# What do you feed your dairy goats at milking time?



## autumnprairie (Jul 10, 2012)

I am new to milking and I think I am not feeding my dairy goats properly or maybe not enough 
I have been feeding them noble goat and alfalfa pellets and a little of chops too. any where from a half of a coffee can to a whole can when I milk. I am milking once a day. 
I have 6 I can milk but I don't want to get to over whelmed being so new to milking 
2 of them are Boers 
2 are Nubian /Alpine mix 
1 Alpine 
1 Nubian/ Saanen goats 
the dairy and one of the Boers are all FF

Could you tell  me how you are feeding your milking goats


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## chubbydog811 (Jul 10, 2012)

I feed Sweet Goat and 20% Dairy Goat Pellets. The does in milk get 4-8 cups of grain both times milking. It is completely up to them how much they want (usually stop around 6 cups). I feed half and half of both grains - more sweet to the skinnier does though. I also feed alfalfa pellets - 2 lbs a day per goat, free choice loose minerals, and free choice hay year round (they also have pasture).

If you get a dairy specific grain (the 20% Dairy goat has it), the bag tag actually tells you how many pounds of feed per day you should be feeding depending on how much they are producing. I have hard keeper Saanens, so I actually feed a notch up from what the bag says.


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## autumnprairie (Jul 10, 2012)

chubbydog811 said:
			
		

> I feed Sweet Goat and 20% Dairy Goat Pellets. The does in milk get 4-8 cups of grain both times milking. It is completely up to them how much they want (usually stop around 6 cups). I feed half and half of both grains - more sweet to the skinnier does though. I also feed alfalfa pellets - 2 lbs a day per goat, free choice loose minerals, and free choice hay year round (they also have pasture).
> 
> If you get a dairy specific grain (the 20% Dairy goat has it), the bag tag actually tells you how many pounds of feed per day you should be feeding depending on how much they are producing. I have hard keeper Saanens, so I actually feed a notch up from what the bag says.


my Saanen mix is the worst about not being heavy enough and looking boney all the time, I took her kid off of her and have started milking and giving grain again


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jul 11, 2012)

*Mine get;

Free feed alfalfa 24/7
About 1 coffee can of 16% dairy goat grain while on the stand twice a day (I would give a higher % protein but don't have it available here) Some eat it all some don't.
With 1 cup of BOSS on top.

And after they are done I give them one coffee can scoop of calf manna spread in their feeder for all to share.*


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## Roll farms (Jul 11, 2012)

Mine get their regular grain mix - goat chow sweet mixed w/ corn and sunflower seed.  They get as much as they can eat while I milk.  I don't measure it....

Boers and FFs will not produce like a 2nd or 3rd freshening dairy doe will.  And 1x a day milking will 'teach' them they don't need to make as much....

Are any of them also feeding kids?   If not, take the one who's making the most and experiment...start milking her 2x a day.  Let her eat that 2nd milking, too.  By the end of a week she should be upping her production.


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## lilhill (Jul 11, 2012)

I feed Purina Goat Chow mixed with alfalfa pellets and black oil sunflower seeds, all they want while on the milk stand.  I have order a few bags of ADM Alliance Nutrition Dairy Goat Power 16% feed to see how the girls do with that.


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## ksalvagno (Jul 11, 2012)

I feed ADM Alliance Dairy Goat Power 16%. I have added beet pulp pellets and a little calf manna since my Alpine mix is thin. My Nigerian gets 3 measuring cups of feed per milking and my Alpine mix gets 6 measuring cups per milking. They get alfalfa/grass mix hay all year round and have a very nice pasture to graze in.


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## Chris (Jul 11, 2012)

In the pen my milkers get one pound of feed per head, then in the stand they will get what they can eat when I'm milking which is about a pound or better.

Pen feed is a custom mix that is around 18% protein and consists of 
Cracked or rolled corn	
Rolled oats	
Soybean oil meal (44 percent)	
Beet or citrus pulp	
Molasses	
Trace mineral salt	
Dicalcium phosphate	
Magnesium oxide 

Stand feed is the mix above plus 
Honor Show Chow Champion Drive [it a 35% protein supplement]
Honor Show Chow Power Fuel [this is a high energy 31% fat supplement]

They also have full hay.


Chris


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## that's*satyrical (Jul 11, 2012)

I feed Resaca Sun Dairy Goat 16%, mixed with alfalfa pellets & BOSS while they're on the stand.


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## On Holiday Farm (Jul 7, 2014)

that's*satyrical said:


> I feed Resaca Sun Dairy Goat 16%, mixed with alfalfa pellets & BOSS while they're on the stand.


I know this is an old post but are you still feeding the Resaca Sun Feed to you diary goats? Just curious how that is working? I am looking at switching mine to their 16% Non GM Dairy Pellet.


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