clarification for a newbie

[herd nerd]

Hi all,
New to this site, though I've been with backyard chickens for awhile. We are in Washington State; going to adopt a mother myotonic and her 2 kids (5 months), a doe and wether. They will be pet goats/brush clearers, not for meat or dairy. (we've wanted to start with goats for the past couple years and picked this spring to do it... not because of the pandemic... we are committed

I'm confused about the terminology used around feeding goats. I don't know if some of these terms are interchangeable. Can someone differentiate these for me and why a person might add one to the goat's diet? (I know every farmer has a different feeding plan so I hope getting the "why" will help me best determine if I need it for my goats).

hay
grass
loose minerals
mineral block
goat feed
sweet feed
supplements

thanks! I appreciate your help.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Hay - Dried animal forage. Can be grass (orchard, timothy fescue, bermuda) or a legume (alfalfa, clover, peanut). It's baled in different sizes form 75 lb square bales or 1000 lb larger or round bales. You absolutely need to feed goats hay. How much, depends on how much forage you have available for them.

Grass- pasture or hay. See grass types above.

Loose minerals - are just purchased in a bag offered to the goats free choice. Loose being not in a block as in a mineral block. It is just a supplement to minerals found naturally in feed.

Mineral Block - Supplemental minerals in block form.

Goat feed - animal feed forumulated specifically for goats. It will have 14-18 percent protein, and be close to 25% fiber Look for a 2-1 ration of calcium to phosphorus.

Sweet feed - animal feed sweetened with molasses. Minor difference in a "Sweet Feed" and a Goat Feed that contains some molasses.

Supplements. That can mean a lot of things.

 

[herd nerd]

Hay - Dried animal forage. Can be grass (orchard, timothy fescue, bermuda) or a legume (alfalfa, clover, peanut). It's baled in different sizes form 75 lb square bales or 1000 lb larger or round bales. You absolutely need to feed goats hay. How much, depends on how much forage you have available for them.

Grass- pasture or hay. See grass types above.

Loose minerals - are just purchased in a bag offered to the goats free choice. Loose being not in a block as in a mineral block. It is just a supplement to minerals found naturally in feed.

Mineral Block - Supplemental minerals in block form.

Goat feed - animal feed forumulated specifically for goats. It will have 14-18 percent protein, and be close to 25% fiber Look for a 2-1 ration of calcium to phosphorus.

Sweet feed - animal feed sweetened with molasses. Minor difference in a "Sweet Feed" and a Goat Feed that contains some molasses.

Supplements. That can mean a lot of things.

thanks, this is really helpful!