How To Bottle Feed Baby Goats {Any Breed}

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  This means that by clicking through and purchasing products, I will get paid a commission at no additional cost to you.

*Disclaimer: I am not a goat expert. I’m sharing what I do, but it may not be right for your herd. Consider this fair warning to do your own research before trying this or any other program in the blogosphere. 🙂

Sorting through opinions

When baby goats (kids) are born here, I always want their mammas (dams) to raise them naturally. But sometimes things just don’t go as planned, like the time Marmee rejected one of her triplets.

And when it comes time to finding a safe bottle feeding regimen… whoooeee. Let me tell you friend, there are some conflicting opinions on nearly every aspect of it. What kind of milk? How much milk at each feeding? When to feed? Proper colostrum storage?

Figuring out what’s best for our herds can be confusing, but I’m here to help.

Large breed vs. small breed

Ok, so the first thing to consider is the issue of varying sizes of breeds and their different needs. I can’t tell you how many articles on bottle feeding plans I’ve read, only to realize the author did not emphasize what breed they had. 😐 Good thing I figured it out before putting my large breed goats on a small breed regimen. My universal plan goes by weight so this won’t be a problem.

It’ll make ’em friendly they said…

Something I’m sure you’ve heard is that if you bottle-feed baby goats, they will grow up to be super friendly. Okay for some of us that might seem like a good reason to take on 8-12 weeks of milk duty. maybe. But is it really worth it?

Well, I’ve come to feel that some bottle-babies tend to be, dare I say it?… in-your-face-freaking-needy! But thankfully mine have mellowed out into their 3rd year. It does seem to take more work for me to teach my bottle babies boundaries.

Some people even feel that bottle-fed bucks are particularly dangerous. I’m raising a couple right now so I’ve been reading up on goat psychology, and working on setting boundaries from the start. So if you’re signed up for my news letter I’ll let you know how that goes. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, I’ve had DAM RAISED kids turn out to be SWEET, friendly, and easy to handle. As you can probably guess, it takes spending quality time with them often, and of course… treats.

Equipment

I recommend Pritchard teats as pictured. {Flutter valve isn’t shown here but there is a small hole on the yellow part with a ball bearing that rattles when you shake it. This helps the milk flow without creating a vacuum.}

TIP: There is no pre-made hole so you have to cut your own hole in the tip. Leave the skinny tip on and cut it through length wise, with a razor blade, down to the top of the bulb tip. Apparently this will make it so that the milk doesn’t pour out when the bottle is tipped. 🤯

Where to buy

1. I have been buying the ones pictured above from the local Shoppers Supply for about $2 each. They say “GENUINE ORIGINAL PRITCHARD” on the top. They have worked great for me. But according to the next option, if the rings around the bottom are blue-grey like mine, they are not authentic. According to premier1supplies.com, the authentic ones have red where the blue-grey is. 🤷🏻‍♀️
2. You can buy the version that premier1supplies.com {I am not an affiliate} says is authentic. These supposedly work better for weak kids. I have not used these. I have raised a very weak kid with option 1 with success.
3. Good ol‘ Amazon. I am an affiliate. Here’s my affiliate link if you prefer to go through Amazon.

I don’t recommend the cheaper ones because the reviews reveal they are more likely to break and pose a choking hazard.

All of the Pritchard type teats screw on to plastic soda bottles which is very convenient. But oddly they don’t work with most plastic WATER bottles.

Positioning the bottle

Speaking of bottles, did you know that holding the bottle wrong can cause the milk to go down the wrong way? Be sure to lift the bottom of the bottle at an angle while feeding so that the head is pointed somewhat upward as pictured below.

Colostrum

Colostrum is the first thick yellowish milk that comes out of the mammary glands after giving birth. It is high in antibodies that provide protection from disease, and help the goat kid develop its immune system. It is critically important for survival.

Goats should get colostrum for at least the first 2 days of life. The first day should be nothing but colostrum and the second day I add a little milk.

What kind of colostrum?

The mother’s colostrum is the easy first choice, when she is disease-free, has enough, and it can be obtained in clean conditions. She will produce this for the first two days and then it diminishes.

Pay it forward

If that isn’t an option, I don’t know about your community, but in mine, there are several people who have some frozen colostrum saved for emergencies. Before goat kids are due, it’s wise to ask people who have clean tested herds if they have any spare colostrum they’re willing to sell you. If all goes well you can pass it on to the next person in your community with kids due.

