Let's Look at our Different Feeding Practices *GOATS*

[NannaSue]

Hi there everyone. Merry Christmas!!
I have two Pygmy does, a mother and daughter. Mom is maybe three years old(seller wasn't certain?) and her nine month old daughter. I live in San Angelo, TX and buy feed from Plamer's Feed and Supply that they call P-12 that is supposed to be compatable for sheep as well.
We inherited a Barbodoe lamb born in March like the Pygmy goat. I talked with the county extension agent and the previous goat owner and our vet, about what feed to get.
Diamond the daughter got a severe upper resp. infection in Sept and our vet said that she was "chunky" which was part of the cause of the seriousness of the infection; that the weight compromised her lung capacity and to cut back her feed. I'm seeing references to Purina "noble goat" feed and several other suppliments. Does anyone know about the toxicity of the mineral block with copper in it for Barbadoe sheep?
Ooops I somehow just lost an entire paragraph asking questions & giving more information about the shed/barn I have for my "critters"
How would anyone suggest I make or buy a hay holder device? We have had a horrible drought and have almost no weeds/grasss/graze/brouse left?
Thanks for any adviced!
Sue

email also: lsusanl@yahoo.com

 

[Queen Mum]

nannasue, welcome to BYH...

There are some great hayfeeders in the equipment section that can be made really inexpensively out of cattle panel pieces and 2 x 4's.

As for mineral block and goat feed, DO NOT feed it to your sheep. Sheep can't have the same level of copper as goats can. (They need copper, but not as much.)

You would be better off mixing your own feed. It's not that hard. And it will give you control over your feeding. You can vary it with the needs of your animals (during kidding/lambing) when they are sick, when it's hot, cold, etcetera.)

Take a whole grain like wet COB (corn, oats and barley with molasses), alfalfa pellets, some beet pellets, and black oil sunflower seed than to feed a stock goat mix to your sheep and your goats. Then you can give an individual goat mineral to your goats and sheep minerals to your sheep.

 

[elevan]

Welcome to BYH NannaSue!

Goats need copper so if your current feed is formulated to accommodate sheep too then it's not going to have an appropriate level of copper for goats. But you can supplement with Copasure .

So as to keep this thread as a great feeding reference regarding goats, would you mind asking the sheep and feeder type / design and illness questions in the appropriate areas. I linked to those areas in that last sentence. Thank you.

 

[verkagj]

Live in Northern Belize
Weather is usually warm to hot and sunny. Of course, raining today.

There is nothing available for goats here. I've gone to every feed mill I can find. When I ask for something to feed goats they act like I'm nuts! Several places have even asked, "why would you want to feed goats?" All the animals here are small and skinny because they only get browse or a few places have actual pasture. There is no hay available. I'm trying to grow my own. Hard to get it to dry in high humidity though.

The closest I could come to feed is something called Pig Grower Pellets. It comes real close to the nutritional requirements of the goats and I add a little handful of corn, sunflower seeds (I have no idea what kind they are), and something called Mill Feed (dry, looks like Bran). And they each get a banana every morning (bananas are very cheap here).

They have a mineral block. No loose minerals available.

They get garden stuff when available. They just munched away on the trimmings from pidgeon peas. They have a 100'x100' fenced area to browse. When it gets a bit thin, I tether them out somewhere else for a few days. In rainy season (June - Dec) stuff grows like crazy so it only takes a couple of days for it to grow back.

I have 3 goats of unknown heritage. Two should kid soon. I feel like I'm not feeding them properly but we have to make due with what's available.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Live in Northern Belize
Weather is usually warm to hot and sunny. Of course, raining today.

There is nothing available for goats here. I've gone to every feed mill I can find. When I ask for something to feed goats they act like I'm nuts! Several places have even asked, "why would you want to feed goats?" All the animals here are small and skinny because they only get browse or a few places have actual pasture. There is no hay available. I'm trying to grow my own. Hard to get it to dry in high humidity though.

The closest I could come to feed is something called Pig Grower Pellets. It comes real close to the nutritional requirements of the goats and I add a little handful of corn, sunflower seeds (I have no idea what kind they are), and something called Mill Feed (dry, looks like Bran). And they each get a banana every morning (bananas are very cheap here).

They have a mineral block. No loose minerals available.

