The left-arm bottle-feeding technique worked like a charm on Gabbi. I bought a regular baby bottle, and some whole cows milk, put Gabbi under my left arm, cupped her jaw, put a finger in her mouth, stuck the nipple in her mouth, and she caught on fairly quickly. Now she loves her bottle. Thanks for all the helpful advice.
SweetPea enjoys watching the 6 kids romp around and even gets in on some of the action. She is only 8 months old herself. I'll always feel terrible that she got impregnated so young. The buck covered her but I yanked him off in the same second he got on but apparently that second is all it took. And gosh, I wish these little Nigerian goats wouldn't come into heat so soon and so often but oh well, learned my lesson.
I bottle feed Gabbi and then put her back in the large stall with the 3 Mama's and the other 5 kids and she's content, learning how to play king-of-the-mountain. While I was taking the photo's, the other 2 mama's went out to pick in the pasture.
Gabbi on the left.
SweetPea likes to walk among the kids.
lets the other kids sniff of her
13 comments:
Beautiful babies!
Sweet Pea looks good for all she had to endure.
Don't beat yourself up over the accidental breeding. We have had it happen too. You learn and take the steps to never let it happen again.
You might consider adding a bit of liquid Poly Vi Sol baby vitamins to her bottles.
So glad you got the little one to take a bottle. I never use the goat nipples as I couldn't get the babies to take them. I use a regular baby bottle too. I do use goats milk instead of whole milk but only because I have so much of it. When someone purchases one of my baby goats they nurse with whole milk and do just fine. We just moved our baby buck up with the big boys and he is very unhappy. He wants back with the girls to play. LOL You are doing an awesome job with your goat family and can tell they are very loved.
Do you know the "milk trick"??
Milk out one of your other does, and feed that milk to Gabbi. Keep Gabbi with that does' kids. After a few days, she'll smell like them (not to you, but Mom). Mom's senses will take over, and she'll feed and protect her as if she had given birth to her. I've seen it take up to a week, but also be as short as two days. :)
I'm really enjoying your kid pictures.
Poor SweetPea - the stress of being an unplanned teenage mother. I'm really glad you've found a way to get Gabbi to take a bottle, but now I, the goatless city woman, worry about how SweetPea must feel with a full bag all the time!
The kids are all beautiful, and I know you enjoy watching and being with them.
My WV = poodable: sounds like something you do when you sit in the barn with the goats!!!
Nancy in Atlanta
A barn full of babies, what could be better? I'm glad you got the bottle worked out and that Sweet Pea is recovering. Does she have milk and would she let you milk her?
Aw, poor li'l Sweepee! I didn't realize she was so young. I can empathize with your guilty feelings, but goats will be goats, and you sure did the best you could. Who knew the little bugger was so potent??
At any rate, you're being a great maaa-ma to both of them now. I predict that Gabbi will become a very special character that you will never be able to forget!
Be still my heart. All those romping goats has an off the charts cute factor. So glad Gabbi got the knack of the bottle. And Sweet Pea is just a young lil' thing herself. Those crazy teenagers!
I'm so glad all is working out with Sweet Pea and Gabbi. Your a great surrogate goat Mama :)
Your babies are just so cute.....they grow up so darn fast.
Enjoy!
I've never bottlefed a little goat, but did have to feed calves and an orphaned foal. I taught them to drink from a pail by putting my hand in with 2 fingers sticking up out of the milk. They started sucking on my fingers and getting the milk at the same time. Only took a few times and they could sip it up without my fingers.
www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com
My goodness you are up to your elbows in kids! If I was there I'd sit right down in the middle of them and let them climb all over me. I LOVE playing with goat kids! Sweet Pea is so lucky to have you and Mike taking care of her. You two are fabulous people!!!
My goodness you are up to your elbows in kids! If I was there I'd sit right down in the middle of them and let them climb all over me. I LOVE playing with goat kids! Sweet Pea is so lucky to have you and Mike taking care of her. You two are fabulous people!!!
Awww....all the baby goaties. How do you get anything done all day? hehe!
It seems so long ago that we bottlefed our little Moon Pie Nigerian wether. sigh.
Those babies are so precious.
Poor Sweet Pea, she's barely more than a baby herself.
Can you milk her and give the milk to her Gabbi? Or milk her and keep it for yourself?
~Lisa
Oh, those are some cute babies!!! I'm so glad the bottle is working out. Enjoy :-)
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