Bringing Home a Bottle Baby

Shelter and Fencing

Goats need a draft-free shelter away from the elements. It does not have to be fancy; a large dog house works well. Ventilation is important for health. Fencing is also important as some goats can be escape artists. A fence where a goat cannot go under or jump over helps to keep them safe from predators such as dogs. Many goat owners like to provide toys for their goats to play on. We provide stumps and build structures for them to climb on. Pinterest has a lot of great ideas.

Bottle babies are small and may have a hard time keeping warm on their own if you live in a very cold area. Consider the outside temperature, especially at night. Baby goats should be kept in at least pairs so they have another kid to cuddle with to help keep warm. Deep straw bedding also helps kids to keep their temperature up. We sometimes use heat lamps. When using heat lamps, be cautious to avoid fire risk and be sure the kids have a place to get away from the heat lamp so they don't overheat. We like to use the Prima heat lamps from Premier One found here.

Feeding

Bottle feeding is a great way to bond with your baby goat. If your goat kid is less than 8 weeks old, they need to be drinking milk from a bottle. It is possible to overfeed your baby goat which is serious and can even lead to death so be sure to read your care packet sent home with you carefully. Along with milk, you'll need to offer your goat quality hay, mineral, and clean water. Be sure the water dish is shallow to prevent drowning. To prepare to bring your baby goat home, be sure you have the following items ready. Most of these things can be purchased from your local farm store or online.

• Graduated bottle with pritchard nipple

• Quick read thermometer

• Ingredients for milk mixture (if not using goat's milk): whole milk, evaporated milk, buttermilk

• Bottle brush

• Shallow water dish

• Grassy alfalfa hay

• Loose goat mineral