I have 2 eight day old goats. I have had to bottle feed them and now they won't eat corn or pellets. How could we get them to start?

-- Ms. Fields (ambe_01@hotmail.com), March 17, 2002

Answers

8 days is a little young, however, some kids will begin eating hay and nibbling at grain earlier, some at aweek. I would provide a small amount of grain and hay and eventually they will begin eating it. About 2-3 weeks is the average.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 17, 2002.

Ditto for what Bernice said!! I think they start nibbling on the grain and hay just by copying what the adults do! Eventually, they will start eating more hay and grain (especially the hay!) than they do milk!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 17, 2002.

I hope you do still have them on the bottles. Eight days is too young to expect them to eat the grain.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), March 17, 2002.

just to add we don't take our kids off milk and make them depend on solid food till they are about 2 1/2 months to 3 months

-- lindsey (jolly_old_goat@hotmail.com), March 17, 2002.

bottle feeding for 8 weeks minimum!!, right now they should be gettign 2 cups per feeding, 2x a day, and let them nibble grain from your hand , if like most bottle babies they are trying to suck your fingers, just cup some sweet feed in your hand , and they will taste it the first few times, making a big mess, then in a day or so , will settle into eating it ., if they are away from the other goats, you have to be goat mommy , and show them what to do

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), March 19, 2002.