About Hay

[Stacykins]

So, with goats going to be arriving here in March, long before 2012's hay is available here, I needed to purchase 2011 hay to last until haying season. Just bought 20, 40lb alfalfa bales off of my mother's coworker. It is in excellent shape, has that sweet hay smell, no mold, not dusty or crumbly. It had been stored carefully indoors (and that is where it went when I unloaded it here, off the ground in our storage shed). How long do you think that much hay will last? I am getting a bred Nigerian dwarf doe and also two kids. The doe will be free feeding on hay (at least this is what seems to be done for expecting does), and I know until they get older, the kids won't be eating much hay to start. How many lbs on average would a pregnant doe be eating? I know not to measure the number of flakes since some bales can have a ton of small flakes, others big fat ones (depends on the baling equipment n stuff).

I am not a total newbie when it comes to hay, just hay for goats. I used to work at a horse farm, so I often had my nose in bales of hay and know how to identify quality hay. Nothing better than breaking into a bale of excellent hay!

 

[KellyHM]

I've heard around 2 lbs of alfalfa per day for pregnant or lactating ND's. Every animal is different, but that's a starting point. If figure in about a pound a day for babies and waste top, so maybe 3 lbs a day until the kids get a little bigger.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I am thinking around 5 lbs a day, 3 lbs for mom and a lb for each kid. Assuming they don't waste a lot of the hay.

 

[Stacykins]

Thanks for the numbers! I do hope they don't waste too much, but they are goats, so they will at least it is very lush hay, not stemmy from a late cut.