diy goat feed?

[ksalvagno]

To help lower my feed costs, I did buy oats from a local farmer. It is not GMO and is pesticide free. I sprout the oats. I mix it half and half with ADM Dairy Goat Power 16%. I have found that my goat's milk production has gone down a little. So keep in mind when you are mixing your own grain formula that it may affect production.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I did find that some mixes gave different results.

Leaving out the alfalfa pellets caused production to drop a little.

Adding the BOSS gave me a richer milk, perhaps the fat/oil and or protein made the difference...I don't weigh my milk, but sometimes it is definitely heavier.

Goats used to eat mostly browse and forage on old time farms. They were given whatever grains were fed to cows and chickens. Now we have a greater amount of knowledge about benefits and drawbacks to certain products, grain and premixed rations.

If my goats didn't have access to some weeds, trees, minerals, dirt, and hay, I would be a little more nervous about not adding vitamins and salt etc to their diets. Molasses adds iron and trace minerals, but can interfere with absorption of other nutrients. I don't add molasses but sometimes use it as a binder for their herbal dewormer.

If you are just looking to save money, the cheapest and easiest route is to buy the already manufactured foods. If you are trying to specifically limit certain products for whatever reason, it doesn't take too much to buy and mix in the buckets at home.

I don't want to feed anything with cotton, cottonseed or cottonseed oil in it. Around here cotton is sprayed with horrible chemicals that give me the worst headache...I just feel like I want to die for lack of relief...I sooo don't want cotton in my animals food or coming through their milk or meat. But it is in most show goat foods and that is what everyone around here feeds. The feedstore folks roll their eyes when I come because I ask the impossible questions, I want to know what is in the foods and I want stuff that noone else in the valley cares about. I get my minerals from outside the valley. I buy it or ask mom to bring it to me from San Jose or up north. I don't want meat goat food for my dairy goats. I prefer to mix my own so I know what is going into them. My goats look great, like I said everyone is eating enough to be a tad on the chubby side except Georgia, but after kidding quads this year, she is gaining condition incredibly well and still giving me enough milk for my coffee once a day. If she wasn't gaining I was prepared to dry her up for her own good, but she seems to be doing fine. I take that to mean that I am doing something right.

I personally have an affinity for food....My area of greatest interest was feline nutrition, years ago, now I spend my energy working on my goats foods. I enjoy it so I don't mind. I love to see my animals bloom. I am currently trying to find what oil or grain I can use to soften their coats...thinking I might try to add wheat germ or wheat germ oil, but I may just try to add wheat......

I would also love to start feeding sprouts/fodder......

If you want to do it, try it....if you don't care for the results, you can always go back...

 

[Suburbanfarmer]

I did hear that they approved a round up ready alfalfa....terrible news. Then they are going to wonder why all our farm animals are dying and have reproductive problems.........and more farmers are going to close up shop.......I also heard the big bad M advertising in my area for a high protein wheat...I am scared to think how fast they are contaminating every food source they can. And all for money.

Anyhow, for those that asked,

My last mix consisted of oats #50 (10% protein)
barley #50 (10% protein)
alfalfa pellets#50 (15% protein)
BOSS #20 (can't remember protein)

*calf manna #25 (25% protein)

The calf manna is being added only to Georgias feed right now....everyone else is officially a little bit over conditioned. On some paper somewhere....the estimated protein amounts are written down....I'll let you know if I find it....(I know that the protein content is only one part of the picture, but for now it's my main guide)

The boys are getting 1/2 the above mix with their other 1/2, the textured goat ration for now...I did just pick up an orchard mix hay to feed them, so they will get 1/2 alfalfa hay and 1/2 the orchard grass hay for now.


We are also just getting into some colder weather so I am trying to decide if I want to try and keep the calf manna in the mix or up the sunflower seeds......I guess I have to see how the cold weather affects everyone.

Thank you! I think I will try this. I was worried about the protein content, but with the calf manna it looks like it will still be good.

I have to agree about the corn. I prefer to not feed it for various reasons, GMO being one of them.

I really appreciate all that gave info/opinions here!
-K

 

[Marianne]

My goats really like home mix! Only one problem encountered: when the Texas temp stayed well above 100 degrees this summer, oodles of bugs hatched in my grain bin (metal garbage can with tight lid). The mix contains all the different whole grains I can find; they especially love oats--also add some alfalfa pellets. Obviously buying a big bag of each grain means you end up with LOTS of feed. I didn't add corn to the latest batch, but since corn provides the vitamin A for skin and coat, I have resorted to feeding carrots (all those yellow and orange fruits/veggies are good sources of vitamin A). Also bought shelled BOSS for the current batch. Only problem is that goats spoil quickly and will balk at going back to ready-mixed pelletted food.

 

[mama24]

I'm pretty sure they'd get their vitamin a from their grass, weeds, and other forage. Broccoli is as high in vit a as carrots and it's green. The chlorophyll hides the orange color. You don't need to supplement vit a in an herbivore with access to fresh gras and forage.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

oodles of bugs hatched in my grain

I have heard of Diatomaceous Earth being used to keep pests from surviving in grain, without detriment to the animals that eat the grain. It is considered a more natural pest control approach...might be worth trying, just be sure to use food grade DE and avoid breathing it.

I go through enough grain that I only ever have bugs hatch out occasionally in the last little bit of left over bags of grain, so I throw that little bit to the chickens They don't mind the bugs!

 

[bonbean01]

We have sheep and checked out buying and mixing our own feed...did not like the GMO thing at all...but our Lamb/Sheep feed has all the minerals, vitamins, etc. that they need and to mix our own would actually have cost more. No oats and barley in northeast MS to buy locally...phoned Ware Milling the company that makes the sheep pellets we were buying and asked about GMO....talked to the owner of the company and he admitted he did not know if any of the ingredients were GMO or not...sigh...sad that we have probably been eating produce and meat that has had GMO produce in it for quite a long time.

 

[Oakroot]

So question here about why barley and oats. I understand what the alfalfa pellets are adding and the boss. And why putting in a whole grain along with it is a good idea. Just not sure why so many mix both barley and oats both in it. Do they provide different nutrition or is it just to add variety?

 

[Chris]

So question here about why barley and oats. I understand what the alfalfa pellets are adding and the boss. And why putting in a whole grain along with it is a good idea. Just not sure why so many mix both barley and oats both in it. Do they provide different nutrition or is it just to add variety?

When people take corn out of the feed they need to replace the lose of energy that the corn was providing with something so they use barley which has 95 percent the energy of corn but it can vary in feed value, now oats is added to the feed because it is a good all around feedstuff and is a good source of fiber. Both good barley and oats can have a higher protein amount than corn with oats higher than barley.

Chris

 

[Oakroot]

Great info thanks Chris!