# how much to feed



## marlowmanor (Oct 14, 2011)

We have a 10 week old pygmy/ND wether, and a 13 week old pygmy doe. They live in a 10x10 dog lot for now till we are able to fence in an area for them (which may not happen till spring). We are feeding Purina Noble Goat mixed with a little left over sweet feed, which we were feeding them when we first got them since it is what both were on at their previous owners. How much should they be getting daily? Usually they get about 2 cups a day put in a feeder that they share. They also have minerals and hay available at all times, though they aren't huge fans of the minerals. Is this the right amount or too much? I don't want them to get pudgy because I know it's not healthy for them.


----------



## Chaty (Oct 15, 2011)

I personally wouldnt feed the wether sweet feed as its high in molasses. Not good for a wether and will cause problems soon. If you are going to feed the wether feed him whole oats and alfalfa pellets or hay only. That is what I feed my wethers to keep down UC. My opeinion is sweet feed only will make them fat and its not good grain for them to begin with. Keep hay out for them as it keeps them warmer during the winter than grain. I only feed in the mornings and then mine eat hay the rest of the time unless they go for walks. Hay is so much better for them during the winter as it gives them the cud to chew to keep them warm.


----------



## marlowmanor (Oct 15, 2011)

They do have hay out for them 24/7. Most of their feed is the Noble Goat, it's only got a little of the sweet feed mixed in because they had to transition to the Noble Goat. They were both on sweet feed at previous owners so that was what they ate at first. When that started to run out we got a bag of Noble Goat and mixed what was left of the sweet feed with the Noble Goat so they wouldn't end up with upset stomachs or anything from a feed transition. Once this runs out and we have to buy more feed they will just be on straight Noble Goat. I have been intersted in looking into the alfalfa pellets as I have read about many people feedeing it to their goats for the calcium content which I have heard is really needed for growing kids. 

Would the doe be ok on just whole oats, alfalfa pellets and hay as well?


----------



## Chaty (Oct 15, 2011)

She will be fine on it unless you want to raise babies laster then add goat ration to her feed. I only feed Alfalfa pellets and whole oats during the hot months, but my milkers still get goat ration in theirs plus more alfalfa pellets. My babies did fine on just oats and pellets with no problems.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Oct 15, 2011)

2.5% to 3 % of their body weight in a pelleted goat feed with ammonia chloride in the ingredience a day. So a 50lb goat would get 1 1/2lbs of feed. 1lb is 3cups of feed. per So a 50lb goat can get 4 1/2 cups per day.  

With this said, if you are really trying to put on weight you can go up to 4% body weight, that is about all they will eat in a day. 

Ammonia chloride is important for the whether for urinary calculi prevention. 

So if they are 25lbs around 2 1/4 cups of grain a day per kid would be adequate to help them grow and put on weight. Or you can substitute some alfalfa hay for the needed calories.


----------



## marlowmanor (Oct 15, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> 2.5% to 3 % of their body weight in a pelleted goat feed with ammonia chloride in the ingredience a day. So a 50lb goat would get 1 1/2lbs of feed. 1lb is 3cups of feed. per So a 50lb goat can get 4 1/2 cups per day.
> 
> With this said, if you are really trying to put on weight you can go up to 4% body weight, that is about all they will eat in a day.
> 
> ...


From your information I should probably be either feeding them 2 cups twice a day or giving them 4 cups of feed once a day. I know they dive into the food when I give it to them, and they holler till I get some out to them. Would the alfalfa pellets be good to add to the feed I am currently giving them (Purina Noble Goat)? They have grass hay right now. I had some alfalfa hay I was taking to them occassionally, but we have run out and I haven't bought anymore yet. When we bought the alfalfa hay we just bought a little bag that was in the small animal section. Is that okay?


----------



## RareBreedFancier (Oct 15, 2011)

2 cups twice a day would probably be better than giving them 4 cups of feed once a day. I find mine will only eat about 3 cups of feed at a time before leaving some. I like to make sure they've eaten it before I leave them or the pushy ones get more than their share.

I wouldn't buy little bags of hay, it gets very expensive that way.


----------



## Roll farms (Oct 16, 2011)

With dairy kids or Boers I'm wanting to breed as yearlings, I generally feed them as much as they will eat 2x a day, then put out good hay.

But - trying to put this into a perspective that might help.... That's more like I'm feeding thoroughbreds and clydsdales to your shetland ponies.

I've had pygmies before...they tend to 'chub up' pretty quickly.
I wouldn't want a fat wether, either.

I would start them at 1c 2x a day and the hay, and just keep an eye on them....or I should say a hand.  If you get to where you can't feel bones, cut back.  
If they look thinner than you'd like, add a bit more then back off when they reach what you want.

There is no formula that's going to answer your question, b/c goats, like people, have different metabolisms.  If they start looking wider than I want, I cut back.  
Too thin, I check for parasites and add more feed / hay if needed.


----------



## Chaty (Oct 16, 2011)

Yes the Minis have a tendency to put weight on easilier than the larger type goats. I dont feed my wethers feed with Ammonium Chloride in it for Urinary Calculi as over a period of time when you need this it wont work and laws wont let them put enough in it to help anyway. I get mine from Hoeggers and give my wethers a little AC ball with the changing seasons, If you keep their fee constistant and stay away from Molasses with them and dose the wether at least 4 time a yr he should be fine and not have problems. Hopefully he wasnt wethered too young. I wait to wether mine till they are at least 4 mths of age.
This give the Urinary tract longer to develop.
Yes minis gain fast as they really are considered a meat type of goats and are easy keepers so dont overfeed.


----------



## marlowmanor (Oct 16, 2011)

BlackJack (our wether) just got banded last weekend at the age of 9 weeks. I know 8 weeks was the minimum for most of the goat experts on here. I did not want to risk him breeding Diamond (our doe) so there was no way I would have waited till 4 months. I know the latest my dad usually goes before banding is 3 months old. I waited the recommended 8 weeks for him as suggested by all the goat experts on BYH. The only reason we didn't get it done at 8 weeks is because DH worked that weekend so we had to wait the extra week.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Oct 17, 2011)

marlowmanor said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Are you referring to 2 cups twice a day total for both of them?  so 2 cups of feed per goat per day?


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Oct 17, 2011)

> I would start them at 1c 2x a day and the hay, and just keep an eye on them....or I should say a hand.  If you get to where you can't feel bones, cut back.
> If they look thinner than you'd like, add a bit more then back off when they reach what you want.


Roll are you talking about total for both kids or per kid? This would be twice as much as she is feeding now, since she is feeding 2 cups total for the two kids per day?


----------



## Roll farms (Oct 17, 2011)

2-3 cups total, but feed 2x a day - 1-1.5 cup split between the 2.  Then increase gradually as they age UNLESS they start to pork up too much.  
I wouldn't imagine non-working mini goats would 'need' much feed if they're getting good hay.  Ours sure didn't.


----------



## marlowmanor (Oct 17, 2011)

I can try to start feeding them twice a day. The hay does  last a while for them. In the month we have had them we are only on the second bale of hay with them. They do love their browse though. We put them in a very weedy spot about a week ago and they have all the weeds stripped already, even the thorn bushes.


----------



## marlowmanor (Oct 17, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> marlowmanor said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Right now I am only giving them 2 cups a day which is shared between the two of them. Right now I only feed once a day. I will be trying to do as Rolls suggested and feed twice a day though.


----------

