Am I overfeeding my goats?

[redtailgal]

My wethers get about 1 1/2 cups of grain each per day.

Does and meat wethers get about 3 cups of grain each per day.

With two does, and four wethers (two of them growing meat wethers) are going thru about a bale of hay every two weeks RIGHT now. In the winter, we estimate we will use about one square bale a week.

BUT, my goats have a LOT of pasture with really good grass and wonderful wooded browse.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Wow, interesting.

My guys are on a "dry" lot and they've been getting about 25-30 lbs of hay and about the 25-30 lbs in grain. This was for 3 wethers, 4 does, 1 buck, and 1 llama. We butchered 2 wethers, and they were fat, so I'll be glad to feed less with the two new doelings.

We should be feeding less once I get the electrical net up and running. We've got an assortment of grass and browse there.

 

[sawfish99]

Wow, interesting.

My guys are on a "dry" lot and they've been getting about 25-30 lbs of hay and about the 25-30 lbs in grain. This was for 3 wethers, 4 does, 1 buck, and 1 llama. We butchered 2 wethers, and they were fat, so I'll be glad to feed less with the two new doelings.

We should be feeding less once I get the electrical net up and running. We've got an assortment of grass and browse there.

Is that amount per day? Are any of your does in milk?

 

[SkyWarrior]

Wow, interesting.

My guys are on a "dry" lot and they've been getting about 25-30 lbs of hay and about the 25-30 lbs in grain. This was for 3 wethers, 4 does, 1 buck, and 1 llama. We butchered 2 wethers, and they were fat, so I'll be glad to feed less with the two new doelings.

We should be feeding less once I get the electrical net up and running. We've got an assortment of grass and browse there.

Is that amount per day? Are any of your does in milk?

This is per day, but much of the grain is being eaten by the poultry, so I suspect the estimate of the amount of grain is high. All I know is I go through a 50 lb bag of grain between the chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, horses llama and goats about 1 1/2 days.

One doe is in milk. Four are most likely pregnant. It's a relief to put two wethers in freezer camp. I have to put several roos in freezer camp and at least one more drake. I have four male quail that need to go too. Not sure what I'll do with all 6 geese. The turkeys, well, I like them.

 

[mama24]

Essentially, yes. There is no browse left where the milkers are kept. Our dry does are out in a different area that still has browse. I am planning to fence in about another half acre of browse for the milkers.

Got ya. And you're up north where the temps are much colder than here. That means the need more energy which means more feed.

I don't think the temps have much to do with it. I gave my milk goats as much as they'd eat when I was milking, twice a day, and my big girl would eat 1.5-2qts, twice a day. If I skimped on the grain at all, she had a very obvious drop in milk at her next milking. I'm talking going from a gallon a day to 2 qts! Making milk takes a LOT of energy!