Feeding for the herd...A few questions.

[chubbydog811]

With the grain prices going up, I am looking for some ways to save money, while still feeding enough to keep on weight - (not trying to be cheap, I just want to not spend an arm and a leg on grain, and still have them not in the shape I would like!)


I have 10 goats (for now!).
What I'm feeding now to maintain (per goat/day):

Milkmaker 16%:
Does, 5 months-1 year: about 2 cups
Doe, not producing, a little over a year: 1 cup (she a little chubby)
Does, producing and bred, over 1.5 years: 4-6ish cups (depends on how much they want to eat while milking.)
They all will also get beatpulp in the winter. (horses get it, so I make extra for the goats as well)
All the does are NubianX, LamanchaX, and Saanen or SaanenX.

Sheep pellets(with the Ammonium chloride)
Buck, Nubian/Lamancha, under 1 year: 2-3 cups
Buck, Saanen, 6 years: 4-5cups (this guy is a skinny, needs something extra)

For hay:
Good quality horse hay (don't know what's in it, sorry).
Does, Under 2 years, not producing: about 1/2 flake per goat, some browse.
Bucks: 2-4 flakes between them, and a weedy pasture.
The "milkers" as I call them, get as much as they can eat without wasting it (usually about 2 flakes per goat/day), also have pasture. All of the milkers look perfect.

The 4 younger girls are a little underweight (not deathly, I just like a slightly fat goat! Most people would probably say they look OK), very healthy looking rumens.
The yearling is a little overweight (not obese, just a little fatter than I would like). Nice rumen as well.

The older buck has a huge rumen, but definitely skinny (I've only had him for 2 months, he came this way, though he has put some weight on).
The younger buck is perfect.


Now my questions:
A lot of people have recommended the black oil sunflower seeds...How much affect does that have, and what exactly does it do (other than a better coat)?
Also, my neighbor said to mix in whole oats. Talking to the feed store people, logic is- it should add fat, but only if they aren't high energy animals (mine are not).

If I add those to their grain, will I have to feed as much to maintain?
Also, is there anything else you guys feed, that seems to add some extra, without breaking the budget?

(note: only the non-producers and bucks will get the mix. My milkers are picky, and will only eat the milkmaker pellets...Trust me, I tried to change their grain, and they all snuffed it! They HATE molasses in a greater amount)

Thanks in advance!

 

[freemotion]

BOSS is a nice treat, but not really cost effective at $20-25 per 50 lbs, unless you can get it much cheaper.

Slightly sprouting/fermenting whole grains, especially barley, greatly increases the nutrition of the grain. It neutralizes anti-nutrients found in all grains and increases the protein. I became completely won over a few years ago when I was having trouble getting weight on an older horse, and ultimately she gained weight and maintained it well on two cups a day of fermented oats along with her hay. Seriously. She was on the best senior horse feed before that and declining.

In some areas of the country, you can get whole grains for a fraction of what the pre-mixes cost.

I also feed veggies as available, right now it is pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins! And a few beet greens from the last of the garden. I build the girls up gradually when I introduce any new food, and there is a limit as to how much you can feed of any one item. I watch their poo for any signs of clumpiness and back off.

 

[Ariel301]

For my girls, alfalfa hay seems to be the winner when it comes to keeping weight on. Where I live, it is also the cheapest hay, but in other parts of the country it is more pricey. I feed my does all the alfalfa they want to eat, and on that diet, I never have to grain two of them at all. Unless one is seriously underweight, I don't grain any goat I am not milking, bucks, kids, wethers, and dry does don't really need it most of the time.

Check around to see if you have a brewery or distillery nearby. You may be able to pick up their spent grain by the truckload for free or next to nothing, and it is a high protein, low carbohydrate feed. I feed my milkers as much of it as they will eat, because the carbohydrates are almost all gone, it won't make them bloat. (Gradually increase the amount you feed until they get used to it, letting them gorge on a brand new food could give them stomach aches.)

I've got a skinny doe who isn't gaining weight very fast, I'll have to try the sprouted grains on her.

 

[chubbydog811]

Thanks for the replies! I don't plan on increasing their grain that much, if at all.
My milkers are in good weight and health with the way I am feeding them. Most of my problem is the young does and older buck.
That was sort of the point of finding a mix that will increase weight, but not have to feed as much....mostly for the winter. I don't care as much in the summer since they have enough forage, but the winter, they don't have anything, other than what I give them. I think Im going to try the oats for now, just see which mixture works best for my herd. I checked out the prices today, and the sunflower seeds were $22 for the 50# bag. I might just get a small bag of the seeds to see how it works, and how long it lasts for the goats that need it.
I mostly wanted to see if anyone else has had good results with it and how much they fed(and if it was worth it).
Only reason I don't give free choice hay anymore is because they waste so much...They were actually losing weight when they had free choice compared to giving them multiple servings throughout the day. Hay is expensive - especially when there are 8 of our own horses to feed, on top of the 10 goats.
Anyway, if anyone else has any input, feel free to add!
Thanks again