Buy colostrum replacement online

If you don’t have access to real colostrum you can buy colostrum replacement online or at some feed stores. Have SOMETHING ready as a back up prior to kidding. {I’m incredibly grateful every time I get to pass my colostrum on to someone else who might need it!}

How much colostrum: Easy way to calculate

BEWARE of over-feeding. Don’t be fooled by ravenous behavior. Too much milk is dangerous for a baby goat and they WILL over-eat. This is one potential cause of floppy kid syndrome which could lead to death if not treated quickly.

In order to survive, baby goats MUST get at least 5% of their body weight in colostrum within the first 6 hours of life, and 10% within the first 24 hours.

Step 1. Convert baby’s weight from pounds to ounces:

Baby’s weight in lbs x 16 (because there are 16oz in a pound)= baby’s weight in oz.

ex: 10lbs x 16= 160oz

Step 2. Calculate 10%:

Simply move the decimal point over one space to the left. There’s your 24 hour requirement in ounces.

ex: 10% of 160oz= 16oz

Step 3. Calculate 5%:

Divide the amount you get from step 2 in half. There’s the requirement for the first 6 hours of life.

ex: half of 16oz= 8oz

Day 1 colostrum schedule:

Ideally, the 1st feeding is within 20min.–1hour of birth. Goats have survived going a little longer but don’t risk it if you have a choice. The gut quickly loses its ability to absorb antibodies throughout the first day, especially in the first 4-6 hours, so don’t delay.

For the first day, I feed EVERY 2-4 HOURS {depending on their strength and how much they consume at each feeding} for 24 hours. Yep even throughout the night.

Day 2 colostrum schedule:

I re-weigh➔ convert lbs. to oz. by multiplying by 16➔ calculate 10-12%➔ & feed every 2-4 hours with a 6 hour break at night if the kid has been doing well.

Pasteurizing colostrum

For those who’s herd is not free from disease, pasteurizing the colostrum may be wise.

Did you know there’s a special way to pasteurize colostrum that’s slightly different from the process for milk? If you try to treat it like milk you will have a thick gelatinous mess with damaged immunoglobulins.

According to this article by a professor and an associate at the department of dairy and animal science at Penn State, you can pasteurize the colostrum by heating it very slowly and carefully @ 140º for between 30-60 minutes. The higher the bacteria counts, the longer it should stay heated. {Since most of us won’t know our bacteria counts a longer heating period may be wise.}

Going over 140º in the slightest will coagulate the IgG {immunoglobulin} proteins, so accurate temperature control is crucial. I honestly have no idea how people do this at home. I couldn’t maintain a perfect temp that long without fluctuation if my life depended on it. Maybe it’s just me. 😉

Storing colostrum

Real colostrum can be safely frozen for up to 6 months, although people have claimed to use much older colostrum with success. This might be good to know in an emergency, but using older colostrum wouldn’t be my first choice.

NOTE: According to the MSU extension you should avoid storing colostrum in a “frost-free” freezer as the temperature cycles can damage antibodies.

Using a non-frost-free freezer, freezing it in ice cube trays and storing in plastic bags or freezable glass makes it easy to prepare the correct dose. Some people store in clean plastic soda bottles. The super small 8oz. ones might be handy for this.

Do not microwave colostrum. If you need it defrosted quickly, put it in a double bag and set in warm water. Once thawed use it quickly and never re-freeze. Use within 24 hours of thawing.

Milk

What kind of milks can you use?

Ok so after the first 2 days of feeding colostrum, it’s time for milk. Here are the options in order from best to less ideal:

1. As you probably know, disease-free fresh raw mother’s milk from the goatling’s own mother is going to have all of the right antibodies, nutritional profile, bacteria etc. that keeps babies the healthiest.
2. Fresh raw milk from another disease-free goat is the next best thing.
3. Pasteurized milk from a mother or herd-mate.
4. Store bought goat’s milk– this could get expensive.
5. Whole cows milk is my choice when the first two options aren’t available. I can buy a gallon for slightly over $2 at Costco. To boost enzymes and probiotics {which gets the rumen going}, I pour out a cup or so and set aside, and add a cup of raw goat milk kefir to the gallon of cows milk.
6. Powdered milk replacer In the first week or so of life, powdered milks can be hard for the goats to digest.
7. I avoid any milks that contain soy.
8. Don’t even think about using coconut, nut, hemp or any other non dairy milks.

NOTE: Do not use multi-species milk replacers no matter what the package says. Different species need different nutrients. For example, the amount of copper a goat needs would kill a sheep, so a multi-species milk would be deficient in copper for a goat.

