Weaning at 10 weeks

[deschutes dawn]

Anyone have suggestions on how to make sure my 3/4 saanen, 1/4 Kiko/Boer bred triplets continue to thrive? Their mama is close to refusing to let them suckle. I don't blame her, they are little monsters to her at their once a day feeding of milk. They have alfalfa and good grass hay 24/7 and eat their once a day grain like it's going out of style. They are getting about 3/4 cup each of Noble Goat, I believe is 16%, with BOSS and some oats. They are big strong youngsters and hearty eaters.
I just want to make sure all the bases are covered for them to achieve their potential.

[Charlie Horse]

I have several goats that were weened by 10 weeks no problem.

[Nanno]

I"ll bet they do just fine. I believe Cuzco was weaned at six weeks. I was told he was eight weeks and that that was old enough (I knew NOTHING about goats at the time) but after raising a few babies and looking back at my old photos I don't think there's any way he could have been eight weeks old. I never fed him much grain and no alfalfa--he just got pasture with my horses--and he ended up fine and healthy. I think he took longer to mature, but he's been phenomenally healthy his whole life. Not that I recommend doing that now that I know better, but it makes me less worried about doing everything perfectly when I know you can do it all "wrong" and still get a very large, healthy goat.

Lilly started weaning Finn at around 8 weeks. He's nearly 12 weeks now and she still lets him get snacks here and there, but I don't see much vigorous nursing any more, and it looks like she's starting to dry up a bit. I haven't let it bother me. He's a big, strapping young buckling and he doesn't look any worse for having his milk cut back. In fact, I worry that he's going to be fat soon if I don't curtail his eating habits a bit. I don't want him looking like Pac-Man! Thankfully I'll have the boys in their own pen in about a week and no one is getting anything but natural browse and some grain twice a day for the younger ones. Pac-Man hasn't had grain all summer but he still looks like a pig! I can't wait till I can get him off the girls' alfalfa because it's turning him into a waddling lard!

I'll bet those kids of yours won't have any problems getting weaned now. My doelings last year weren't weaned until they were 4-5 months and it made them very large, but these boys are way bigger than the girls and they're obnoxious and raunchy and they have horns. No wonder their mothers want them gone as soon as possible!

[deschutes dawn]

My adult packers are fatty lumpkins too and they are on grass hay and occasional browse. It's been too hot to do any hiking and when I'm off work there's been T-storms in the evenings or super forest fire smokey. I want to get the young ones out to the irrigation ditches for some water training and haven't got that done. Now with weaning I'll be milking again. In a couple weeks the twins will be on once a day milk feedings too, then archery season starts. So glad I can safely wean the trips. Certainly will take some time pressure off.

Thanks for the advice!

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

10 weeks is close enough if they look like they are ready. Here we aim for the typical 12 weeks but if the babies dont look the size, then we will go longer. Currently all the doe kids are still getting once a day milk. But thats strictly cause we havent totally dried up the girls yet and need an outlet for the milk. They are coming up on 6 months old!