# What animal can I get that will do this?



## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 6, 2012)

*What animal can I get that I can put in and keep with the goats that will eat all the "stick-ey" parts of the hay that the goats spill on the ground?



Thanks!*


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## GriffinRidgeFarm (May 6, 2012)

A pig maybe...


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## that's*satyrical (May 6, 2012)

My chickens don't eat the hay on the ground, but they do love to forage in it. They tend to find a lot of grubs that have made the mulch on the ground from the hay their home. I think they also like to try to find & eat any seeds left in the hay.


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## PattySh (May 8, 2012)

I gather the spilled hay from under the feeders when refilling them and give it to my pigs  for bedding/feed or  feed it to the cows. I sometimes use it for chicken nest boxes. I don't know of any animal you could house with the goats safely that would eat the spilled hay.


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## terri9630 (May 8, 2012)

I'd leave it for the goats to eat.  My horses will always pick the leaves out of the hay and leave the stems but they will eat the stems later.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 8, 2012)

*Mine refuse to eat the stems, they leave them all in the hay feeder and spilled all over the ground and then cry like they are STARVING.*


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## PattySh (May 9, 2012)

How true, my goats do the same. Goats are the fussiest animal I have ever owned! We would waste alot of hay if I didn't have other animals to give it to.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 9, 2012)

PattySh said:
			
		

> How true, my goats do the same. Goats are the fussiest animal I have ever owned! We would waste alot of hay if I didn't have other animals to give it to.


*
Which other animals do you give it to? Horses?

Ty!*


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## aggieterpkatie (May 9, 2012)

We use it for bedding or add it to the compost pile.  Let me know if you find an animal that likes stems.


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## 77Herford (May 9, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *Mine refuse to eat the stems, they leave them all in the hay feeder and spilled all over the ground and then cry like they are STARVING.*


Maybe not refilling it for a day and make them clean it up.  I'm not saying to starve them but a day or two won't overly hurt them.
Pigs might work, they aren't too picky when it comes to dinner.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 9, 2012)

77Herford said:
			
		

> WhiteMountainsRanch said:
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*
Will the pig eat it off the ground? A pig would be a good idea so we can have lots of bacon later down the line. 

Are pigs safe to be in with goats?*


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 9, 2012)

I leave mine. The chickens scratch through it, I even encourage it by throwing out a little cracked corn they must dig for. It keeps it turned and grass seeds picked out. Mine is outside in the weather, goats won't touch hay on the ground. I clean it up once a month and add it to my compost bin, around trees as mulch, in the aisles of my raised bed veggie garden to keep the grass down, and I add it around my plants in the raised beds as mulch. Lots of things to do with it, it just has to be managed somehow. 

Let it help you grow some veggies. I feed my cucumber peels, bird pecked tomatoes, mushy strawberries, asparagus stems and some weeds from my raised veggie beds to the goats. I planted them broccoli, turnips, and kale this winter and they loved the extra greens.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 9, 2012)

I take a pitch fork and scoop it up and stick it back in the hay rack. They will reach up for worse hay than they will pick up off the ground.  Once it's down, it's trash according to them.


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## SmallFarmGirl (May 9, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> Will the pig eat it off the ground? A pig would be a good idea so we can have lots of bacon later down the line.
> 
> Are pigs safe to be in with goats?[/b]


I put my leftover hay in the compost or if it's clean enough I'd put it in the nest boxes. 
I don't think goats and pigs should be around each other, but you could give the pigs hay in their own bed or trough.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 9, 2012)

Melissa'sDreamFarm said:
			
		

> I leave mine. The chickens scratch through it, I even encourage it by throwing out a little cracked corn they must dig for. It keeps it turned and grass seeds picked out. Mine is outside in the weather, goats won't touch hay on the ground. I clean it up once a month and add it to my compost bin, around trees as mulch, in the aisles of my raised bed veggie garden to keep the grass down, and I add it around my plants in the raised beds as mulch. Lots of things to do with it, it just has to be managed somehow.
> 
> Let it help you grow some veggies. I feed my cucumber peels, bird pecked tomatoes, mushy strawberries, asparagus stems and some weeds from my raised veggie beds to the goats. I planted them broccoli, turnips, and kale this winter and they loved the extra greens.


*
I do all these things you have suggested, but there is so much it is just unmanageable. I was raking it out of the pen every day, but I can't keep up. Now I throw it over the fence next to the compost pile and the hay pile is already to the top of my head and it's only been from a couple weeks!!! *


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## PattySh (May 9, 2012)

PattySh said:
			
		

> I gather the spilled hay from under the feeders when refilling them and give it to my pigs  for bedding/feed or  feed it to the cows. I sometimes use it for chicken nest boxes. I don't know of any animal you could house with the goats safely that would eat the spilled hay.


I also fed it to my horses when I had them. Seems like none as as fussy as the goats. I don't have a huge amount under the feeders but still hate to waste it.

If you are throwing that much away possibly you are feeding too much or the hay isn't the best quality? What type of hay feeders are you using?


