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hand rearing kits, cpl Q's

getlaced

Alpha Buck
im hand rearing 3 kits, (origional thread is in general chat) iv done it once before but i need to know a few things. i estimate their age to be between 2 and 3 weeks, what im wondering is if i can start them lapping from a shallow bowl yet? im told they were with their mother until 2 days ago so they have had the innitial gut bacteria etc but iv put pro biotic in the milk. i ask about the bowl as there not too happy about being fed my me and just seem to want to wriggle free, all but one who takes the whole lot! they have plenty hay and pellets and are warm, with a hot water bottle and a cooler area if they get too warm. thanks to anyone who can answer this :)
 
I hand reared a litter of 5 from the age of 2.5 weeks. I gave them Full Fat Goat's Milk+ a probiotic which they lapped from a bowl :)
 
i think iv sort of answered my own question! iv put a small water bottle on their box filled with goats milk and a little water (boiled and left to cool) and iv seen 2 of them drink from it whilst waiting to be fed or been put back after their feed so im pleased about that. how much were you giving them at each feed jane? these 3 have each had around 5 ml. thanks :)
 
Sounds like you're doing everything right :)

I've hand reared a few babies, and found it best to give them 3 or 4 feeds per day, and place a bowl full of milk in the cage in between feeds. Some babies are really keen to feed from a bowl, but others won't bother at all.

Also make sure everything is sterilized or thrown away between feeds, and all milk is discarded regularly...never re-heat milk. Babies of this age are so prone to digestive disorders that you really can't be too careful with hygiene.

Good luck :thumb:
 
thanks, i am using fresh milk with each feed and the drinking bottle will be emptied and washed out and refilled tonight before bed or once ite empty, whichever comes first! all i can hear is the sound of the bottle being drank from so there deffinately getting milk, i just hope its all 3 using it and not just the gutsy one! im going to get some piccys later on, i was also thinking of weighing them, iv got an old pair of kitchen scales somewhere, there not digital though but should give me an indication of how there going, how often do you think i should be weighing them?
 
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