# Goats and Peanut Butter (update)



## Bring

Original post : Can you feed pygmy or anyother breed of goats peanut butter?  I can't find any treat that my girls like.  One day I made my boys lunch and in a hurry wiped my hands on my pants.  I went out to visit with my goats and they were licking the peanut butter off my pants.  I was wondering if I could coat some carrots or apples or whatever with it and get them to eat it.  Is it safe?

Update:  I was just reading that some people give calf manna to their skinny goats!  Do you think this will help fatten up my doe who got skinny this winter?  She gave birth to a doeling a year and 2 months ago and she is still nursing!! (she's been a great mama).  I don't want to seperate them because they are the only goats I have, therfore they are their herd.  They freak out whenever they can't see/get to eachother.  That's why I was wondering about puting peanut butter on heathly snacks for the mama so she would eat them.


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## Ranch Girl

Goats can eat anything! Go for it!


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## cmjust0

Oooooooookay..  

Goats can't eat anything.  Indeed, feeding a goat things it A) shouldn't really be eating and/or B) isn't accustomed to eating are actually really good ways to harm a goat.

So, before you go feeding peanut butter, lemme just ask...do they need treats badly enough that you have to go hunt them up something, or is this just something you _want_ to do?

FWIW...in my experience, a handful of their regular grain makes a dandy treat.


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## helmstead

Goat do fabulously on peanut HAY...never tried butter on them, though.

Mine love animal crackers, frosted mini wheats, cherios...and of course fresh veggies cut into pieces.


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## Ranch Girl

When we had our 14 goats, they loved just about anything! crackers, pop sickles, once I left a bunch of paper in their pen, and I came back and ... it was GONE!!!! They loved eating my cloths, too!


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## freemotion

I've given my goaties the occasional peanut.  They are easy to put in your pocket, nice and dry.  I am inclined to give healthy foods as treats....no cookies, white bread, etc. 

Ooops, I have to admit, I give peppermints after shots or unpleasant procedures....but not as everyday treats.


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## Bring

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Ooooooookay..
> 
> So, before you go feeding peanut butter, lemme just ask...do they need treats badly enough that you have to go hunt them up something, or is this just something you _want_ to do?
> 
> FWIW...in my experience, a handful of their regular grain makes a dandy treat.


The mama goat is of unknown age. I got her just over a year ago.  She had a baby three months after I got her who turned 1 year on Dec. 29th.  The mama is still nursing!!!  I don't want to seperate them because they are the only goats I have and they have a HUGE fit when they can't see/get to eachother.  The mama is looking kinda skinny to me.  They free feed on alfalfa and I give oats. I just was wondering if she would take veggies or apples if it would help fatten her back up. She's lost weight this winter. Baby looks good though.  If i give the baby oats too will she get kidney stones?


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## aggieterpkatie

I'd be worried about peanutbutter because it's thick and some animals have a hard time getting out of their throat.  Imagine having a mouthfull of peanutbutter and not being able to get it out of your mouth.


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## aggieterpkatie

Bring said:
			
		

> cmjust0 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ooooooookay..
> 
> So, before you go feeding peanut butter, lemme just ask...do they need treats badly enough that you have to go hunt them up something, or is this just something you _want_ to do?
> 
> FWIW...in my experience, a handful of their regular grain makes a dandy treat.
> 
> 
> 
> The mama goat is of unknown age. I got her just over a year ago.  She had a baby three months after I got her who turned 1 year on Dec. 29th.  The mama is still nursing!!!  I don't want to seperate them because they are the only goats I have and they have a HUGE fit when they can't see/get to eachother.  The mama is looking kinda skinny to me.  They free feed on alfalfa and I give oats. I just was wondering if she would take veggies or apples if it would help fatten her back up. She's lost weight this winter. Baby looks good though.  If i give the baby oats too will she get kidney stones?
Click to expand...

IMO, you really need to find a way to separate them so the adult "kid" finally gets weaned.  No wonder momma is skinny.


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## helmstead

The kid will wean eventually, sounds to me like you need to increase the feed here, not worry about treats.  Lactating does require additional nutrition, and might loose a little condition, but should not get thin.


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## ()relics

Bring said:
			
		

> Update:  I was just reading that some people give calf manna to their skinny goats!  Do you think this will help fatten up my doe who got skinny this winter?  She gave birth to a doeling a year and 2 months ago and she is still nursing!! (she's been a great mama).  I don't want to seperate them because they are the only goats I have, therfore they are their herd.  They freak out whenever they can't see/get to eachother.  That's why I was wondering about puting peanut butter on heathly snacks for the mama so she would eat them.


