Feed for a very old buck

[_sonshine_]

I got a 13 year old buck who I think is missing teeth or wore them down. He doesnt really like hay, he eats a little grass, but he really just wants sweet feed. This guy is very big so what I did was give him a little calf manna mixed with his 12% protein feed but what I was wondering is could I feed him a senior horse feed or something else for older dudes like him! I just want him to get the most nutrition that he can get.

 

[PattySh]

What about hay stretcher instead of hay. It's pelleted hay. Pretty sure you have to watch the amt of grain because of bladder stones. What about moistened beet pulp, not sure, anyone more experienced with male goats know? Keeps older horses in good weight not sure about male goats.

 

[Ariel301]

If you can get it where you live, you can also try wet brewer's grain. It is the leftovers from the brewery after they make beer. There is no alcohol in it, but it is high in both fiber and protein, we use it as a feed supplement to make our hay stretch farther and raise the protein. It would be easy to eat, he could probably just swallow it without chewing much.

It is not terribly unusual for a goat that old to have worn/missing front teeth (same with horses too) but you should check his molars or have a vet or experienced goat person do so. If he has trouble chewing, the problem is back there--he may have molars that are sore, infected, broken, missing, have sharp points that need filing, or they may be worn down too far. The front teeth do not chew, they are for breaking off bites of food. If he was not wanting to graze or browse, that would be where I would look, but if he doesn't want hay, I lean towards the back teeth. You could also look for some soft hay that is not very stemmy, bermuda grass might work nicely if it is available in your area.