# Baby Rice or Oat Cereal To Stretch Goat Milk For Bottle-Fed Kids?



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

How can I stretch the goat milk I have to bottle-feed the kids I have?
Is whole cow's milk the only other option? Or adding water to stretch it?
Someone suggested to me, would adding baby rice or oat cereal to the goat milk be okay?

Right now, I only have one doe in milk, and I'm using all of her milk to bottle-feed three kids (tomorrow, it'll be four kids, since I"ll be buying a bottle-baby)

The kids' ages are:
1 kid is 2 months old
3 kids are 1.5 months old.

I'm giving them all the alfalfa they want, but the milk is still not enough.
I really don't want to wean them yet...
Should I start giving the oldest grain? How much?

Any other ways I can stretch the goat milk?


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## Theresa (Oct 26, 2007)

I think the only thing I would add would be cows milk. They need the milk to grow. If you dilute it with water then they are not getting the nutrients they need to grow. And I would not add cereal either. If you don't have enough milk, then your only options are to either buy milk, and kids grow great on store bought milk, or sell some babies so you have enough for the ones you want to keep.
Theresa


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Milk is milk and nothing can really replace it. Get store bought milk, sometimes you can get a good deal on some that is just going out of date or at places like Costco etc. 

Do not add water to the milk, it will cause the milk to not curdle so will take away from, not add to the milk. 

Yes, get them on grain to get their rumens developing, but it does not replace milk. They need it until they are 3 months. 

A another option, you might stretch their milk with milk replacer. I would never feed it straight but in addition to milk might be OK but not optimal IMO.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I stretch goat milk with kid milk replacer. Have done it for years with no problems. The most I have used is a 50/50 mix. Land of Lakes, Purina and Dumor from Tractor Supply have all done well for me.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

I mix the kid milk replacer (Sav-A-Kid) 50/50 with goat milk and they grow like little weeds on it. Never had a problem with them drinking it and they big healthy kids.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Are these kids all does you want to breed this fall? If the oldest is a buck kid, at 8 weeks, he can certainly be limit-fed. One quart, twice a day should be plenty. Most definately, they should all be offered grain. I offer grain free choice from birth or shortly thereafter. They do not begin eating it in earnest until around 8 weeks. Hay too, of course, and water for older kids. Seperate buck kids from doe kids to make sure the bucks are not hogging all the milk. Mixing in store cow milk or replacer has worked just fine for us. I've never used replacer by itself, but I usually keep it on hand to mix with goats milk if I need milk for customers and don't have enough. Cows milk is even better, but for occasional use, I like having something on hand I don't have to go out and get. For long term, I'd use the cow milk.


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

I would keep as many kids as you have goat milk for on straight goat milk all the time (NEVER add water!!!!), and put the other(s) on either cow milk or a good calf milk replacer. Do not switch from one product to the other, that makes it very challenging to their digestive system. Me, I feed all my kids colostrum as many times as I can and as much as they want/I have on day 1, then mom's milk 3x a day for two more days and then I switch them to a great calf milk replacer and never look back. My kids have never done as well as this year. With the milk replacer I have a consistent product every time I feed them and I think that's great for them. I have never been able to find a goat milk replacer good enough, but this Cargill Calf milk is great.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

When I'm short on goat milk, I mix it with store bought cow's milk. I trust that more than using replacer.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

goatkid said:


> When I'm short on goat milk, I mix it with store bought cow's milk. I trust that more than using replacer.


 :yeahthat

Although I have to say, it's interesting with the results that Marion and Sully get. I'd be tempted to at least mix it half and half.

Also agree with separating bucks from does, if possible, at least at feeding time. Even wethers. In my older kid pen, I have one wether (got to get him on Craig's List). He is a hogger. First one on the lambar and last one off. He is eating a good amount of hay and medicated feed. Hopefully he'll be gone this week.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

My boys are eating too much too. Fat little things. Next week they are in their own pen so my does can grow.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

The oldest kid is a doe, the rest are does, except for one of the 1.5 month olds.
I didn't really want to look into mixing milk replacer from TSC into the goat milk, for fear of scours (I've heard kids could get scours with milk replacer, if given too much, true?)
But since you all haven't had any problems, I would look into it.

I think I'll be giving the does I'm going to keep the goat milk, and the ones I"m going to sell, the cow milk....