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## elevan (May 9, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> Are pigs safe to be in with goats?[/b]


No.  Others may say yes and I know people who do it without problems but I've personally seen my fair share of horrors when it comes to pigs in with other animals.


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## PattySh (May 9, 2012)

I have several pigs and although next to my goats (they can see them), I would never house them together. Even the gentlest pig is unpredictable when hungry and goats tend to be afraid of pigs.  I had my sow  who is 3 and a very sweet pig, get loose in the barn this winter  and she got into the goat pen. She caused one of my goats to abort I am assuming from stress/fright and two yearlings got squished in the commotion when the adult goats all huddled scared in a corner. A very very sad day.It wasn't Charlotte's fault, we inadvertently left the stall latch undone after cleaning her pen and she was just curious.


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## Four Winds Ranch (May 10, 2012)

Lol! I know exactly what you mean, about leaving the stalks! I have sheep, and they absolutely refuse to eat any stalks!  After a few years I got tired of the build up and forked the sheeps left overs to the horses and they cleaned it up like anything!


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## 77Herford (May 10, 2012)

Thats it, you could get a mini cow or steer.  You could then get some beef at the end of the year or just have him or her as a pet.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 10, 2012)

If they are wasting THAT much hay you may be better off getting higher quality hay that is often more expensive per bale but they will waste a lot less so you spend less in the long run.   If they shred 1/2 of a $5 bale but eat almost all of a $7 or $8 bale then you are still ahead in cost for waste.


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## elevan (May 10, 2012)

SuburbanFarmChic said:
			
		

> If they are wasting THAT much hay you may be better off getting higher quality hay that is often more expensive per bale but they will waste a lot less so you spend less in the long run.   If they shred 1/2 of a $5 bale but eat almost all of a $7 or $8 bale then you are still ahead in cost for waste.


x2


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 10, 2012)

77Herford said:
			
		

> Thats it, you could get a mini cow or steer.  You could then get some beef at the end of the year or just have him or her as a pet.


*


"LIKE!"



Would a baby mini steer be safe to put in with the goats?*


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 10, 2012)

PattySh said:
			
		

> PattySh said:
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I'm sure the hay isn't the best quality but it's all we've got around here. I try to pick out the leafiest stuff, but there is still A LOT of sticks. All three feed stores around here get it all from the same place and one of the feed stores was telling me they save the "better" hay for the richer parts of town. 

I could be feeding too much, but since all my goats are new and stressed out from the new home/ moving I am trying to give them as much food as possible so they don't lose weight.

I use a 5' goat hay rack.





*


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 10, 2012)

SuburbanFarmChic said:
			
		

> If they are wasting THAT much hay you may be better off getting higher quality hay that is often more expensive per bale but they will waste a lot less so you spend less in the long run.   If they shred 1/2 of a $5 bale but eat almost all of a $7 or $8 bale then you are still ahead in cost for waste.


*
Around here there are only three types of hay; 4-Way, Alfalfa, and Bermuda. It's all $19.99 a bale and it all comes from the same place no matter which feed store I go to.

(I feed Alfalfa).*


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## 77Herford (May 10, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> 77Herford said:
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I don't see a problem with it.  Maybe just getting a weanling mini and it should clean up that hay just fine.  As for breeds, I don't know mini's well but I imagine just about any would do.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 10, 2012)

I would start looking for other sources of hay. Our TSC charges 18.99 for a square bale of alfalfa but the local farmers charge 4-8.00 depending on weight, cutting, etc.  Start talking to other farms about where they get their hay. At 20.00 a bale that's got to be killing you.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 10, 2012)

SuburbanFarmChic said:
			
		

> I would start looking for other sources of hay. Our TSC charges 18.99 for a square bale of alfalfa but the local farmers charge 4-8.00 depending on weight, cutting, etc.  Start talking to other farms about where they get their hay. At 20.00 a bale that's got to be killing you.


*
Yep sure is. It's $175 a month JUST IN HAY to feed 5 goats. 



I'm not sure where I would start to look for other sources of hay... The only farms are about 1.5 - 2 hours away, the gas I would think would outweigh the savings?*


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## redtailgal (May 10, 2012)

175$ a month?  

Talk to some farmers.  You can usually get a pretty good deal on hay from them, esp if you'll load your own square bales.

Some of that stuff on the ground in your pics is still good hay.  I scoop and put it back in the feeder at my place.

Is there any way that you could install a shelf of sorts on their feeder?  A shelf with raised edges could catch part of that dropped hay and keep it off the ground.

I'm a hard nosed snot.........when my guys start wasting hay like that, they just done get as much.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 11, 2012)

*It does have that bottom tray thing with about a 2" lip that catches a lot. How would I add a second one?*


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## SmallFarmGirl (May 11, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> 175$ a month?
> 
> Talk to some farmers.  You can usually get a pretty good deal on hay from them, esp if you'll load your own square bales..


I agree. $175 is way to much, I see your problem. I just found GREAT hay that goes $5 a bale.


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