Grains? Alfalfa? First goat :)

[Dreubber]

We got our first goat yesterday. Told she is due in Jan they think. Not sure what to feed her. I have grass hay currently but going to feed store this afternoon to get what I need. What do I need, ha. thanks

 

[OneFineAcre]

Well first off, there is no one size fits all feeding plan for dairy goats. Some need more input to produce milk and maintain good body condition, and some (particularly Nigerians) need less because they can be prone to getting to fat.

I would first ask, what she was being fed by the people you got her from, and not make any sudden changes, particularly late in gestation.

Free choice grass hay is a must, as well as a loose mineral for goats. We buy a local mix feed and give according to need. Some people buy a goat feed like Noble Goat or something like that. Anywhere from a half cup per day to a cup per day per animal and a little bit more when they are in milk.

We also feed ours alfalfa hay when they are in milk as a supplement to free choice grass hay. A little bit of alfalfa pellets with feed or instead of feed can be good too.

Again, you don't want to change her feed to much, or feed too much late in pregnancy.

 

[Dreubber]

he said COB with molasses. 2 cups. horse salt block and hay. i asked him about baking soda. he said he hadnt ever used it

 

[OneFineAcre]

Lose the salt block and get loose minerals
What is COB?
Molasses isn't very good for them
I have fed sweet feed but I atopped

 

[Dreubber]

corn oats barley...sounded like a bunch of crap GMO feed

 

[Dreubber]

hence why im askin advice

 

[Southern by choice]

I agree with one fine and his recommendations.
Oats and barley are not bad for your goat however you really need to be careful with corn.

COB could mean corn cob... believe it or not some actually feed this to their goats.

 

[Dreubber]

he said COB was corn oats barley

 

[Dreubber]

got goat minerals

Lose the salt block and get loose minerals
What is COB?
Molasses isn't very good for them
I have fed sweet feed but I atopped

 

[OneFineAcre]

corn oats barley...sounded like a bunch of crap GMO feed

Some people have a lot of passion about the whole issue of GMO grains. I do not. It is difficult ( if not difficult then expensive) to get the proper level of protein in a feed without soy meal which most soy beans are GMO. And, I think most corn now is GMO. Corn is going to be the main ingredient in any "local mix" feed.

This is the ingredients in Purina Goat Chow. It is 16% protein.

Grain products, Processed grain by-products, Plant protein products, Molasses products, Calcium carbonate, Roughage products, Salt, Forage products, Dicalcium phosphate, Soybean oil, Phosphoric acid (a preservative), Vitamin E supplement, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate, Vitamin A supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Calcium iodate, Sodium molybdate, Cobalt carbonate, Manganese sulfate, Ferrous sulfate, Ferrous carbonate, Copper sulfate, Zinc oxide, Zinc sulfate, Magnesium oxide, Manganous oxide

I would be willing to bet that about half of the "grain products" is corn.

I buy a locally mixed feed. it is 12% protein. I find that my Nigerians do quite well on 12% protein.

It contains corn, soy meal, oats, alfalfa, and supplemental minerals. I was there one day when they were mixing the feed. They do a ton batch at the time (2000lbs). If I recall correctly, they use 150 lbs of soy meal, 450 lbs of oats, 150 lbs of alfalfa (not pellets, real baled alfalfa ground up, a 50lb bag of sweetlix minerals, and 1200 lbs of corn.
It costs me $8.50 per 50lb bag.

What you are calling COB, is it a local mix? I would wonder if it has the soy meal in it? That's what boosts the protein.