When Mothers Milk is not available, most Veterinarians recommend Goat’s Milk as their go-to top choice alternative for most infant animals’ diets because it is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is jam packed with extra vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
Since a infant animals digestive system in its beginning stages are very delicate, they will often develop an immediate lactose intolerance from being bottle fed with cow-based dairy products. Goat’s Milk is well known for its ease for digestion and is highly adaptable to a wide range of milk-drinking mammals..
Due to its high nutritional and probiotic composition, Goat Milk is also being used as a medicinal immune system boosting aid when treating sick mammals or those who may be recovering from surgeries or bacterial issues
Is It Safe To Give Cats and Dogs Goat’s Milk?
Yes! In fact, Goat’s milk has been described as the new ‘superfood’ for cats and dogs as it’s jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients and more easily digestible than cow’s milk. Your pet will particularly profit from consuming Goat’s Milk if they have built up an intolerance to lactose or are experiencing frequent digestive issues or diarrhea as they grow older.
Is Goat Milk More Beneficial To Feed My Pets ?
Yes! There are many advantages to using Goat’s Milk over cow’s milk as it is packed with Unique Nutritional Benefits and is often referred to as one of the most Completely
Natural and Sustainable food sources. Just ask your Vet !
Digestion – Goat’s Milk is very good for animals with digestive issues or IBD as it contains compounds which reduce intestinal inflammation. It is much easier to consume than cow’s milk, because the smaller fat globules in goat’s milk, coupled with a higher concentration of small and medium chain fatty acids, mean it can be digested in less than 20 minutes.
Prebiotics – Raw Goat’s Milk naturally contains prebiotic carbohydrates which nourish beneficial gut bacteria. This helps to improve intestinal conditions in animals.
Easier to tolerate – goat’s milk is anti-mucous and anti-inflammatory, making it less allergenic than cow’s milk. Since most dogs and cats haven’t had goat’s milk before, food sensitivities and intolerances are far less likely to occur.
Nutritional value – goat’s milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, and proteins. It boosts the absorption of minerals, and is a good source of vitamins A and D, triglycerides and fatty acids. It also contains high amounts of selenium and zinc, which are very beneficial to the nervous system.
Good for diabetes – goat’s milk is high in fat and low in sugar and is therefore very effective at regulating and managing diabetes. It also contains alkaline-rich potassium, which helps supports the body’s pH balance.
Natural immune booster – goat’s milk is full of natural immune-boosting properties which makes it a great support for helping malnourished pets, or animals suffering from anemia, kidney, GI, or liver disease.
Can a Recovering Mammal Benefit from Goat Colostrum / Milk?
Absolutely ! Colostrum is the early milk ( first few days ) produced by all Milk Producing Mammal Mothers, ( including Humans ) and is referred by many as " liquid gold ".
Offering Goat Colostrum Milk ( or even Goat Milk ) to a sick or young animal can be a life changer and increase the success rate of their survival and healing Immensely. A Mothers Colostrum Milk contains high amounts of nutrients to boost their immune system and gives their young a great fighting head start.
Always Consult Your Vet when your animal is under their medical care.
Can I Feed My Young Calf Goat’s Milk?
NOTE: a Newborn Calf will require colostrum to boost its immunity and protect against disease. If this cannot be accessed directly from the Mother Cow, you can use a Goat’s Colostrum Milk as an effective substitute milk replacer. The Calf can then be raised on goat’s milk
Yes ! Young Calves can comfortably be raised on Goat’s Milk since the Nutritional Composition of Cow’s milk and Goat’s milk is not that different. The Calf will actually digest the Goat Milk quite easily, and will Benefit Greatly from the minerals and nutrients in the Goats Milk.
Some farmers and vets suggest diluting the goat’s milk before feeding it to calves due to its slightly higher fat content. The suggested dilution is 20%, or four parts milk to one part water, but this is only a general guideline and some believe it’s not necessary.
At our farm, we have not diluted our Bottle Fed Calves Goat Milk Bottles with Water, but we have added Vitamin D Whole Milk ( Store bought ) when needed -to fulfill the hunger of the growing calf at weaning time. We have had great success with this at weaning age.
Can My Calf Feed Directly From the Goat?
Your Calf can feed direct from the Mother Goat, but most farmers ( including me ) suggest bottle-feeding your baby Calf at first to get them started. ( Goat Milk in the Calf's bottle )
One thing to bear in mind -- if your calf is nursing directly from the lactating doe --
make sure the doe is positioned on higher ground in order to enable the young calf to comfortably suckle. If an orphaned calf is feeding directly from the doe, the doe will often end up adopting it as its own.
Can A Lamb Drink Goat’s Milk?
Yes ! Goat’s milk can be safely fed to orphaned lambs.
Many farmers with milking goats
will freeze extra quantities of raw goat’s milk and keep a special stock in for lambing season. Lots of lambs are actually saved this way and thrive on the nutritional benefits of goat’s milk.
Can A Piglet Drink Goat’s Milk?
Like all young animals, a newborn Piglet will require colostrum to boost its immunity and protect against disease. If this cannot be accessed directly from the Sow, you can use a
Goat’s Colostrum as an effective substitute milk replacer. The Piglet can then be raised on Goat’s Milk. Piglets need to be bottle-fed, which they may resist at first, but will soon adopt.
You can also teach them to feed from a dish, but this method requires a lot of patience!
Some Other Animals that Drink Goat Milk:
( for your viewing enjoyment ! )
Goat’s Milk provides a Safe, Nutritional Alternative to cow’s milk, but if you’re unsure, do check with a vet or farmer before you proceed.
HISTORY -- Human Babies Drank Goat Milk
Human to animal breastfeeding has been practiced in some different cultures during various time periods.
Due to sanitation, Goat Milk was generally hand milked and placed in a clean bottle, but it was also very common to allow the infant to suckle directly from the cleaned teat of a lactating Goat Mother.
Some Farm Mothers fed raw Goats Milk for its natural immune boosting properties, while other Farm Mothers would pasteurize the milk before feeding. Today many Homesteading Families still use these practices.
Animals were used as substitute wet nurses for infants, particularly after the rise of syphilis increased the health risks of wet nursing.
Goats and donkeys were widely used to feed abandoned babies in foundling hospitals in 18th- and 19th-century Europe.
Many Mothers choose Goat Milk as a Formula Alternative when their child is Lactose Intolerant AND their Pediatrician sanctions this choice. Always consult your Medical Professional.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93animal_breastfeeding
Legal Disclaimer --- ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PEDIATRICIAN FOR HIS/HER ADVICE BEFORE CHOOSING GOAT MILK FOR YOUR HUMAN CHILDREN.
Resources
https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/sheep/goats-milk-for-orphan-lambs/
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/6-essentials-for-piglet-care-3/
https://americanminipigassociation.com/mini-pig-education/mini-pig-health-care/how-to-care-for-an-orphaned-piglet/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93animal_breastfeeding