Goat owner-wanna-be quesions!

[ragdollcatlady]

When I only had 2 nigerians (adult) and 1 nubian (baby), we only went through one bale of hay every 2 or three weeks and one bag of grain lasted me about 2 months. Letting them range often saved me about 1/2 the price in hay.

Hay here right now is $14.00 a bale for good alfalfa and goes up to $19.50 during the last bit of winter/ early spring before the new stuff is cut.

Goat food #50 bag is around $16.00 or so (up or down a few cents or a dollar or 2 depending on how much the grain prices flux).

I did find that I prefered to add Black Oil Sunflower Seeds when we were getting ready to show our nubian at the fairs....it added a really nice sheen to her coat. That just ran me $26.00 for a #40 bag the other day, though for just 2 goats you could buy it in a #20 bag and it only takes a little, a few tablespoons or 1/8 of a cup per goat to look good.

So that means I was spending about $30 a month.....sometimes it was closer to $25, sometimes $40 or more....the Boss lasted several months so I only bought it occasionally.

You could call the local feed stores and ask about how much alfalfa hay prices flux through the year and ask for a price on a #50 bag of general goat food....You could save money by buying a 3 way or 4 way grain supplement also (Corn, Oats, Barley and Molasses are typically what you would find in those) as before they had goat rations, the farmers typically fed everyone the 3 or 4 way type of grain mix. ( I think that runs around $11.00 or so here)

Don't forget minerals, for a few goats a #20 bag of minerals (Magnum Milk by sweetlix) cost me $18 or so, but would likely last you 6 or more months. I personally include the price of minerals in my book keeping under food products.

 

[HooliganMe]

I looked at my local fleet farm, and they didn't have much this is what i found- goat mineral (it isn't feed, or is it?) and a mineral block. and what is this? http://fleetfarm.com/mff/search/?q=goat&searchSubmit.x=0&searchSubmit.y=0&searchSubmit=submit

 

[breezy B ranch]

I have a Saanen her wether, a nigerian wether and an Alpine doe. The Saanen is very mellow and gives about a gallon a day. Her milk is also a bit creamier than the Alpine. Are Alpine is friendly with us but is not very loving. She is fine with the wethers ( she has even nursed the nigerian a few times here and there even though he is 2years old and not hers!) She however is not impressed with the Saanen doe at all! It took a while for them to get along and it is just a tolerance for each other not a friendship. The Saanen was away for a while in the kidding pen and we had to start all over with the fighting when she came back. I cannot tell you about our Alpine when she was born though we got her when she was 2 so I don't know if she was a bottle baby or dam raised so I'm not sure if that would make a difference with her personality or not. Good luck!! We love our goats and it is great to always have a supply of milk!

 

[HooliganMe]

Thanks guys! $30 a month isn't that bad. I figured out a #25 bag of minerals cost $18. BOSS is $18 also. and that would last me a LOOOONG time, right?

 

[Fluffygal]

I don't think it matters whether bottle feed or dam raised.
Oreo was dam raised by her mom Bella and is super friendly. I made a point of interacting with her everyday. Bella did not mind this at all as long as I was not trying to touch her. (Bella is very standoffish, despite my efforts to get her to be more friendly)

I think that as long as you interact with them daily and play with them they grow up friendly.

 

[SheepGirl]

My (dam raised) lambs got friendly real quick when they figured out I brought out the grain. Now they're the only ones getting it (I hand feed it to them so the ewes can't shove them away and take their grain) and they run up to me when I go out to feed, thinking I have grain.

 

[TGreenhut]

Tgreennut- What do the beet bulp, herbal supplement, and the "healthy coat" supplement do?

It's technically just extra stuff because my goats are spoiled show babies . The beet pulp is full of sugar and helps keep the weight on the goats. The herbal supplement helps with digestion and a "healthy inside". The healthy coat supplement supplies the goats with vitamins such as Vitamin E and B12 (CA is deficient in Vitamin E) which help the goats maintain a shiny coat, bright eyes, and perky personality.

 

[TGreenhut]

I don't think it matters whether bottle feed or dam raised.
Oreo was dam raised by her mom Bella and is super friendly. I made a point of interacting with her everyday. Bella did not mind this at all as long as I was not trying to touch her. (Bella is very standoffish, despite my efforts to get her to be more friendly)

I think that as long as you interact with them daily and play with them they grow up friendly.

x2 I prefer dam raising kids because its the natural way, it requires less work, and the babies learn how to browse, drink water, and eat other things like hay faster. AND my kids have always been extremely sweet!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Thanks guys! $30 a month isn't that bad. I figured out a #25 bag of minerals cost $18. BOSS is $18 also. and that would last me a LOOOONG time, right?

That sounds a bit too low to me. In the winter, you're unlikely to feed them on grass unless you're in the south. My four go through about 1/3rd a bale a day without grazing (no room--long story on that), so if you don't graze, run out of grass or have tough winters, you're going to run about a bale a week for two goats. Plus grain.

If you buy 4 bales a month at the OMG price of $14, you're paying $68 plus about a bag of feed at $16 -- which is roughly $84. Goat minerals will last about a month or two. So, if a month, try about $100/month. That doesn't include any veterinary costs.

Honestly, how can you all afford hay at $14/bale?

 

[HooliganMe]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! We are getting a dog, so the goat will have to wait. Good thing is, it says specifically it gets along great with goats!