage the goat to take to the bottle. As it licks your finger, push the bottle towards its mouth.

    • 4

      Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle. Allow droplets of milk to drip onto the goat's tongue until it begins to suckle on the bottle nipple.

    • 5

      Fill a large syringe with milk If the goat does not take to the bottle first time. Place the end of the syringe in the corner of the goat's mouth, and press down so the milk fills the goat's mouth. Reintroduce the bottle once the goat has been fed two or three syringes of milk.

    • 6

      Feed 2 oz. of goat milk replacer every two hours for the first couple days, then gradually increase the amount of milk and the time between feedings to 6 oz. every four hours by the end of the first week. After the first week, increase the amount fed in each feeding to 8 oz. three times a day. Continue feeding three times a day, while gradually increasing the amount of milk replacer fed at each feeding until the goat is taking 16 oz. per feeding, then switch to two 20-oz. feedings a day.

    • 7

      Reduce the feedings to one bottle a day, when the goat is two months old. Continue to feed it once a day until it turns three months old.