# Good hay vs Bad hay



## OHMYKIDS (May 25, 2009)

Now that I'm feeding free choice hay, my boys are leaving the very hard stem behind in the feeder and they look like they are starving.  They are even browsing.  That's all good but they are young right now and they need their nutrition.  They were calling for me most of the day, which is unusual.  Do they not eat the hard stem?  Is it bad hay?  How do you know what is good hay?  It's a orchard grass mix with alfalfa.  When I went to their feeder it looked clogged with hard stems blocking anything good.  Any ideas, thoughts?  Should I get new hay, or pick through it.  I do have straight alfalfa bales that don't look that stemmy.


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## alba (May 26, 2009)

The finer grain alfalfa is more nutritious perhaps more delicious to them too. Some horses also prefer the alfalfa leaves to the coarser grasses.

Orchardgrass is not bad hay though imo.


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## D Bar J Acres (May 27, 2009)

My goats hate stemmy hay and refuse to eat it or pull it out and stand on it.  For that reason I've gone to feeding a fine 2nd crop grassy mix hay.  Hardly any waste.

The value of the hay is in the leaf.  It's your choice if you want to play stubborn and make them eat thru it more or give in and feed better stuff.  As long as it's not moldy or really icky and they are just wethers, I'd make them pick thru it.


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## OHMYKIDS (May 27, 2009)

I have 1 buck, 1 wether, 2 does all about to turn 4 months old, all on this hay.


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## D Bar J Acres (May 28, 2009)

Hi, okay if you've got youngsters on that hay, I'd definately feed the alfalfa or keep giving them new hay to pick thru.  They have a lot of growing left and need the best they can get.  When they are older, then make them eat the stalks if you want!  LOL


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## freemotion (May 28, 2009)

I just pull the stems out of the bottom of the hay rack so the good stuff can be reached by my baby.  They pick through for the leafy stuff.  The stems become bedding.  The grown-ups don't have this issue, at least mine don't (I can be a bit more hard-hearted with the adult goats!)  My baby calls more when she is hungry, so I listen.  

Leaves from trees have different nutrients, due to the long roots and long grow time, they have more minerals.  So if you can, feed some tree leaves from non-poisonous trees.....birch, aspen, poplar, maple (not red), apple, a little balsam for non-milkers, etc.  No nut trees or cherries.  Don't suddenly flood them with fresh leaves if they are not used to it.....just do a little pruning every day and give them a bit if they don't have access.


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## Thistlefield (May 28, 2009)

My five goats are VERY picky....sigh....If a bit of hay gets on the ground then they won't eat it and unfortunately I have two La Mancha wethers that love to yank the hay out of the feeders and let it fly!  

Thankfully I have a small pasture for them with all sorts of things to nibble on and they will try most everything once.


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## CritterKeeper (May 30, 2009)

got an interesting ? for ya'll. Was at our local SS picking up feed etc and the wonderful lady at the counter told me NOT to feed our dwarf goats alfalfa hay??? Said she had 2 die last year from eating it- Not wanting to argue and being polite we talked for a few minutes ...said thanks ,loaded up and left to go pick up our 7 new Muscovy ducklings.  Now... Have any of ya'll heard of this? maybe they got into grain or chicken feed?? Dunno I failed to ask.. but could this happen? Just curious--


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## mossyStone (Jun 12, 2009)

I have heard the same thing from people. No Alfalfa.
Then some goat breeders near me thats all they feed.  Some feed a timothy /alfafla mix

Im not sure what to do now, i want to feed a good hay in the winter, just not sure which way to go:/ Right now i have 2 wethers and a doe.


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## jojo@rolling acres farm (Jun 12, 2009)

I have not heard this before...but, I agree my goats do not like the hard stems and end up wasting a lot. When we can find and buy the grass or grass hay mix - we do. No waste whatsoever!


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## kstaven (Jun 13, 2009)

mossyStone said:
			
		

> I have heard the same thing from people. No Alfalfa.
> Then some goat breeders near me thats all they feed.  Some feed a timothy /alfafla mix
> 
> Im not sure what to do now, i want to feed a good hay in the winter, just not sure which way to go:/ Right now i have 2 wethers and a doe.


We winter all our toggenburgs on a heavy timothy, alfalfa, and clover mixed hay. They stay in excellent condition all winter on it.


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## ()relics (Jun 13, 2009)

Imo...we feed our boer goats different types of hay/grass/browse depending on their age/sex/purpose/time of the year...Some of our goats are destined for the show ring others are strictly commercial animals...I very rarely feed alfalfa...price being the major drawback...Most get a good grass hay, free choice, as well as browse/grass from the pasture...A few of our show animals get pelleted feed to maintain body condition...All the gestating does are fed a feed ration as fall ends and winter starts...Most of the billies are just left on the pasture without any added feed,  the exception is the show animals again...Fat Billies, in my opinion, are non-productive billies...
Many of the feed related problems I have had are directly related to "how much" of a new feed an animal gets, not so much to "what kind" of feed they get.  As with any animal, any change in diet should be done gradually...Not overnight....


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