feeding a pregant doe??

[Arabiansnob]

Sorry i fotgot to ask it in my last post. How muc should i be feeding a doe that is pregnant? I no they should have free choice of hay, and mineral, but how much should i feed them while pregnant and while they are lactating??

 

[Queen Mum]

Pregnant does need to eat lots of roughage. Hay, leaves, grass (if they well eat it) tree bark and anything else they like. It helps them build a nice body mass so they can prepare to have those babies. They don't need much grain because that's just basically for building fat. She will eat what she needs. Just let her have free range, if you have the property to do it. Otherwise give her a mix of alfalfa/orchard grass, and field grass. Give her grain once a day. Goats waste alot of hay, but if you keep it in a feeder she will pick at it until she has had her fill. Make sure she has her minerals and you can give her probiotics if she's acting fussy. When she gets closer to delivery, she will suddenly act like an eating machine! Make sure she has LOTS of hay available.

And make sure she gets plenty of exercise. That is good to prepare her muscles for delivery. If you are in a confined space, take her out for vigorous walks.

Even if you don't plan to milk her, be sure that you get her up on a milking stand every day so you can feel her tummy and her "udder". This will prepare her to let you examine her if you need to and will also get her used to you handling her "tender parts" if you need to milk her for emergency baby feeding. You can wash her bottom gently once in a while which will allow you to get her used to examining her bottom in case you have to go in and help her deliver her babies.

 

[20kidsonhill]

The last 4 to 6 weeks of gestation you should slowly start increasing their grain. To help with the energy they need for the growing kids, and developing lots of milk. 3 tao 6 cups a day(1 to 2 lbs) would be your goal by kidding time. This can be different depending on the type of goat, the overall condition they are in.


Roughage is very very important, and lots of hay or really good pasture/forage will go a long ways.

 

[homesteader]

You did not mention the breed of goat, it does make a difference. My milking goats are increased by 1 cup. I have Nubians.

 

[Arabiansnob]

You did not mention the breed of goat, it does make a difference. My milking goats are increased by 1 cup. I have Nubians.

Sorry I have a pygmy, Nigerian dwarf and a boer/angora cross...

 

[Livinwright Farm]

What we feed our Nigerians and Nigerian/Pygmy crosses:

Non-lactating / up to 4 months pregnant: 1 cup Dumor Goat(not sweet-feed) & 1/4 cup scratch grains twice/day

Lactating / last month of pregnancy: 1 cup Dumor Goat(not sweet-feed), 1/2 cup Calf Manna, 1/2 cup Black Oil Sunflower Seed, 1/2 cup Scratch Grains

Everyone gets produce scraps/trimmings from the produce dept at the store year round.

Kids: 1 cup Dumor Goat(not sweet-feed), 1 cup Dumor Goat Grower, 1 cup Calf manna
*kids heading into winter get the addition of Black Oil Sunflower Seed to make sure they are properly bulked for the season.