Check my weaning plan (first time)

[mzgarden]

Ok, the continuing questions as we get through our first year with kids.
Kidded Feb 9, dam raised.  They are away from moms at night, we milk in the morning, then the kids run with moms until about 6pm.  In the night pen they have good quality hay, a bit of grower grain pellet feed and a dog dish of water. At least one is eating grain out of my hand now.  3 are bucklings that we'll be wethering at 7-8 weeks, one is a doeling we are keeping.

I'm planning to wean about April 16 which makes them about 10 weeks - would 9 weeks be pushing it?.  We've got a contract on two of the 3 boys for pick up the week of April 19, so they need to be fully weaned or I need to delay them leaving.  To wean, I plan to move the moms out of the barn and back out to their fenced pasture 100% of the time and keep the kids in the barn. 

1 - does that sound like a doable plan?
2 - how likely is it one might not adjust to being weaned and how would I know I need to put him back with Mom?
3 - how long does it take?  I'm only asking because I want to be confident they are successfully weaned and can leave the farm ready and healthy.

As always, thanks.

[shellymay]

mzgarden, As you know I don't do goats, but the sheep/lambs we wean at 8 weeks and that is normal, the lambs will have a creep feeder set up at around 4 weeks of age and will be learning to eat grains
and minerals, they will already know how to eat grass and hays from being with moms....Your plan seems okay but I don't like the kids eating the grains and hay at NIGHT as most will sleep at night 
and I fear that they are not going to learn quick enough only feed solids at night, but maybe others will disagree? Having the kids OFF of doe's completely 2 weeks before they leave will be
a good amount of time to learn to be 100% off moms and eating on their own.... 

[shellymay]

@redfish, My animals always bed down to sleep at night, No one is up grazing as they bed down and dogs on duty to protect them from coyotes, this time of year a few are having lambs but other 
then that everyone beds down!

[Wendy]

I usually feed until they are 12 weeks if they are kids I am keeping. Otherwise, I wean at 8 weeks.

[mzgarden]

@redfish,shellymay,Wendy, Thanks for the ideas. I think we're on the right track. The pelleted feed we're putting in there is going down somewhat as they nibble on it over night. They are anxious to eat some when I sit in the pen in the mornings and play with them as well. They hay disappearing is harder to measure but I see them nibbling on hay throughout the day with moms. Not sure if I'll actually separate the kids and moms prior to the boys leaving or simply let it be part of that one transition - I'll see how things are going. The doeling will stay with moms, even if I do separate the boys to wean. I'll be banding them in the next couple weeks to make sure we have 2-3 weeks post-banding before they leave, just so I can make sure they're healing without issues.

Some day I hope I can help someone new to goats like you all help us - much appreciated!