# Are my Nigerian Dwarf doelings eating enough hay?



## makingshift (Dec 25, 2013)

My two little doelings are about 12 weeks old now. They seem to be growing and doing well. I feed them  a little sweet feed in the mornings and fill their manger with hay. They are getting coastal. They don't seem to love the hay but I do see them eating it. When I take them out of their pen and walk around with them (we've actually been walking them on leashes sometimes- don't laugh too hard) they act like they are STARVING. They gobble up every oak leaf in sight and browse on everything. I'm wondering if they aren't eating enough hay to keep them full. I've heard goats don't love coastal but we don't have orchard grass hay around here. Do they need alfalfa hay instead? 

It has taken almost 6 weeks to go through a two-string bale of hay but they waste a lot of it. 

Sorry for such a roundabout question! I'm just wondering if I need to change their feed regimen.


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## SheepGirl (Dec 25, 2013)

How much do they weigh? How much grain do you give them?


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## makingshift (Dec 25, 2013)

I haven't weighed them recently so I'll do that tomorrow and report back. I give them about half a cup each of the sweet feed.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 25, 2013)

You could put in a flake of alfalfa hay but goats love leaves so them gobbling them up isn't unusual. They will love the alfalfa!
Do you see them chewing cud?
This is important, it is a good visual... chewing cud then they are eating hay... no cud not eating.
The 1/2 cup of feed is plenty. Our adults get 1 cup daily (not a sweet feed though)

Any recent pics of the cuties? I am a confessed picture addict. Pics make me happy!


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## OneFineAcre (Dec 25, 2013)

I don't know the answer to if yours are eating enough or not.  But, I will comment about coastal.  That's what I feed mine, free choice.  Mine have always eat it just fine.  I keep alfalfa for my does in milk in the summer time, as a supplement to the coastal, and I have peanut hay now.  But even when I feed a little of the other types of hay, they still go back and eat the coastal.

The probably go crazy for the other things just because it's different.

They are probably fine, if you have hay for them all the time and they are eating it.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 25, 2013)

OneFineAcre said:


> I don't know the answer to if yours are eating enough or not.  But, I will comment about coastal.  That's what I feed mine, free choice.  Mine have always eat it just fine.  I keep alfalfa for my does in milk in the summer time, as a supplement to the coastal, and I have peanut hay now.  But even when I feed a little of the other types of hay, they still go back and eat the coastal.
> 
> The probably go crazy for the other things just because it's different.
> 
> They are probably fine, if you have hay for them all the time and they are eating it.



Mine like coastal too.


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## makingshift (Dec 25, 2013)

Let me ask you guys something else. What does your coastal look like? I keep reading that hay should be green but my coastal is yellow-brown. 

I do see them chewing their cuds so that is good. And I will take some new photos tomorrow!


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## OneFineAcre (Dec 26, 2013)

It's kind of yellowish too.  Coastal doesn't keep the green color very long after cutting and baling.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 26, 2013)

We recently got a blend of alfalfa and orchard. Goats loved it! 
You may  want to look on craigslist in your area and see if you can find different kinds of hay. Variety is nice. 
I am jealous of One Fines Peanut Hay!


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## jodief100 (Dec 26, 2013)

Gobbling up leaves and browse is what they do.  Even with the best hay, they still LOVE browse.   A goat should eat 4% of it's body weight in dry matter every day.  For 2, 15-20 lb goats, (I am guessing on weight due to age and breed), that equates to 1.2-1.6 lbs a day.  If your bales are like mine, around 30-40 lbs and you goats like mine, dump a quarter it on the ground, then one bale is 20-30 lbs of dry matter.   That is one bale for about 15-20 days.   Then they get sweet feed.  I don't know your feed but a half cup of mine is about 1/4 lb.  Plus the browse.  It sounds like they are eating just fine to me. 

Look at condition and if they are chewing cud.   That is the best indicator.  Are they loud and obnoxious?  That is a sign they are hungry (or spoiled).  If they are contented little goats, that are not bony and have fat rumens at the end of the day, they are just fine.

Post pictrues.  Then we can see if they are fat and happy goats.    Actually, I just want to see the cute little goats.


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## makingshift (Dec 27, 2013)

Here are their weights on three different days (today first):
Today (12/27/13), 12/2/13, 11/24/13
Kiki: 17.5 lbs, 16, 13.5
Clementine: 14.5 lbs, 12.5, 11.5

Yesterday I bought a bale of coastal and a bale of alfalfa and gave them both. They loved the alfalfa! I saw them eating the coastal, too. This bale of coastal was not as dried out and brown looking as the first bale. 
Here are some picture of them from this week.


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## Kitsara (Dec 27, 2013)

Absolutely adorable!


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## OneFineAcre (Dec 27, 2013)

They look good.  
And they are gaining weight.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 27, 2013)

They are so stinking cute!!!!!!!!!!!


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## makingshift (Dec 27, 2013)

They are really fat at the end of the day. I'm so not used to having ruminants! It's a whole different world from dogs, cats, chickens, and children! Heehee.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 27, 2013)

Somedays they are more enjoyable than all the others mentioned... well except maybe dogs.


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## jodief100 (Dec 28, 2013)

The look good are are adorable.  Fat at the end of the day is good.  It means they have full ruminens.


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