Weaning Bottle Babies

By Deb Haines

Keep in mind that not all goat kids are alike and some may take more time in the weaning process.

1) How do I go about the weaning process?

Ken Brown Dvm…….. slow down on bottle as get older and that weans them – 8 weeks old so can go down to every 12 hours for 3 weeks, then once per day for another few weeks and should be done at that point

Ken Brown Dvm……… they need hay first,- hay is the main food. think of the pellets as a vitamin, not a meal…slowly introduce pellets to nibble once they are eating hay.

Ken Brown Dvm……. if they are doing well and eating and gaining weight well, they will wean themselves, their consumption of milk goes down

2) When are most bottle babies weaned ?

Ken Brown DVM…..Typical ages to wean are 10 – 12 weeks, with some weaning as early as 8 weeks

3) If they wean themselves before 8 weeks it’s ok?

Ken Brown Dvm……. it can be OK to wean early if they can support their own needs for growth and maintenance of body condition

4) What signs do I look for as weaning process has started ?

Dr.Sandra Baxendell ……when spending most of the day grazing or eating hay – varies from now to 10-12 weeks .

5) Do bottle babies need Vaccinations ?

Dr. Sandra Baxendell……Yes, need vaccinations for CD&T because tetanus is in the soil anywhere and enterotoxaemia bacteria can be in the gut of normal goats in low numbers. Vaccinate now and again in 4 weeks

Remember……

Ken Brown Dvm…..wean when they can support their own needs for energy and growth. some are early, some are later – no set time. Monitor to see if they are drinking water and maintaining weight.