# How, and how much do you feed your goats?



## BlueMoonFarms (Jul 27, 2012)

Ok, I have been getting bowled over as of late, and the baby's have been franticly trying to knock the food bucket out of my hand like they have been starved or something.
So, I upped there food and hay, there getting fed twice a day, and yet still they try and dive for it. There is a new game called knock sara on her butt and spill the food bucket everywhere...

So!
My question is how much do you feed your goats? and how are your feeders set up?

Ours have been wormed, and get two heaping cups of food each with two flakes of hay twice a day. There feeder's are in there hutch, not attached yet so when they are done they like to kick there buckets all over the place. We plan on fixing that tomorrow. 
I am really tired of having to hold the food bucket over my head and avoid being knocked on my butt.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 27, 2012)

We feed each goat from their own feeder attached to the wall in the barn.  There is a chain beside the feeder and they know where their space is and stand by it to get the chain attached to their collar.  I use the breakaway plastic chain collars from Hoeggers.  The heavy duty ones, very inexpensive.

We have full grown Nubians that get one cup 16% protein goat feed per feeding.  AM and PM.

Ours have plenty of pasture and brouse.  We do not feed hay in the summer. 

We use Manna Pro loose mineral free choice in the barn. 

We also have put a Goat-20 N protein tub in the barn, it has lasted for about 3 months for 18 goats.  It's a supplement.

Of course, plenty of FRESH WATER.  We have water to the barn, and DH installed an automatic waterer and it's wonderful.  Just pull the plug and clean out and turn on valve and refill.  We have it with a plastic hose attached to drain outside the barn onto a flower garden.

Good luck and enjoy your great looking goats!!

Yep, it is dangerous to go amongst goats with an open feed bucket.  You are inviting chaos!!


DonnaBelle


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jul 27, 2012)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> We feed each goat from their own feeder attached to the wall in the barn.  There is a chain beside the feeder and they know where their space is and stand by it to get the chain attached to their collar.  I use the breakaway plastic chain collars from Hoeggers.  The heavy duty ones, very inexpensive.
> 
> We have full grown Nubians that get one cup 16% protein goat feed per feeding.  AM and PM.
> 
> ...


Ok, I skipped ahead and bolted the feed buckets down and now we just need to make an over hang for them. There hutch did not have holes to put the food buckets into the wall, and to be honest it is hard to get into there hutch and feed them without getting stood on.
A little extra building wont be a big deal 
They all have breakaway collars, though im not sure if we would be able to chain them to anything? Then again I could look at it after we have the shelter built, we could use a railroad tie to hold the chain  that way maybe I would get knocked over lol.

And we were told to feed them hay every day so they would not get bloat on the pasture grass and brush?
We were also told to refill there water bucket every day to prevent bacteria.


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## Harbisgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> We feed each goat from their own feeder attached to the wall in the barn.  There is a chain beside the feeder and they know where their space is and stand by it to get the chain attached to their collar.  I use the breakaway plastic chain collars from Hoeggers.  The heavy duty ones, very inexpensive.
> 
> We have full grown Nubians that get one cup 16% protein goat feed per feeding.  AM and PM.
> 
> ...


I don't suppose you have a picture of that setup do you? I'm still in the planning phase of my goat venture. I've never had livestock before so I have a hard time picturing things but I like the way yours sounds


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 27, 2012)

Sorry for the quick answer but I have to go. Here's a link on how I feed mine and btw your La Manchas are sooo adorable!!

http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6788-feeding-goats


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jul 27, 2012)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> Sorry for the quick answer but I have to go. Here's a link on how I feed mine and btw your La Manchas are sooo adorable!!
> 
> http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6788-feeding-goats


Oh very cool thank you!  And thank you for the complement  There my little sweet hearts!


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 5, 2012)

I just wanted to let you all know that the feeding situation has been fixed! 
They no longer bowl me over and they now know how to wait!
Thank you for helping!!


