# What's the best feed?



## Peeka52 (Jun 26, 2012)

Hey guys, this is kind of a simple question, but I was wondering what you Boer breeders out there feed your does. Feed? Hay? What do you consider to be the best feed? Thanks


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 27, 2012)

We are getting ready to change our feeding program, 
But I recommend medicated with rumensin 
atleast 16% protein
and 3.5 to 4.5% fat
Fiber will depend on how much you are already providing, somewhere between 12% and 16% fiber. 
make sure it has ammonia chloride in ingredients
and is all pelleted
We use a grass mix hay with timothy and orchard when there isn't enough pasture or in the winter,  We do put out alflalfa hay with the grass hay when the does are nursing their kids. We kid out in January and February to beat the heavy worm loads during the summer, so when our does kid out there is no pasture.  If a doe kids out in the summer they just get pasture and grain. We keep all our young goats on grain daily until they are 2 years of age. Older goats are pasture/hay only unless they are nursing their kids or are needing to put condition back on. we don't show our adults, if we did we would have to offer grain on a more regular basis. 

have out loose goat minerals all the time,  some good brands are Sweetlix or ultralyx for goats, or CArgill Right Now Onyx for cattle works well. 

Always make sure your feed and minerals has twice as much calcium as phosphorus, some feeds designed for dairy or lactating does will only have a 1:1 ratio and these are not designed to feed out your meat goats. 

ShowRite feeds are considered the top of the line, There is Duncan Showrites produced by Larry Duncan at Able Acres in Indiana and Glen Martin show-rite feeds.  We had the privilage to talk to Larry Duncan last summer and that was a wonderful trip for us to make. 
Kent is popular out West.
Some people in our area are recommending Showmaster by Purina
Another one recently recommended to me is Rowe Nutrition. they make an 18% and a 14% goat feed, the 18% is for show goats, 14% is more for production animals.

We have also been happy with protein block/tubs.  There is one that I recently read that people are recommending for pasturing your kids that are growing out and conatains Rumensin, We are using the 60lbs crystlyx tubs and hanging them from a chain from a tree so the kids can't stand on them, being under  a tree helps with the rain and the sun. We havn't had ours get soft and melt, but we haven't had a lot of weather above 90 yet. 

brands vary depending on what part of the country you are in. You  can search many of these brands on-line and veiw their labels.


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## Goatherd (Jun 27, 2012)

Oh, that it were that simple!  You have asked the sixty five thousand dollar question.

Depending upon where you live, what resources you have available to you and what you believe to be appropriate for you and your herd, will determine what you feed your goats.

If you want to see what members are feeding you might want to look at this thread... http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11677

This is what I chose to feed:  Grain ( 16% protein custom blended mix, twice daily, 365), second cut hay, alfalfa pellets, loose minerals, selenium block, ammonium chloride (for male goats).

Good luck.


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## Chris (Jun 27, 2012)

I agree with 20kids,

ShowRight feed by Hubbard is one of the best, there is a few people around here that uses Purina Honer Show Chow (it's more a Land-O-Lakes feed than Purina).

With that being said don't get Hubbard's "Tradition" goat feed or Purina's Noble goat feed thinking it is the same as there show feed but less money. You will not be happy and there "standard feed is very different from there show feeds.


Chris


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jun 27, 2012)

I love Bartlett feed. I like my goats to have 16-17% protein. Bartlett has 17%. Some say that goats can be fine all the way down to 12% but I doubt that. I would keep it up. Also just as 20kids said 12-16 fiber should be Ok. One of the great things about goats is, you are not feeding the goat, but the organisms inside of them. Goats can survive on almost any feed, but the will be better off if you keep them on 16-17% protein. You can also feed your goats cattle feed because it is very close to goats feed but cost less. Goats are very efficient in how much they eat. A goat wastes almost no food at all. This is due to their digestive system. Point is that you really could feed a wide verity of things. You don't even have to give them feed. As long as they have good hay and browse and they have alot of it then they could go without feed.


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## Renegade (Jun 27, 2012)

We feed show goats so we not only use alot of feed but we keep the protein high. You will need to figure out what is available in your area. We use ADM feeds. I really like the Show-Tec but in our area it's only available with Deccox so we switched to ADM Goat Power 18% w/alfalfa. It has Rumensin in it. Both of these feeds come in mini pellet form which the goats seem to love and the baby goats take to it much sooner then a bigger pellet. We also add Animax or Calf-Manna and Rice Bran pellets.
Last winter we tried Tucker Motivator but were unhappy with the results.

Donna


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