I'm with Helmstead...You need a balanced diet for any goat that contains enough protein and fat to maintain body condition.  A lactating doe requires alot more to keep her in shape.  I would think it better to be feeding a good ration and not worry about "treats"...Can you add calf manna? Probably, but you can overdo anything...I would add it very slowly to your exsisting ration to give her rumen a chance to "get aquainted to it"...I begin to add BOSS to all my lactating does diet as soon as they kid, I would rather top dress with Fast Fat,ADM,but that would be too expensive.  I have found that adding an extra fat source from the onset of lactation will make it easier to keep a doe in prime shape.


> Goats can eat anything! Go for it!





> When we had our 14 goats, they loved just about anything! crackers, pop sickles, once I left a bunch of paper in their pen, and I came back and ... it was GONE!!!! They loved eating my cloths, too!


Sure your goat/horse/dog/whatever will eat almost anything...BUT that doesn't mean it will benefit them to eat  it..Do you think, if allowed, to your horse/goat would eat enough to founder?  Would your dog eat the dead possum on the road in front of your house?  The object of responsible breeders/ranchers is to feed our animals what they need to thrive...No More...No Less...because all .....ALL animals are like a kid with an Easter basket filled with chocolate eggs...Eat until they are sick...JMO


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## cmjust0

helmstead said:
			
		

> The kid will wean eventually, sounds to me like you need to increase the feed here, not worry about treats.  Lactating does require additional nutrition, and might loose a little condition, but should not get thin.


I agree..  This isn't a "treat" situation -- it's a supplemental feed situation.


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## aggieterpkatie

helmstead said:
			
		

> The kid will wean eventually, sounds to me like you need to increase the feed here, not worry about treats.


It's a year old. If it were mine, and I saw it's draggin Momma down, I'd do something about it.


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## ksalvagno

If these are his only goats and he doesn't plan to breed, does it really matter if the baby is still trying to nurse? At a year old, would mom even still be offering much milk? Wouldn't her milk production go down over time anyway? I understand the fact that if mom is on the thin side she needs to be beefed up and given more.

If you are just looking for treats, I'm not sure I would offer peanut butter. If I offer treats, I usually just give them a little calf manna. I have to admit that I"m not much of a treat person. All my animals including my dogs get very few treats.


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## cmjust0

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> If these are his only goats and he doesn't plan to breed, does it really matter if the baby is still trying to nurse? At a year old, would mom even still be offering much milk? Wouldn't her milk production go down over time anyway? I understand the fact that if mom is on the thin side she needs to be beefed up and given more.


To me, the fact that mama's thinning off is precisely why it _does_ matter that she's being nursed on by a 14 month old goat.  Even if I could bump mama's supplemental feed and fatten her back up so she could continue to nurse, it would _still_ matter to me because supplemental feed is expensive and has the potential to be troublesome to a goat's health -- especially as you have to feed more and more of it.

And, well...there's just no sense in a 14mo goat nursing its mama.  

Don't they make stuff you can tape over teats to prevent nursing?  That might work here, since it would allow mama and young'n to remain together while still weaning the young'n.


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## ksalvagno

They actually have a bra for alpacas and llamas to stop older crias from nursing. A girlfriend of mine used an old sheet because her alpaca was too fat for the bra straps. 

If you could come up with some type of contraption to cover the teats for a while, maybe that would help. Maybe add some good alfalfa hay if you don't have that already.


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## helmstead

Bring - yes, Calf Manna is perfect.  Our preggers and lactating does get 1/4 cup of it twice a day in addition to their increased ration.  We also use Calf Manna to condition our show string up during show season.  It brings out the shine and adds muscle mass quickly.


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## Bring

helmstead said:
			
		

> The kid will wean eventually, sounds to me like you need to increase the feed here, not worry about treats.  Lactating does require additional nutrition, and might loose a little condition, but should not get thin.


They free feed on alfalfa. Covering her utters is a good idea. I will try it.  She doesn't allow the baby to nurse long, but she's always been that way. The baby would only nurse for a minute switching utters.  Mama will kick her off when she's tired of nursing her.  I'll do the cover the utter thing and see if it helps bring mama back up to condition.  NO, I don't plan on breeding them, some one had asked.


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