# Goat baby wont drink from a bucket! Help!



## AlannaTiernan (May 16, 2011)

I have a 10 week old toggenberg kid that has been on the bottle now since we got her at 3 days old. So far we've weaned her down to two bottles a day. (She started with 4 a day, then 3, now 2 bottles...next week it's down to 1). She's *finally* eating hay, but she will not drink water out of a bucket to save her life! :facepalm:

We've started putting her milk in a bucket to try and teach her how to drink and transition her off the bottle, but nothing works! So far we've tried adding a little molasses to sweeten it up, even tried dipping our fingers in the milk getting her to suck. But as soon as she realizes she's not getting the bottle she becomes stubborn as all get out. Even if we push her nose down to touch the milk, she's so stubborn she wont even lick it off her lips. 

We need to have her integrated into the herd in the next 2 weeks. Getting way to big to be in the house still, but I can't see putting her out when I know she wont drink. Any suggestions?? Never had this problem before and I'm at the end of my rope! :shrug:


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

I hope you won't be putting this little one in with full grown goats in a week or 2 ?? Without it's Momma it will get pushed around badly..possible injury ?? I would take to barn in it's own little corner of a pen..with a heat lamp during the night and allow her out with others only...and only under your watchful eyes. do you have any other kids to put this goat in with or very young and small older ones..On a one to one basis ?? Why can't you still give the kid 2 bottles a day with an added bottle of warm water after each milk bottle feeding while the kid is in the barn. I suppose I baby my kids for way too long..When and if I take them from their Momma's ...I give a bottle a few times a day..to keep them social. When I have totally bottle fed any kids for one reason or another. I never was in a hurry to get them off of a bottle. If keeping the milk is your need..mix half milk half water for a while in the bottle or cows milk would work just fine too. I wish you luck with your little one...


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## Clovers_Clan (Jul 17, 2012)

The idea is foreign to her because she needs to be around other goats to learn to be a goat. baby goats learn how to drink and what to eat by watching other goats. Do you have a separate area in the barn to house her where she can watch the other goats? I agree with Helena, she can't just move in with them without close supervision.


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## AlannaTiernan (May 16, 2011)

Thank you for the responses. Helena, no I do not just toss my kids out with the adults and let them fend for themselves. When they go outside, we are with them during the day as they are introduced into the herd. Then they come back inside or into a pen in the barn at night.

We had purchased this girl from a breeder and have had her since she was 3 days old. During that time she has been inside where she gets constant attention. My husband is retired, I'm a stay at home mom, and all we do is work this homestead so there is never a time when the animals are not with someone around.

She has been getting her bottles regularly, and yes we've resorted to having to give extra bottles of warm water just so she has something to drink. When we first got her she was in the house by herself, however she has been sharing her box with an Icelandic ram who is now 4 weeks old.

The lamb drinks from a bottle, a bucket, eats hay... no problem. She sees him doing this, we entice her to do the same but she flat out refuses. We've tried the finger in the mouth, adding sweet stuff to the water and milk.. but to no avail. She will eat hay and take anything from a bottle, but the bucket is a no go. Anyone have a suggestion to help get her to use the bucket?


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## mrstillery09 (Jul 12, 2012)

Our first bottle babies were the same. They hated drinking out of anything but a bottle. I gave them some bottles of water, but seemed to be counter productive. Eventually I just gave them their milk in bottles and had a water bucket avaliable. Eventually, when they got thirsty enough, they used it. Just what worked for me, having her alone with big gals would concern me in that they may bully her from the water areas though. They can be so mean!


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## AlannaTiernan (May 16, 2011)

Mrstillery09, I agree water in the bottles tends to be a bit counter productive. We do leave water in the box with the lamb and kid at all times. We've just never had this problem before and we've raised many kids. She's just so stubborn. 

But just to clarify again, we do not just toss kids out with the adults. This kid is currently 10 weeks old and will be bottle fed till she is 12 weeks old, which in the dairy world is way longer than most kids get. But I don't feel right taking them off a bottle sooner than that. We are not worried about feeding, as we never ever use mix. That stuff is death in a bottle for all I'm concerned. We use raw jersey milk and have had excellent results. Never lost a kid on milk, they're always fat and healthy.

She does need to be moved outside however. A 12 week old kid is too old to have inside the house. So at that time we move kids outside into an individual pen. Outside time with adults is always supervised.


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## lovinglife (Jul 31, 2013)

I don't recommend giving water from a bottle. She will drink if she gets thirsty. Water in a bottle is actually harmful to them, goes into the wrong stomach.


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

If you can move her out of the house and into a pen (during the day) where she can see other goats and you can have her situated in a place where she is near the bucket/waterer the adults drink out of, she'll probably see and learn safely. 
Maybe I'm not understanding the outdoor plan (but I get you're not throwing her into the herd unprotected), but if she is introduced outdoors and always 'under the wing' of a human, she will likely struggle to get the hang of being a goat. 
Is it possible she can have a separate temporary pen where she can share a fence wall with the rest of the herd outside, but be safe on her own or with her Momma for a period of time until she can safely be integrated into the herd?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

She's not drinking water because she's getting milk. How much milk are you offering? Increasing her solid food and salt intake will drive water consumption. So long as she knows where the water is, and she's thirsty, she will drink just fine I bet.


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