Grass hay for all

[TGreenhut]

I just recently got llamas and I have been feeding them just the standard grass hay mix. My goats were eating alfalfa hay. I leave a stall open for my llamas because it has everything they need in it and they go in there to sleep. My goats have really taken to going in there and eating all their grass hay and then they don't want to eat any of their alfalfa. I was wondering if the goats needed to be fed alfalfa at all? Can their diet just consist of grass hay and a cup of grain each day?

Anybody know? What hay do you guys feed your goats?

 

[Goatmasta]

Look at this thread You can also check out my latest blog on feeding goats (link below)

 

[TGreenhut]

Ok I read all that and I kinda understand now but can I just get some opinions on my situation? I mean would you feed your goats only grass hay?

 

[Goatmasta]

Ok I read all that and I kinda understand now but can I just get some opinions on my situation? I mean would you feed your goats only grass hay?

You can, you just need to be prepared to supplement with "grain" IMO. It sounds like you are already feeding some grain, so you might need to up that a little. The issue is the quality of the hay, you can feed a poor hay, if that is all you feed your goats can have big hay bellys and be nutritionally starved. There is nothing wrong with feeding grass hay. You just have to find the balance. Do your goats get loose minerals (goat minerals)? They need them if your not. What you feed also depends on what you are asking of them. Are you breeding them or are they pets? There are many things to consider.

 

[elevan]

Look at this thread

TGreenhut - As you can see from reading the Feeding Discussion for Goats there are about as many variations to feeding them as there are goat farmers (owners). Can you feed straight Grass hay? The simple answer is yes. Find a good supplier for it though, because straight grass hay can often be low quality depending on who and where you get it from. They're also no harm in your llama getting a mixed hay...so you could possibly go that route too - usually much cheaper than alfalfa and about the same or a little more than straight grass.

 

[TGreenhut]

You can, you just need to be prepared to supplement with "grain" IMO. It sounds like you are already feeding some grain, so you might need to up that a little. The issue is the quality of the hay, you can feed a poor hay, if that is all you feed your goats can have big hay bellys and be nutritionally starved. There is nothing wrong with feeding grass hay. You just have to find the balance. Do your goats get loose minerals (goat minerals)? They need them if your not. What you feed also depends on what you are asking of them. Are you breeding them or are they pets? There are many things to consider.

I do provide them with loose minerals and they are just pets... I don't plan on breeding them and if I do it will be next spring.

And thank you eleven, I will probably just feed them mixed hay. I thought mixed hay (it has alfalfa in it where I buy) had a protein percentage higher then 10%. Does it not? (I read llamas are not supposed to eat hay with protein levels higher than 10%.)

 

[elevan]

Unless the hay is tested you can't be 100% certain of what it's protein content is. And as to what is good for the llama...my guy receives a mixed hay (orchard grass / clover / alfalfa) and his pasture / browse actually has the same mix along with a lot of weeds (for the goats)...as long as he doesn't get overweight, I'm not worried. And he's in great shape.

Your goats are gonna steal whatever you put out for your llama and the llamas are gonna want to steal what you put out for the goats...so it just is so much easier to use the same type of hay for them both. Grain is a different story though because the llamas needs are much different than the goats in that aspect.

 

[kstaven]

You can, you just need to be prepared to supplement with "grain" IMO. It sounds like you are already feeding some grain, so you might need to up that a little. The issue is the quality of the hay, you can feed a poor hay, if that is all you feed your goats can have big hay bellys and be nutritionally starved. There is nothing wrong with feeding grass hay. You just have to find the balance. Do your goats get loose minerals (goat minerals)? They need them if your not. What you feed also depends on what you are asking of them. Are you breeding them or are they pets? There are many things to consider.

I do provide them with loose minerals and they are just pets... I don't plan on breeding them and if I do it will be next spring.

And thank you eleven, I will probably just feed them mixed hay. I thought mixed hay (it has alfalfa in it where I buy) had a protein percentage higher then 10%. Does it not? (I read llamas are not supposed to eat hay with protein levels higher than 10%.)

I have seen alfalfa mixed hay upwards of 16% and down to 8%. As mentioned earlier the only way to know is to test.

 

[20kidsonhill]

We only feed grass hay. 2nd or 3rd cutting. or just pasture in the summer months, we always have out loose minerals for the goats.