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

No don't mix milk with milk replacer. It doesn't work. Pick one or the other, even though you could have 3 kids on milk and 3 on replacer, as long as they always get the same.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I know there have been a few people on here that mix them and do better than replacer alone.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I have never, not once, had any kind of digestive upset when switching occasionally to cows milk for a few feedings, even 100% cows milk when they had been on goats milk. And I've done it many, many times. Too many people have had scours issues and growth issues with all types of replacers for me to even attempt to use it full-time on any kids. It DOES work mixed half and half, even occasionally, much less likely to cause an upset than straight replacer. We used to raise calves on replacer and had friends recently who raised calves on replacer....with scours everywhere and a few deaths. My first choice to top off lambars if there is not enough goats milk to go around is cows milk. If you could get milk that has gone out of date that will save you money. I can't get it here.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Trysta said:


> No don't mix milk with milk replacer. It doesn't work. Pick one or the other, even though you could have 3 kids on milk and 3 on replacer, as long as they always get the same.


WHY??? I have mixed kid milk replacer for years when I am short of milk and have growthy, healthy kids. Have never lost one either. I have had kids on 100% goat milk scour so can't always blame that on milk replacer. Like I said, I have used Land of Lakes, Purina and Dumor from tractor supply. Always keep a bag or bucket in the freezer in case I need it.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Same here, I mix and sometimes even use straight kid milk replacer (must have a milk base to it) and have never had a case of scours.


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

:biggrin You know what, those of us who are happy with their system, probably should just stick with it! I have always learned that digesting replacer is different than digesting milk, and therefore not to mix. I also do not feed milk replacer or milk and electrolytes at the same time, but always two hours at least apart. Works for me, but if you have great results with other systems: keep it up!! One thing, though, I totally do not get the bad rep milk replacer has on this forum. I love the stuff, will choose it over whole milk always (except colostrum), and just don't get all the scours-on-replacer-stories. I use it all the time, it would greatly simplify life for those who are on CAE prevention, I don't see why it would have a bad name.

So Golden delta Alpines: pick what you like best from everybody's advise, find what works well for you, and stick with it! But please don't add water to your milk. It just looks like more milk that way, but it isn't!


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Thanks all! 
I'll just stick with giving goat milk to some kids, and cow milk to the other kids.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I used colostrum replacer this year and was quite pleased. I don't use milk replacer but I do switch back and forth between goat milk and cow milk and have had no problems at all.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

It is curious to me how/why some folks swear by replacer and other's have nightmare stories.

No one said "why" not to mix water, it will mess up how the milk coagulates in the stomach and it won't digest properly, that's why.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I have used replacer. I just think you have to know what you are doing with it. If fed too much, I've seen scours. I've never had a kid scour from too much milk. I have also used it to stretch milk, and that worked fine. I put ice cubes in my heat treated milk, must not be enough water to mess up digestion...


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

If what I have read before is right, each ice cube is one ounce. I cool my pasteurized milk by putting the pot in a sink full of cool water. You could put the ice cubes in there. Or, sometimes I will put some frozen soda bottles in the milk...that doesn't add any water.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Soap gals know this  2 milk ice cubes (the rectangle kind you make) equals 1 ounce


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

My gal is getting about 1/2 a c water from the ice cubes in a quart of milk. She is a beast, doing absolutely fabulous. I'm very thrilled with how she's growing out.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I bet your mini milk has higher solids than a full-size goat, so that probably helps.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

That could be. I would buy that.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Ok, figured out when I made cheese the other day I got a yield of 17-19%. I'd be more exact if I knew how much we ate


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

What are the minimum bottle amounts and feeding times I can feed the kids daily?

What's the earliest I can safely wean?
Kim Hull said she sometimes weans at 2 months, if they are eating well.

The DOBs for my kids are:
March 4- doeling
March 20- doeling and buckling
April 8- two doelings


~~~Also~~~
I have a lot of bags of frozen colostrum still stored in my freezer.
Can I use those to add to the kids' milk?
The colostrum I saved and froze are like from 4-7+ days after kidding, so it's already turning to regular milk. I just labeled them as colostrum so we won't drink it ourselves.
I just see a lot of goat milk/colostrum in the freezer and wonder if I can use that..


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

You can use the colostrum milk, but go easy or you will get loose stools. I always go at least 12 weeks. I've heard of weaning at 8 but I'm uncomfortable with that myself. I feed my Nubian a quart twice a day. I've been doing that since she was three weeks old. She's growing like a weed.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Are you keeping the buck for breeding? Maybe you could wean him that early if you are not...but I would not wean any doelings until at least 12 weeks. 4-7 days post kidding, there shouldn't be too much colostrum in it. I would think it'd be fine, especially if you are mixing it with other milk.


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

4-7 days after kidding really isn't colostrum anymore. Maybe a bit richer in nutrients than later lactation milk, but definitely not colostrum. I only use frozen day 1 colostrum as the real thing and day 2 in an emergency (if I'm low in day 1 and it's a buck or if I'm out of Day 1 Colostrum all together.)


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