Feeding help for wethers

[GabysMom]

I just brought home 2 Nigerian Dwarf bucklings that are 9 weeks old. We are having them wethered, but the breeder prefers to wait until they are 12 weeks. Currently, they are eating Nutrena Meicated goat pellets along with a loose mineral we mix with their pellets-all of this is what the breeder gave us and we have since went and purchased a bag of the food. We also give Coastal hay free choice. I know for now this feeing routine is ok. But my worry is once they are wethered is the coastal hay ok? does it have the proper cal/phos ratio? Also, she mixes baking soda in with her minerals to help decrease gas she said....but I have read that AC basically nullifies the baking soda..the food pellets have AC in them... so my questions are:

1) once they are wethered and >6 months old, which pellet is a good (preferably still medicated) pellet?
2) costal hay- yay or nay? if nay-which is a better hay?
3) baking soda necessary in the loose minerals to help decrease gas/bloating?
4) which is better-finding a pellet with AC or continuing the baking soda in the minerals?
5) which plants/bushes are good to plant to let them forage on?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Sweetened]

My suggestion: wean them off the pellets and keep them on grass. Our bucks and wethers are exclusively grass/pasture fed (and does for tgst matter) to lower the risk of urinary calculi. Grained and rationed males tend ti have more trouble with that

 

[Pearce Pastures]

1) once they are wethered and >6 months old, which pellet is a good (preferably still medicated) pellet?

In growing animals, I give Noble goat feed. I do not give pelleted feed to adult animals unless they are lactating/pregnant or have gone through a hard rut.

2) costal hay- yay or nay? if nay-which is a better hay?

I use an orchard grass blend because it is what we have around us. What do you have available?

3) baking soda necessary in the loose minerals to help decrease gas/bloating?

Personally, I only use baking soda as needed. Constant use can decrease mineral absorption. Plus, the body is going to adjust to the normal PH it should be, overcoming the soda---why bother with it I guess is my thinking.

4) which is better-finding a pellet with AC or continuing the baking soda in the minerals?

AC and baking soda are not the same thing. If a wether's diet is balanced, they shouldn't have issues. AC is often added in to help correct or keep in check the development of stones.

5) which plants/bushes are good to plant to let them forage on?

Goats love to nibble at woody plants. We are using ours this summer to clear raspberries and poison ivy. Just make sure that what you give them access to is safe to eat and is not something you mind being destroyed.
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[GabysMom]

1) once they are wethered and >6 months old, which pellet is a good (preferably still medicated) pellet?

In growing animals, I give Noble goat feed. I do not give pelleted feed to adult animals unless they are lactating/pregnant or have gone through a hard rut.

We do not have much for them to forage on and they really look forward to their pellets....I there any grass pellets you could suggest? I worry about he cal/phos ratios too much/too lttle, we want to do all we can to prevent stones

2) costal hay- yay or nay? if nay-which is a better hay?

I use an orchard grass blend because it is what we have around us. What do you have available?

I can get just about any hay...I guess get confused when people mention hay vs grasses....are you meaning grasses that you actually have growing? or are they dried grassed (which I consider hay) that you give.

3) baking soda necessary in the loose minerals to help decrease gas/bloating?

Personally, I only use baking soda as needed. Constant use can decrease mineral absorption. Plus, the body is going to adjust to the normal PH it should be, overcoming the soda---why bother with it I guess is my thinking.

We were only using it because it was in the mineral blend the breeder gave us. When we replenish our minerals, we will omit it. when would I know that it is needed? and, if it is needed, does the use of AC cancel this out?if so and I need to use baking soda (im not even sure what its really used for in goats) how long do they need to be sans AC for the baking soda t do what it needs to do? manna pro minerals ok for my soon to be wethered males?

4) which is better-finding a pellet with AC or continuing the baking soda in the minerals?

AC and baking soda are not the same thing. If a wether's diet is balanced, they shouldn't have issues. AC is often added in to help correct or keep in check the development of stones.

I know they are not the same, I guess my question was if the AC nullifies the effects of the baking soda, is it better to just use the AC (its in our pellets) or stop AC because the benefits of baking soda are better for the goats than the benefits of the AC. But being that the AC helps to prevent/keep stones in check I think that it would be of better benefit to continue its use. An as mentioned in #3 we will be not using baking soda anyways unless needed.

5) which plants/bushes are good to plant to let them forage on?

Goats love to nibble at woody plants. We are using ours this summer to clear raspberries and poison ivy. Just make sure that what you give them access to is safe to eat and is not something you mind being destroyed.

No, the whole reason we would be planting anything is FOR the goats to destroy/forage on. our property basically has regular grass, dirt, an oak tree (that they do not have access to because of where their area is located). so we are looking to actually plant some stuff in their area for them that are good for them, easy to plant and relatively cheap since we will probably need to replace often.
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[GabysMom]

Thank you for your answers!!! I appreciate any and all help and info I can get!

 

[OneFineAcre]

Coastal Hay is fine.
It is around 2.6 to 1 calcium to phosphorus.
It is what is most abundant around me and is what we give to all of our animals free choice.

 

[OneFineAcre]

 

[GabysMom]

Wow!! Thank you all for the info!!! Im glad I came here!!

 

[Sweetened]

Great chart!