How to Bottle-Raise Baby Goats

Bottle-raising baby goats is a time-consuming endeavor that requires patience and the ability to follow a schedule closely. Bottle-feeding gives you control over the amount and type of milk the kids consume, which is extremely important if you want to prevent the spread of milk-borne goat illnesses, such as caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE). Before your baby goats are born, decide whether you plan to feed them goat milk, cow milk or powdered goat milk replacer, all of which are acceptable options for raising a bottle-fed goat, according to Dr. Mary Smith, veterinarian and coauthor of "Goat Medicine."

Things You'll Need

  • Goat colostrum
  • Goat milk bottle
  • Rubber goat nipple
  • Goat milk or cow milk or powdered milk replacer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Separate the baby goats from their mother immediately after birth. Place the baby goats in a dry, draft-free pen that is well bedded with straw or wood chips.

    • 2

      Feed the baby goats warmed, body-temperature colostrum from a CAE-negative doe within the first 6 hours of birth. For this first feeding, provide each baby goat with 1/6 to 1/4 cup of colostrum per 2 lbs. of body weight; for example, if the first kid weighs 8 lbs., you will need to feed it approximately 2/3 to 1 cup of goat colostrum during the first 6 hours after its birth. Repeat the first colostrum feeding two more times at even intervals during the first 24 hours of each baby goat's life.

    • 3

      Bottle-feed regular milk, starting on the second day of the baby goats' lives. Feed each kid 1/2 to 3/4 cup of body-temperature milk four times daily for the second and third days, being careful to maintain even time increments between each set of feedings. Measure out the desired amount of milk into a goat bottle and secure the rubber nipple on the top of the bottle. Feed each kid by inserting the nipple firmly into the corner of his mouth; if the kid does not start to suck right away, gently squeeze the bottle to allow a few drops of milk to dribble into his mouth, which should encourage him to start sucking.

    • 4

      Decrease the number of feedings to three times daily on the fourth or fifth day following each kid's birth. Feed 1 cup at each feeding. Maintain this three times/day feeding schedule until each kid is 1 week old; then, gradually increase the amount of milk at each feeding over the next 7 days until they are drinking 1 1/4 cups of milk per feeding. Give the kids access to hay once they turn 1 week old; this encourages them to nibble on it, which promotes proper development of their digestive tract and prepares them for weaning.

    • 5

      Increase the amount of milk per feeding to 2 cups when the kids turn 14 days old. At the same time, start feeding them only two times daily, preferably every 12 hours. Bottle-feed them at this rate until they are 6 weeks old; then, increase the amount of milk to 2 1/2 cups per feeding. Continue feeding the kids 2 1/2 cups of milk two times daily until they are 8 weeks old and ready for weaning.