Bonding goats dam raised and bottle babies

[Nanno]

One thing I "think" is that dam raised kids are just bigger and healthier than straight bottle raised kids. 

^ THIS! When it comes right down to it, humans just can't replicate a good natural feeding regimen. Moms feed their kids many times/day in small meals while we have to consolidate them into larger meals fewer times/day. We can't safely feed kids as much milk in 24 hours as a goat mom can. Dam-raised kids also start eating solid foods much earlier than bottle babies. Plus there's the social aspect that we just can't replicate. Kids love to snuggle up to each other, but they also love to snuggle up to their moms, and I can't help but believe that this "parent" factor and the safety, warmth, and security that comes with it contributes to a healthier, less stressed mental state. Less stress=healthier, more robust kids. Not only are they bigger, they're more resistant to things like coccidia, parasites, and digestive issues (which are common in bottle kids but rare in dam-raised). When I go to goat shows, I regularly get extra checks on my kids' date of birth because they are always substantially (and sometimes I mean substantially!) bigger than the others in their age division. Dairy kids are almost universally bottle raised. My junior kids are easily as large as intermediate kids, and sometimes as big as the senior kids!