Hay & Straw

[cteague]

I was wondering if straw is bad for ur goats. I recently bought them some good quality bermuda hay which they started to eat. Then when i put the straw in their houses to keep them warm they leave the good hay and eat the straw. Grrrr! Lol. No straw "bedding" left. But i did notice they lay in the bermuda. SMH. Should i just start feeding straw?

 

[lkmartin1230]

I had this problem and now use shavings as the bedding and now they eat the hay I give them to eat. They may just be picky or maybe the straw tastes better for some reason.

 

[Ponker]

Straw does not have enough nutrition to use as feed. Perhaps a mixed grass hay would appeal to them better.

I keep a bale of good mixed grass hay 4x4x8 on hand that I feed and use some cheap course small bales for bedding. Straw around here is very expensive. At night,when they come in and see fresh bedding, they will leave the good hay and munch down on the bedding hay. Once they've trampled it, they won't eat it, thankfully.

 

[cteague]

That is the bad thing. The hay was $8.50 a bale and the straw was $4. And they dont get it trampled cause they eat it all. Lol. Crazy critters.

 

[Latestarter]

Perhaps they aren't getting enough roughage in their diets from browse? The straw, being coarser, would help with that issue even though it's not as nutritious. Maybe you can cut them some tree limbs or something and see what happens? If you do, would love to hear about the results.

 

[cteague]

Perhaps they aren't getting enough roughage in their diets from browse? The straw, being coarser, would help with that issue even though it's not as nutritious. Maybe you can cut them some tree limbs or something and see what happens? If you do, would love to hear about the results.

Im getting ready to fence in a big area of woods that has tons of roughage in it. So i hope they will eat that instead. Lol