# Summer feeding for ND goats



## breezy2u (May 28, 2019)

I have four NG goats in an acre and a half pasture. There is tons of grass in the summer here in Alabama so I don’t buy hay at all in the summer unless it’s for bedding. But I’m wondering if that’s ok. They also get goat feed in the evening and free minerals. Am I harming the goats?

Just for background, the reason I don’t buy hay is because I don’t have much space for storage. In the winter I put about six bales at a time in my garage but I would rather not have it in there during the summer.


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## breezy2u (May 30, 2019)

Anyone? Beuller?


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## B&B Happy goats (May 30, 2019)

breezy2u said:


> Anyone? Beuller?


 
I live in Florida and have hay out year round for my ND, hay is good for gut health, they probably will eat less hay now while they have pasture....., can you get two bales at a time ?


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## breezy2u (May 30, 2019)

Well, I use a trailer to get my hay from Tractor Supply so if I am going to get two I might as well get 6. One day I want to build a shed to keep the hay and feed in so that I can maybe park in my own garage.


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## frustratedearthmother (May 30, 2019)

Can you get a pallet to stack hay on?  You could easily get 6 on a pallet and then cover it with a tarp.


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## B&B Happy goats (May 30, 2019)

@Fustratedearthmother......that is a awesome solution !


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## B&B Happy goats (May 30, 2019)

breezy2u said:


> Well, I use a trailer to get my hay from Tractor Supply so if I am going to get two I might as well get 6. One day I want to build a shed to keep the hay and feed in so that I can maybe park in my own garage.



Do as FEM suggested and you get your hay AND your garage


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## breezy2u (May 30, 2019)

Just a tarp? I have a pallet, but in Alabama it gets pretty humid. I always thought leaving it outside would ruin it.


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## frustratedearthmother (May 30, 2019)

Don't make it airtight...just tie it down enough that it doesn't blow off.  I have been known to put cardboard between the hay and the tarp to soak up any condensation.  If you're not trying to store it for a year or so - it should be fine.


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## breezy2u (Jun 5, 2019)

Just an update. I got some hay and I have it set up on a pallet outside under a tarp. The goats are sooooo excited to have it! Thank you all for your input. I'm also going to work on getting some copper and selenium in their diet as they have a little bit of a red tint to their coat. Are there any other feed secrets I should know? How do I estimate their weight for the copper? If I switch to alphalfa pellets, do I mix it in their current sweet feed? What about beet pulp?


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## animalmom (Jun 5, 2019)

I've found weight tapes to not be very accurate.  This method involves some math, not my best subject, but is accurate for figuring weight.

Also you can get copper bolus sized for kids, if you have kids.  I have Nigerians and have had no problems using the adult goat bolus on my wee goaties... outside of fighting with them to get the bolus down the throat.

I use a mineral that has a lot of copper in it already so I have not had to bolus for a few years.  




Here is where I get it: http://www.newcountryorganics.com/s...thy-organic-minerals-for-goats-50-lb-bag.html

Got to warn you the shipping is expensive, like $20+ per 50# bag, but even with that it is cheaper for me than the 20# bags of minerals I was buying that had half the copper.

Can't address your beet pulp question as I don't use that.


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## Georgia Girl (Jun 5, 2019)

breezy2u said:


> Just a tarp? I have a pallet, but in Alabama it gets pretty humid. I always thought leaving it outside would ruin it.


I live in a humid area also and hay placed under a tarp will mold and the tarp will develop moisture on the underside from humidity. We have used a tarp barn(hoop house) and it worked well, we put down 4 x4"s on the ground and held them in place with rebar, then bought 3 hog wire panels and attached them to the 4 x4's ,rounded as hoop shelter, then placed one of the silver colored tarp over this and left both ends open for aeration.  We put one of the large peanut hay rolls under it on top of a pallet to keep it off the ground and it has lasted about 8 months without molding for the 6 goats I have.  Th hoop house also survived the big storm that came though twice.


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## Ridgetop (Jun 6, 2019)

If you are feeding grain at all switch to dairy cattle grain and it will have copper added to it.  Our soil here in so Cal is pretty good in copper and selenium so even when there was big hysteria about copper deficiencies in goats years ago, we never had any problem out here.  If you want to make sure your pasture is nutritionally sound have a nutrition test run on your pasture grass and also on the pasture soil for mineral levels.  if the selenium level in the soil is high, you do not need extra selenium.  If the nutrition level in the pasture is not good enough you will need to supplement even in the summer with either higher nutrient hay, or a concentrate feed.


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## breezy2u (Jun 6, 2019)

animalmom said:


> I've found weight tapes to not be very accurate.  This method involves some math, not my best subject, but is accurate for figuring weight.
> 
> Also you can get copper bolus sized for kids, if you have kids.  I have Nigerians and have had no problems using the adult goat bolus on my wee goaties... outside of fighting with them to get the bolus down the throat.
> 
> ...



That mineral looks like an excellent option! I'll pay shipping if it means not having to wrestle the goats. My billy won't allow me to touch him at all so I was going to have to leave him out but now I can just give them all the minerals!

And thank you for the weight info. Next time I have them on the milking stand I will get weight on all of them (minus the stinky billy).


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