My favorite doe Marmalade came to me post freshening 3 or so days with barely enough milk to feed her single (fairly large) buck kid. Over the course of a few days she came in to milk really well and it was never an issue.
Fast forward to this kidding season. Molly, my 1 year old first freshener, has one single doe kid with an udder that barely looks like an udder. Fawn barely seemed to be getting enough and I was in a bit of a dilemma. Do I give her a bottle and take her away from Molly for good? Completely, more than likely, destroying any chance she may be dam raised? While I can't say for sure a kid would be confused by both a man made nipple and a dam's teat if I were to try to just supplement her, I didn't want to take that chance. I also didn't want to raise her on the bottle as a single doe kid because at some point I'd have to reintroduce her to the herd and it's important to me that a kid has a mama to "protect" them and teach them.
Last night while I had FD on the stand with her grain, Molly wasn't paying too much attention to little Fawn so I scooped her up and was going to cuddle her while FD finished up. I wondered if Fawn would nurse from FD. With a little bit of force feeding, so to speak. SHE DID. Fawn nursed from FD and FD let her! I doubt under any other circumstances (i.e. being out in the pasture or pen) that FD would allow such a thing, but being in the confinement of the stand while somewhat preoccupied she didn't mind a bit. Er, at least didn't appear to mind.
FD's kids are nearly 7 weeks old. They are locked up at night away from FD and during the day they pretty much suck her dry so FD had little to spare for little Fawn so I brought Granite back in who has enough to spare for a small army...a little forcing on my part upon Fawn and she sucked and sucked and sucked for what seems like ever! I could almost hear her saying "JACKPOT!".
It was amazing, truly. I was in awe sitting there watching this baby who did not belong to either of these does eat like she hasn't eaten before. I cannot tell you how good I felt about this.
I figure that if she can take all Molly has throughout the day and gets 2 good meals in the morning and evening, everything should be alright! She didn't seem to be confused by all the different sized and shaped teats and while this may prove (or may not) that she probably wouldn't have a problem with both man made nipple and teat, this way seems so much more natural, and something about it seems to satisfying. She can continue to stay on Molly, hopefully requiring more and more from her which I hope brings her into milk better, still be allowed to nurse from a real goat and not a bottle, and get just enough.
I'm posting this at the request of Jo. I didn't think that it was information worth sharing. Actually, I didn't give it a second thought. It is extra work, I admit that. Perhaps not as much as bottle feeding, perhaps more. It would almost be easy to give in and bottle feed, or at least part of me feels that way. But part of me felt compelled to leave Fawn on Molly too. I know there is no better way to bring Molly into milk better if there is even the slightest possibility she will. I feel there is no better way to raise kids than on their dam and when it's not possible, hopefully supplementing from other does may be the answer.
Don't get me wrong, I am not totally opposed to bottle feeding so much that I would allow a kid to starve and I am not so stuck on dam raising that I wouldn't take on a bottle baby of my own. But, for now, a little bit from a few different does should be just enough to bring this baby up.
