Feeding Corn

[20kidsonhill]

Triplet girls, we are all jealous. That makes it easier for you. Are you just planning on keeping the 4 of them as pets, or are you planning on breeding them?

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Well they will be breed, to milk. And for pets

 

[20kidsonhill]

The reason I asked is you will want them on a good quality loose goat mineral free-choice, for the best possible health if you are breeding and milking. If they are just pets and not producing you wouldn't have to be so particular.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

so how much grain should i feed them?

 

[20kidsonhill]

I would start out slow with 1/2 lb of feed per animal two times a day.
I would pull mom out when feeding the grain and feed her seperatly, since she will eat much faster.


add another 1/4 lb or so every 3 or 4 days, until they are eating what they can clean up during the feeding. Probably will be around 1 1/2 lbs a feeding.

Measure the feed with a food scale in a couple different containers to now exactly what a pound of feed looks like.

If mom isn't under weight I would give her just one pound per feeding. If she is nursing and needs to put on weight I would work my way up to near 2 lbs per feeding.


Try to get mom in good condition before breeding again. Are you milking her right now? Or are the kids just nursing on her?

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Well the mom is nursing and we are milking her. We read that we can milk her just leave enough for the babies. We milk a little less then half a court from her. She does look a little thin. So feed her a 2 pounds and the babies 1/2?

 

[20kidsonhill]

Sorry I am taking so long to respond, I have a set of triplet bucklings born today. and the last one I had to pull. He is nursing, but is too weak to stand. It is going to be a long night.

If she hadn't had any grain I would start with a 1/2 lb per feeding twice a day and work up to the 2lbs per feeding twice a day. I would also and some alfalfa to her diet or just make sure she is eating as much good hay as possible.


The kids I would work up to 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of feed per feeding two times a day.


I need to go to the barn.

Good luck with your goats.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Awww how sweet.

Well I guess you'll have to read this later

Should all the goats have Free access to hay ALL the time? Alfalfa hay??

 

[20kidsonhill]

Yes, I would do free choice hay off the ground in a hay feeder and some alfalfa with some good grass mix hay. and if you have alfalfa cubes or hay your milking doe will need that for the calcium. Start out slow if she isn't use to it.

While you are changing her feed you can keep out a bowel (dog food bowels work well) of baking soda for them. Or put it in a small hanging feeder. they will lick on it if they get an upset stomach.


You can also, get a bag of dry beet pulp at the feed store, Beet pulp has lots of calcium and can be feed in place of Alfalfa if you can't find any. There are feeding directions on the bag, I feed mine dry, but some people like to soak it in warm water.

All three of my bucks are still alive. been a long night. Yawn.

 

[emilypaonia]

I have seen it mentioned around the forum a few times that folks feed baking soda free choice - why? I have never heard of this.

My goaties get free choice loose goat mineral and kelp.

Also, I have heard that a goat should only grain if she/he is "working" - lactating, packing, breeding buck. I keep my doelings off grain until a week before kidding - should I be feeding the little ones grain too? They really want it!

I feed my lactating does 1 lb grain for maintenance, then 1 lb for every 1/2 gallon of milk - I think I got that from Story's guide. So they get about 3 lbs per day.