Milk feeding temp 104º

I warm up some water in a pot and put the bottles in it for a few minutes with a thermometer sticking through the top as pictured. I aim for about 105º so that it will cool to 103-104º by the time I get out to the barn. This helps those little tummies digest the milk better than giving them cold milk straight out-the-fridge.

Pasteurizing milk

It is commonly believed that if a goat has a disease that is transmittable through milk, such as caprine arthritis encephalitis {CAE}, Johne’s {pronounced yo-neez} or Brucellosis, pasteurization will keep everyone safe. Unfortunately that may not be the case with Johne’s according to a study by National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA:

Johne’s disease and milk: do consumers need to worry?

Pasteurization is no substitute for good husbandry practices and consistent testing!

My mother has Crohn’s, and it has been suggested that Johne’s could possibly manifest as Crohn’s in humans that are susceptible. If I had a goat with Johne’s I would not use the mother’s milk for any purpose- pasteurized or not. I’d rather be overly cautious than sorry later.

To pasteurize milk, simply put it in a double boiler or a pan inside a larger pan of water, and heat to 145º Fahrenheit. Stir often, and maintain temp as accurately as possible for 30 minutes. Cool as fast as possible by pouring milk into a cool pan that’s sitting in an ice bath and stir rapidly until cool and refrigerate.

Calculating milk needs: daily ounces

As mentioned above, BEWARE of over-feeding. Don’t be fooled by ravenous behavior. Too much milk is dangerous for a baby goat and they WILL over-eat. Observing a kid nursing on their dam, you will notice she usually doesn’t let them stay on very long.

Also, please know that this is just the schedule I have chosen for my herd. Some people feed more or less often. Weak or sick goats may need a different schedule.

It is generally accepted that 10-12% of the kid’s bodyweight is a good amount for a daily total of milk. Remember that you will need to recalculate at least every week.

Step 1. Weigh kid & convert weight from pounds to ounces.

Baby’s weight in lbs x 16 (because there are 16oz in a pound)= baby’s weight in oz.

ex: 10lbs x 16= 160oz.

Step 2. Decide if you think the baby goat needs 10%, 11% or 12% of kid’s body weight in ounces.

Step 3. 10% is the easiest. Just move the decimal to the left one space. To determine 11% multiply the baby’s weight in ounces by 0.11. To determine 12% multiply the baby’s weight in ounces by 0.12. This will give you total ounces for the day.

ex: 10% of 160oz= 16oz

Feeding schedule

Now let’s break it down by number of feedings each day as the weeks progress.

After feeding colostrum the first two days:

Week 1, Days 3-7 {5 x /day}

Re-weigh and calculate total daily ounces using the steps above.

Divide total ounces for the day by 5. This is how much I feed at each feeding.

Feed 5 x /day during awake hours. For me this looks like 7am, 10am, 2pm, 5pm, 9pm.

{Some people only feed 4 x /day at this point, so if you must, it should be ok. Just be sure to divide total daily ounces by 4 to get each feeding amount.}

Week 2 {4 x /day}

Introduce kid to hay and keep it available from this point on.

Re-weigh and re-calculate total daily ounces.

Divide total ounces for the day by 4. This will be how much you feed at each feeding.

Feed 4 x /day. For me this looks like 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm.

{Some people only feed 3 x /day at this point, so if you must, it should be ok. Just be sure to divide total daily ounces by 3 to get each feeding amount.}

Weeks 3-5 {3 x /day}

You should see some cud chewing by week 3.

Re-weigh and re-calculate total daily ounces each week.

Divide total ounces for the day by 3.

Feed 3 x/ day. For me this looks like 7am, 11am, 4pm, 9pm.

Week 6 {2 x /day}

Woohoo! Things are getting easier.

Re-weigh and re-calculate total daily ounces.

Divide total ounces for the day in half.

Feed 2 x /day at opposite ends of the day. For me this looks like 7am & 7pm.

Week 7 & 8 or even up to 12 {once /day}

You know the drill by this point. Re-weigh & re-calculate. Now you can give all the milk at one feeding.

Most people stop giving the bottle at the end of the 8th week, however some very experienced goat owners swear by continuing up through the 12th week. I’ve done it both ways and prefer to go 12 weeks, but I don’t really sweat it if I need to be done by 8.

In every chore that must be done

there is an element of fun

-Mary Poppins

So there ya go! Your perspective matters to me. Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.