Goats not eating the coastal hay

[madcow]

I bought what seemed like good looking coastal hay (not dusty or moldly) from TSC and the goats don't seem to be eating it and have it in a hanging hay bag for them (off the ground). If they are eating it, it hasn't been much. They have nothing else to browse on in their pen. They get Dumor goat feed twice a day and seem to eat it fairly well, as they are hungry when I bring it into their pen and their bowl is usualy empty. So I don't think I'm overfeeding them. Should I be concerned and see if I can find different or better hay for them, or are they getting enough of what they need from the feed? I'm new to goats and I thought they would eat both feed and hay daily. I also give them loose minerals mixed with the feed daily and a small amount of BOSS as treats and for training treats. One of the does is about 4-1/2 months pregnant. Also, I have been pulling weeds up and giving them some, but that isn't every day since it's cold outside. Am I worrying about nothing here?

 

[Fluffygal]

As long as it is still fresh hay that smells like fresh hay and looks like fresh hay I would leave it for them. As they are browsers they won't scarf it all at once, especially if their main food is the grain rations and you are offering other browse to them as well. As long as they are getting roughage that is good.


Mine get a cup each of grain with BOSS in the evening with their loose minerals mixed in (stinkers won't touch the minerals by itself). Coastal hay stuffed into 2 hanging bags and a 3rd bag that has a flake of alfalfa. They browse between the hay, alfalfa, grass, weeds, and tree bark from the pine in their pen throughout the day.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Whenever I buy fresh hay, it seems like the goats take a day or two to decide I am not trying to poison them with this "new" food. Like FluffyGal said, I'd leave it in there and see if they don't decide it is good stuff after all. The bulk of a goat's diet should be hay (and browse if it is available). If you can find a local person to sell you hay, you could cut back on the feed ration (some don't even give feed/grain at all and do very well---I do give a daily ration but it is not very much). Right now, it might be hard to find hay, and if you do, if is likely going to be pricey just because of the time of year. It would be good to make a contact though, maybe get a few bales, and then in the summer, you could get some to store for the year at a better price.

 

[madcow]

Whenever I buy fresh hay, it seems like the goats take a day or two to decide I am not trying to poison them with this "new" food. Like FluffyGal said, I'd leave it in there and see if they don't decide it is good stuff after all. The bulk of a goat's diet should be hay (and browse if it is available). If you can find a local person to sell you hay, you could cut back on the feed ration (some don't even give feed/grain at all and do very well---I do give a daily ration but it is not very much). Right now, it might be hard to find hay, and if you do, if is likely going to be pricey just because of the time of year. It would be good to make a contact though, maybe get a few bales, and then in the summer, you could get some to store for the year at a better price.

Maybe I'm giving them too much feed. They are pygmy goats and I've been giving them about 3 cups worth a day! Sounds like that's probably too much. I will cut that back. As far as buying hay here, it's really abundant this year in the central part of Texas. There are bales everywhere you look. So thankfully I don't think finding quality hay at a reasonably fair price is going to be a problem. I just need to have a good source and I do have a couple of ways of finding some.

You know goats are kind of like children (KIDS!), they don't come with instructions on caring for them! LOL!

Thanks so much for the information. You guys are so very helpful and make caring for my new children more of a pleasure!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

I know what you mean---we fed out first goats, pygmys, on pretty much 100% pelleted feed, NO HAY, and in far too large a ration, for about 3 months before we realized that we were supposed to be feeding them hay. Now it seems like, well of course. This forum has been great for learning about the do's and don't and helping to make decisions about stuff in that gray middle area.

 

[Fluffygal]

And the Pig-a-mys won't tell ya either
My little Pygmys are the fattest 2 I have. They try to out eat each other and Fiona, my Nubian. Fiona learned quick to push back.

 

[bigmike]

Madcow, I don't have any advice for you..My Lamancha and NDs won't touch coastal...Ive tried a couple of different times with some really good coastal....All mine will eat is Alfalfa..And since at the feed store I use the coastal and alfalfa bales cost the same I will just keep feeding them the alfalfa...Hope it works itself out for you good luck..

 

[madcow]

Madcow, I don't have any advice for you..My Lamancha and NDs won't touch coastal...Ive tried a couple of different times with some really good coastal....All mine will eat is Alfalfa..And since at the feed store I use the coastal and alfalfa bales cost the same I will just keep feeding them the alfalfa...Hope it works itself out for you good luck..

Bigmike:

Went and got alfalfa hay and they are eating it like there's no tomorrow! I guess they just don't like coastal, so will buy alfalfa from now on. Thanks so much for helping me feed by goats. Now my next concern is will it affect the taste of Ginger's milk when I go to milk her after she kids in a couple of weeks? What's everyone's take on that?

 

[Gagroundhog]

Our TSC gets hay only once a year. My girls won't touch it. My boys will eat anything. We have 3 mini nubians and 2 mix goats. Anyway, the hay at our TSC is from last spring in that trailer thru the summer heat and heaven only knows how long it was in storage before that. That may be why your goats won't touch it. I bought it once to save myself a trip to the feed store. I'm glad I only bought 1 bale. Most of it went to the garden for mulch. My girls get alfalfa hay toward the end of pregnancy and throughout lactation as well as the bermuda hay. I'll be praying for good weather and an easy delivery for you and Ginger in a couple of weeks

 

[Southern by choice]

Madcow, I don't have any advice for you..My Lamancha and NDs won't touch coastal...Ive tried a couple of different times with some really good coastal....All mine will eat is Alfalfa..And since at the feed store I use the coastal and alfalfa bales cost the same I will just keep feeding them the alfalfa...Hope it works itself out for you good luck..

Bigmike:

Went and got alfalfa hay and they are eating it like there's no tomorrow! I guess they just don't like coastal, so will buy alfalfa from now on. Thanks so much for helping me feed by goats. Now my next concern is will it affect the taste of Ginger's milk when I go to milk her after she kids in a couple of weeks? What's everyone's take on that?

Oh yeah...they all love alfalfa.... it's probably the best for milking! sounds like TSC's hay is nasty.. :/

We have so many farms around here so we get hay from several different farmers. Some our goats love some they kinda turn their nose up at. We use the different hays so that they DON"T get too picky because you never know what kind of year it will be... good hay year or bad hay year. We give our does some alfalfa daily but there is no way I could afford that full time. It's $14-$15 square bale. The neighbors sell us their hay from $2.50- $3 sq bale and $25 round bale.

If they have alfalfa they won't leave the feeder...ever. Even when there is plenty of leaves and forage in sprg/summer if we put alfalfa out they won't bother to forage! They get fat and lazy. We cut most everything out when they have the good forage. Helps them to remember they are goats too.