# our goat and his new obsession with dog food



## camurphy11 (Jan 7, 2012)

our goat has been living in same area with dogs now for over a month, but just today he tried to eat their food.  Now every morning at feeding time he is acting nuts trying to get to their food. I am now feeding dogs in separate area. Is there anything else I can do to deter him from his new obsession?


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## ksalvagno (Jan 7, 2012)

Just keep him away from it. Now that he has had it, he will always be interested in getting to the dog food.


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## Queen Mum (Jan 8, 2012)

Nothing you can do to deter him.  Goats love the taste.  It's not good for them.  AND if they eat too much it can cause a VERY bad tummy ache.


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## elevan (Jan 8, 2012)

Problem is that most dog foods have the number one ingredient being CORN.  Corn is the yummy yummy candy for goats.  But that dog food is very bad for the goats.  Best thing you can do is just as you're doing and make sure that any food that doesn't get eaten gets picked up.


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## mek (Jan 8, 2012)

Its tempting to see the expression of the goats when you put in goat food in the dog bowl...


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Jan 8, 2012)

Kind of like the Doe Code, there needs to be a feeding code.  if they should not have it they definately want it.  

Chicken feed.  If mine get into the entry way of the barn, that is the first thing they go for is chicken feeders.  Empty or not, they have to make 100% sure there is not one drop.  And as we all know Chicken feed is bad, especially if they eat a lot of it.  I lost a Doe because she got into a bag of Chicken feed, blotted and died in a very short period of time.  By the time I got home, she was pretty much gone.


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## mkeawsh (Jan 10, 2012)

My Great Pyrenees is in the enclosure with the goats but my Buddy will growl and snap at them if they try to eat his food.
Also, you can mix - real well - a little canned dog food (not the chunky - the ground kind) in the dry food and that really turns the goats off from wanting to eat it.  I used to have to do that when the dog was a puppy and he was more focused on just playing than eating at meal time, so the goats would come to eat his when they were done with theirs and would turn away with the smell of the canned on it.


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## 2seth2 (Jan 10, 2012)




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## treeclimber233 (Jan 11, 2012)

I found that mixing an egg in the dry food really turns my goat off.  If she even sees me "mixing" his food she turns and goes the other way.  Pretty funny the first time I mixed egg in and she dove in to eat.  She had to try several "tastes" before she gave up.


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## mkeawsh (Jan 11, 2012)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> I found that mixing an egg in the dry food really turns my goat off.  If she even sees me "mixing" his food she turns and goes the other way.  Pretty funny the first time I mixed egg in and she dove in to eat.  She had to try several "tastes" before she gave up.


As a matter of fact, Buddy gets an egg straight from the chicken coop in his morning and night food.   You are right, the girls can't stand the smell of eggs.  My issue is going to be when we go camping this year.  I have to use the auto feeder and I can't put egg or canned food in it.  I guess Buddy is just going to have to be diligent protecting his food or eat it all at one time.  Those darn does are such pigs. LOL


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## treeclimber233 (Jan 24, 2012)

I wonder if mixing egg in the dry food and then spreading it around to dry will work.  I also go camping on the weekends and am thinking of trying this.


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## mkeawsh (Jan 24, 2012)

When I would mix the egg in, if Buddy did not eat it all at the same time, he was turned off with the egg dried on the food - it would stick together and Buddy did not want to have anything to do with it.  I had to mix a tiny bit of canned food to rehydrate the egg and unstick the food, then he would eat it.  I was thinking about mixing canned dog food on it real well and letting it dry for when we go camping.  Buddy gets aggressive (they are suppose to) with the girls if they get near his food and I am hoping that if I have to just resort to dry in the auto-feeder that he will be just as aggressive or he is going to be hungry for two, three or four days until we get home.  He'll probably start eating the girls food - serves them right.


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## treeclimber233 (Feb 2, 2012)

Once my guy gets full he will not guard his food.  I wonder if putting bacon grease on the food will work (mixing with water and poured on).  Got to find something that works before summer.  I don't want him to go without food--he might eat my goats......


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## mkeawsh (Feb 2, 2012)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> Once my guy gets full he will not guard his food.  I wonder if putting bacon grease on the food will work (mixing with water and poured on).  Got to find something that works before summer.  I don't want him to go without food--he might eat my goats......


Don't give him as much food and besides he will not starve himself and he won't eat your goats.  My GP does not eat that much.  You figure how large these dogs are they would eat a lot but they really don't.  Some days Buddy will only eat once in the day and other times, twice.


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## RamblingCowgirl (Feb 5, 2012)

I was told that feeding dogs raw eggs would kill off enzymes...

Around here the dogs try to get the goat feed  but they can't get to each others. I just plan to feed them away from each other.

You mite keep some raw hides/pig ears or bones for snacks...if the dog will eat them. We have a dog that only eats dry dog food or meat.


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## greenfamilyfarms (Feb 5, 2012)

We tried ours on raw egg mixed in with dry food, but our female GP figured out she could help herself to eggs from the coop as a result.


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## mkeawsh (Feb 6, 2012)

greenfamilyfarms said:
			
		

> We tried ours on raw egg mixed in with dry food, but our female GP figured out she could help herself to eggs from the coop as a result.


My GP would love to get into the eggs in the house but is too big to get into the coop or tractors.   He loved eggs before I ever gave him any and could smell one out that a hen would lay outside.

Does you GP's stay around.  My 10 mo. old leaves for hours.  He's not doing too good at guarding anything right now.  I was told he would mature and get better at it.


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## treeclimber233 (Feb 6, 2012)

you let your guard dog run loose?  Mine is penned with his goats.


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