Things You'll Need
- Colostrum
- Milk-goat, cow, or commercial milk replacer
- Nursing bottle, lamb bottle or regular baby bottle
- Lamb bottle nibble
- Scissors
Instructions
Use scissors to increase the feed hole on the lamb nibble. Do this by cutting an "X" where the nibble opening is. The cut slits should be 3/8 to 1/2 inches long. Goat kids need a larger nibble hole than lambs to easily receive enough milk.
Milk the mother goat as soon as possible after giving birth or mix a colostrum substitute according to directions. Feed this colostrum-rich milk to your newborn kid within an hour after it is born, and no more than eight hours later. Colostrum is essential for any newborn mammal. It provides vital carbohydrates, protein, nutrients and antibodies that protect a baby from infections and diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. Without this essential colostrum, any baby mammal is left defenseless. After 24 hours a baby goat kid loses its ability to absorb colostrum effectively, which is why it is important to feed it soon after birth.
Use a lamb milk bottle, or regular baby bottle, with the lamb nibble you enlarged to feed your goat kid. If you can, use the goat kid's mother's milk. If not, fresh cow milk or even pasteurized whole milk from the grocery store can be used. Powdered replacer goats milk should be a last option as it can cause severe bloating in young goats.
Feed your goat kid at least four times a day for the first 2-3 weeks, then three times a day for the next 30 days. The milk should be at cool to cold temperature to avoid over-consumption. Be sure to hold the bottle above the goat kid to simulate the teat of its mother. This is the natural way a goat kid feeds and will allow the milk to enter the stomach properly.