# Just how bad could this be for them?



## AshleyFishy (Aug 6, 2013)

Alrighty let me start with I normally feed goat chow, yes I know not the best thing in the world but it works. My feed store can't keep the stuff in stock though. I was shopping around and found this.. Purina 4-square stocker/grower supreme 14n...

http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/animals/raising-cattle/purina-stocker-grower/

So I bought a bag just to see...It didn't look tooooo bad on the ingredients. I've seen a lot worse in show goat feed. Figured _meh I can always feed it to the pigs_. 

So I love the smell and the size of the pellets. I fed some to the pigs and they went crazy for it and the goats tried to "attack" me for the empty bucket. Just how bad would it be to feed this stuff to the goats? They get free choice manna pro goat minerals, free choice browse, free choice 16% protein block, hay pellets and a few flakes of fresh hay went needed and fresh water. Will it down right kill them? cause mad goat disease? cause them to moo??  (jk on the last two.)

The cost is half that of the goat chow and they keep this stuff in stock year round.  thought I would get some opinions first.


----------



## Rocco (Aug 6, 2013)

AshleyFishy said:
			
		

> Will it down right kill them? cause mad goat disease? cause them to moo??  (jk on the last two.)
> 
> The cost is half that of the goat chow and they keep this stuff in stock year round.  thought I would get some opinions first.


LOL.

I didn't see the calcium to phosphorus ration listed on the link, but if that looks OK (around 2 or 2.5 to 1) than it is probably OK.

I regularly feed cattle creep (14% protein) to adult goats...because, like you said, it is cheaper. About $2 a sack cheaper. And I like the 5/32 pellets I can get it in and the goats appear to prefer it over any goat chow I have brought home.

If you are raising larger goats (with big mouths) then they can even handle the 20% cattle range cubes...a few at a time. Those are really "cheap" compared to goat feed. All of these are fed with goat minerals, of course. I use Vigortone Goat Pro Minerals, btw.


----------



## AshleyFishy (Aug 6, 2013)

Crude Protein (min.) 14.00%, Crude Fiber (max.) 9.00%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 2.25%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) 1.75%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) 1.25%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) 0.75%, Potassium (K) (min.) 0.70%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) 0.50%, Selenium (Se) (min.) 0.30 ppm, Vitamin A (min.) 10,000 IU/lb.

Processed Grain By-products, Plant Protein Products, Calcium Carbonate, Molasses Products, Roughage Products, Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Fenugreek Flavor.

$8 dollars cheaper.

I use manna pro goat mineral.

Edit 8-7-13 to add correct ingredients direct from tag.


----------



## Rocco (Aug 7, 2013)

At $8 less a bag...SIGN ME UP!!!


----------



## AshleyFishy (Aug 7, 2013)

Tried them out on a tiny bit this morning. They picked through their normal food to pluck the new pellets out. They are larger but not by much honestly,  I think they have an easier time picking them up. It smells pretty much like calf manna. Kind of sweet and licorice like, they love it. Just hope the balance is right on it. 

Edited to add...

Ok so I have the goat chow tag and stocker/grower supreme 14n tag in hand. I noticed the stocker/grower doesn't have the ppm of copper labeled, so I called Purina to get the info... Well the person I spoke with was just a call center lady (I hope)...she confused goats and sheep (again I hope) and was telling me that goats shouldn't have high levels of copper..... 

Finally found out it has 30 ppm though. Which goat chow is 39 to 42 ppm. 

I was having to copper bolus once every year/ year and a half as that was. We are *VERY* high in iron in our water, I was told by my vet that is why we needed a lot of copper in their diets. The iron blocks it from absorbing or something. 

So should the bolus and goat mineral continue to pick up the copper slack?


----------