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Aug 5, 2012)




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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

I honestly cant tell if im starving my goats, or if they are just spoiled? 
They get there two cups a day and hay now only when it is raining, but every time they finish they scream and search there buckets for more. I usually go over to the rassbery patch and give them a few handful's of berrys, and then maybe a tomato if I feel generous, and they scoff them right down! 
Little Annie is never interested in the berrys or tomato, but my boy Chooch LOVES them and devours them.
Do you think there just spoiled, or are they just really hungry?


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## ksalvagno (Aug 10, 2012)

Are they growing? Can you see their ribs? It really depends on if they are too thin or not. You have to adjust things as you see fit. If you feel they need more, then maybe increase the grain a little or give them more "grain" by increasing it with alfalfa pellets. Like give them their 2 cups of grain and another 1/2 cup of alfalfa pellets. Or just put out more hay. I am one who likes to give grain to growing kids but you do have to be careful just how much you give.


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## Chris (Aug 10, 2012)

BlueMoonFarms said:
			
		

> I honestly cant tell if im starving my goats, or if they are just spoiled?
> They get there two cups a day and hay now only when it is raining, but every time they finish they scream and search there buckets for more. I usually go over to the rassbery patch and give them a few handful's of berrys, and then maybe a tomato if I feel generous, and they scoff them right down!
> Little Annie is never interested in the berrys or tomato, but my boy Chooch LOVES them and devours them.
> Do you think there just spoiled, or are they just really hungry?


What does 2 cups of your feed weigh? 
It is had to judge a amount of feed by cups, you should be using weight of feed and not volume of feed. 

Chris


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> Are they growing? Can you see their ribs? It really depends on if they are too thin or not. You have to adjust things as you see fit. If you feel they need more, then maybe increase the grain a little or give them more "grain" by increasing it with alfalfa pellets. Like give them their 2 cups of grain and another 1/2 cup of alfalfa pellets. Or just put out more hay. I am one who likes to give grain to growing kids but you do have to be careful just how much you give.


Nope, no ribs or prominent hips, there still getting bigger and Chooch is getting rounder. Little Anne looks a bit on the leaner side but she never eats a lot. She prefers the wild rose bush.
Seven also looks leaner, but she always finishes Annies food.
I'll take pictures of them,


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

Ok, I just took pictures.
This is Little Annie: 





This is my boy Chooch




And this is Seven:





I have never heard of weighing the food? The cups I use are orange mugs, I just checked them with a kitchen measuring cup and they are the equivalent of four cups.  They each get one twice a day.
I'll dig out the scale and see how much the food weighs.
*edit* I also felt them over, and there is a nice covering over there ribs. I have to press to feel them individually. Thats a good thing right?


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## marlowmanor (Aug 10, 2012)

I'm no expert. But they look like happy, healthy goats to me!


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

marlowmanor said:
			
		

> I'm no expert. But they look like happy, healthy goats to me!


Oh phew....
I was very worried for a moment, thank you for the reply!


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## marlowmanor (Aug 10, 2012)

BlueMoonFarms said:
			
		

> marlowmanor said:
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I had a similar worry the other day. Except mine looked fat! I was worried I may be feeding them too much. I still have to get pictures of mine to get opinions.  I'm not as worried though, I think the one I was worried about just had a belly full of browse the day I noticed how fat she suddenly looked.


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## Chris (Aug 10, 2012)

BlueMoonFarms said:
			
		

> Ok, I just took pictures.
> I have never heard of weighing the food?


Everything that has to do with feeding livestock should be done by weight the reason is because different feed weight differently just like different grains weight differently. You and I both can be feeding a 16% feed but unless the ingredients are the same there will be some difference in weight. 

Chris


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## ksalvagno (Aug 10, 2012)

They look fine to me. You could probably even cut back a little on the grain. You definitely don't want them to get overweight.


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

Chris said:
			
		

> BlueMoonFarms said:
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Interesting. Thank you for that, that was a good lesson!


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## BlueMoonFarms (Aug 10, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> They look fine to me. You could probably even cut back a little on the grain. You definitely don't want them to get overweight.


Double phew...
There looking chubby then? Uh oh! No more treats for them hehe.


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## ksalvagno (Aug 10, 2012)

They aren't looking chubby, just right.


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## Chris (Aug 11, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> They aren't looking chubby, just right.


I agree, 


Chris


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