My experience with hand feeding older kits

[Marinea]

First time doe had a litter of six. All is going well, then she injured herself. I kept an eye on her, but did not realize she had stopped nursing her kits until I weighed them at three weeks. She had apparently stopped a few days before, and all of the kits had lost weight from their two week weights. Yikes!

So, on to the bottle feeding. I moved the kits inside, letting mom recover on her own. I used the powdered goat milk/corn syrup/egg recipe. As the kits had also had available pellets, hay and oats, I kept those available as well. I bottle fed twice a day.

Results: a 31% weight gain from week 3 to week 4, and a 42% gain from week 4 to week 5. No diarhea, no bloat. I also gave some parlsey and some greens without issue. I am very pleased, and will be moving the kits back outside tomorrow.

Some thoughts:
- none of the kits had issues adjusting to the hand feeding. I started with a syringe and switched to a kitten bottle.
- it was messier than I anticipated. A lap towel was needed.
- I was surprised at how much hay they munched on.

I am lucky that I haven't had to do this from day 1, but it is nice to know it can work later on. I was worried about GI issues, but didn't have any problems. The kits are still a bit smaller than my mom raised litters, but gaining fast and doing well.

 

[Nymphadora]

Thanks for sharing, Marinea!

The hay-munching surprised me too, but I think that must be what’s saved one of the 2-week old babies I’ve got right now… because it’s finally starting to look better, even though I know it was getting out-competed (is that a word? Daylight savings and work are scrambling my brains today) by its siblings at the milk bar. This poor kit was so skinny in the first week that I was getting mom out twice a day for separate feedings with him and two others… and we lost one. But this last week he’s been catching up, and I’ve seen him nibbling the hay in the next box!

I’ll bet you’re glad they’re going back out soon, but congratulations for getting them through this so well! And I’m glad you shared, because I might not have thought to try hand-feeding older kits to supplement if mama stopped too early.

 

[Zass]

I'm so glad it worked for you!!
Miss M's special bunny formula recipe has saved a few for me as well.

I used to recommend it on FB, but I would get drowned out by people insisting that KMR was the only way to go.

Was it Homer who suggested the addition of powdered goat colostrum for newborn kits?

 

[Marinea]

I think it was Homer.

He also recommended adding a probiotic, which I didn't use in my case as the kits had had two weeks nursing on mom. I would definitely add it otherwise.