# What do you feed your dairy goat? Kids?



## Bedste (Jun 6, 2012)

What do you feed your dairy goats?

What do you feed your goats that are not in milk yet?

What do you feed your kids after they are off the bottle?

I really need to know what all of you do so I can make a educated decision and stick to it.  

Thanks  :0)


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 7, 2012)

My dairy goats get a mixture of sweet goat 16% (poulin), 20% dairy goat pellets (blue seal), and alfalfa pellets. Also I feed loose minerals free choice (and hay/pasture in the months we have it).
For dairies not in milk, it depends on the goat - if they keep their weight well, they just get hay, minerals, and pasture. If they are on the thin side, I give them the same mix as the in milk does in a smaller quantity. 
Kids off the bottle : boys get a mix of sheep pellets (with AC) and Calf DC flakes. Doelings get a mix of sweet goat and Calf DC until they are about a year old. Then I drop the DC flakes. We have a really bad cocci. issue here, and have found that is the best way to prevent it. I got this idea from the breeder I get my animals from who has the same issue.


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## Bedste (Jun 7, 2012)

Thank you so much for all the details.  That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.   I have been having trouble finding LACTATION PELLETS and I do not want to switch her every month, trying to find something that I can use that is available locally and that will still give her what she NEEDS

found this link too....  http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/cepublications/em4894/em4894.pdf


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jun 7, 2012)

Bedste said:
			
		

> Thank you so much for all the details.  That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.   I have been having trouble finding LACTATION PELLETS and I do not want to switch her every month, trying to find something that I can use that is available locally and that will still give her what she NEEDS
> 
> found this link too....  http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/cepublications/em4894/em4894.pdf


*

That's my problem too. No one has dairy goat grain here and the feed stores that DO have it are out of it every other week.  *


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 7, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> Bedste said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Glad I could help!

As for lack of dairy grain - that's why I went with Blue Seal...The different stores always have what I need. When I was going to the Nutrena/poulin store, I always had to order the 20% pellets, and they weren't even goat specific. I started feeding the sweet goat to add weight - I have purebred Saanens, and they are near impossible to keep weight on. So far this mixture is keeping them looking better than they were at least!


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## sawfish99 (Jun 8, 2012)

Read this:
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11677 

Start on page 1 and go all the way through.  It will answer your questions and give you plenty of examples of feeding plans/strategies.


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## Catahoula (Jun 8, 2012)

Here is another good info to know. If you can't find 'dairy' goat pellets, you can use a non-medicated goat pellets for you dairy goat if you drink the milk. If you don't drink the milk, it really doesn't matter...what I understood.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11664

Good Luck!


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 8, 2012)

Catahoula said:
			
		

> Here is another good info to know. If you can't find 'dairy' goat pellets, you can use a non-medicated goat pellets for you dairy goat if you drink the milk. If you don't drink the milk, it really doesn't matter...what I understood.
> 
> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11664
> 
> Good Luck!


Oh yeah, I did forget to mention along the same lines - most feed stores carry a general "dairy" pellet. Blue seal is Milk Maker, the other is HighLine. That works great too, though I found the goat grain made them look a bit healthier since it is goat specific...Just requires some extra minerals, occasional supplement added to make up the difference.


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## Chris (Jun 24, 2012)

Bedste said:
			
		

> Thank you so much for all the details.  That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.   I have been having trouble finding LACTATION PELLETS and I do not want to switch her every month, trying to find something that I can use that is available locally and that will still give her what she NEEDS
> 
> found this link too....  http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/cepublications/em4894/em4894.pdf


I haven't used a "lactation pellet" in maybe 2 year and most all my milkers put out a gallon+ a day, 2 or 3 of will put out a closer to 2 gallons a day.
My basic 16% feed mix is,

Rolled Corn 165 lbs
Rolled Oats 100 lbs
Soybean Meal (44%) 120 lbs
Beat Pulp 50 lbs
Molasses 50 lbs
Trace Mineral Salt 5.0 lbs
Dicalcium Phosphate 9.0 lbs
Magnesium Oxide 1.0 lbs

Basic 18% feed mix is,

Rolled Corn 135 lbs
Rolled Oats 100 lbs
Soybean Meal (44%) 150 lbs
Beat Pulp 50 lbs
Molasses 50 lbs
Trace Mineral Salt 5.0 lbs
Dicalcium Phosphate 9.0 lbs
Magnesium Oxide 1.0 lbs

Both mixes are from University of Missouri Extension and can be found here,
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G3990

Chris


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## mama24 (Jun 24, 2012)

My pregnant and lactating does, and their kids, all get good horse quality grass hay free choice and some alfalfa pellets daily, they also have access to pasture and browse. I have 2 does that I milk, but I never bottlefed their kids. One I just bought last week after her twins were weaned and she took to milking like she'd done it all her life, after the first day, she's right up there on the milking stand and I don't even need to lock it! Sometime I milk her a couple extra time just when she walks past me in the yard to try and get her production back up (she was almost dried off when I got her) and she'll just stand there in my yard and not even try to get away. One hand on her collar, other hand milking, no treats or grain in sight. She's an absolute doll! LOL. Anyway, the other doe I was milking and getting about 2qts a day while her kid was still on her. After he died from bloat after they got into the chicken feed (she was pretty sick, too, but pulled through) I now get about a gallon a day from her. I give those 2 about 3-4 quarts of 16% goat sweet feed a day while they are on the milking stand. I've tried to give them more, but they never finish more than that. I used to feed all of my does as much grain as they'd eat, but now I only grain the 2 I'm milking, plus the little doeling gets a little, b/c my other doe who is only nursing is getting really fat. She's always been roly poly, we thought she was going to have twins or triplets she was so fat while pregnant! LOL. She won't let me milk her, plus her teats are too small to make it worth it anyway. I feed them the 16% b/c it is the only kind they'll eat. I tried getting the 18% pellets, which is the only other goat feed, other than the 14% meat goat feed, that is carried in my area. My goats are picky. If it doesn't have whole grains covered in molasses, they won't touch it!


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## bjjohns (Jul 1, 2012)

We feed our milk goats a 2/3 Soy hull pellets/ 1/3 cracked corn mix. They also get free reign to pasture, and grass hay when the pasture is down. We use Onyx (Black mineral) and white salt blocks as supplements. The white salt is free choice, the black mineral is about 1/4 cup/day/goat.


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