They get garden stuff when available. They just munched away on the trimmings from pidgeon peas. They have a 100'x100' fenced area to browse. When it gets a bit thin, I tether them out somewhere else for a few days. In rainy season (June - Dec) stuff grows like crazy so it only takes a couple of days for it to grow back.

I have 3 goats of unknown heritage. Two should kid soon. I feel like I'm not feeding them properly but we have to make due with what's available.

Sounds very frustrating, I wish you the best of luck with them. They sound like they aregetting very good care. I love the banana a day. They are 47cents a pound here in the USA.

 

[verkagj]

Bananas are sold by the banana. 8 for $1. That's 50 cents US. The sunflower seeds are expensive at $1.60 US per pound.

A good thing about where we are is that there is a US trained vet who makes house calls. She charged us $35 (that's $17.50 US) for vaccinating all three goats and a Black Leg vaccine for a little lamb. Oh and rabies vaccine for the goats because there are vampire bats in the area.

It's rough getting started on 15 acres of brush and rocks (lots of rocks). Of course the goats think the rock piles are great fun. Who will be on "the throne today?

But I love it here!

 

[elevan]

There is nothing available for goats here. I've gone to every feed mill I can find. When I ask for something to feed goats they act like I'm nuts! Several places have even asked, "why would you want to feed goats?" All the animals here are small and skinny because they only get browse or a few places have actual pasture. There is no hay available. I'm trying to grow my own. Hard to get it to dry in high humidity though.

Why not try formulating your own feed? Use the calculator linked below and input what is available in your area.

Here is the FEED CALCULATOR that Goatmasta and Helmstead have been talking about.
I had to load it to my website. It's titled Feed Calculator but you are free to use the other documents there as well

 

[Chicos Mama]

Northern Arizona, Hot & Dry Summers, Wet & Cold Winters (no snow)
3 Spoiled Nubian goats, 1 Wether, 2 dry Does ( 3yrs. old & 12 yrs. old)

I feed my goats the same year round except for in the Summer then I add Timothy hay alongside their Alfalpha Hay (Cant find Timothy hay here in the winter months)

Mornings: Fresh water, 1/4 scoop of EACH: Purina Goat Chow, Wet Cobb, Purina Calf Manna, BOSS, Alfalpha Hay (1st cut) available at all times, ADM Meatmaker loose mineral free choice as well as a salt block. They also steal a bit of chicken scratch from their roomates when they can.

My goats are on a 1/2 acre Dry lot which they share with 17 Chickens, 4 peking ducks and a REALLY FAT Turkey!

Evening feeding: Replenish all water buckets, Freshen Hay and Evening treats, Only one of these choices daily: Fresh Kale, Butter Lettuce, 1 Bananna split 3 ways, unsalted saltine crackers, handful of Corn Chips or Raisins

Fresh cut branches when I have them as well.

Hoof trimmings every 3-4 weeks! (Dont know why they grow so fast here!)

I will tell you this my goats are FAT! So, I cut back their grain feedings to only once a day and stopped the Manna, I fed twice a day up untill 1 month ago and have yet to see a difference in their weight.

I just saw that if im feeding Wet COBB, there should be no need for Goat Chow! That would save me lots of $$ seeing as they dont eat much of that anyways...they love the COBB!

Plus...I will now be adding 1 1/2 Tbs. AC to my Wethers food!

 

[autumnprairie]

Northern Arizona, Hot & Dry Summers, Wet & Cold Winters (no snow)
3 Spoiled Nubian goats, 1 Wether, 2 dry Does ( 3yrs. old & 12 yrs. old)

I feed my goats the same year round except for in the Summer then I add Timothy hay alongside their Alfalpha Hay (Cant find Timothy hay here in the winter months)

Mornings: Fresh water, 1/4 scoop of EACH: Purina Goat Chow, Wet Cobb, Purina Calf Manna, BOSS, Alfalpha Hay (1st cut) available at all times, ADM Meatmaker loose mineral free choice as well as a salt block. They also steal a bit of chicken scratch from their roomates when they can.

My goats are on a 1/2 acre Dry lot which they share with 17 Chickens, 4 peking ducks and a REALLY FAT Turkey!

Evening feeding: Replenish all water buckets, Freshen Hay and Evening treats, Only one of these choices daily: Fresh Kale, Butter Lettuce, 1 Bananna split 3 ways, unsalted saltine crackers, handful of Corn Chips or Raisins

Fresh cut branches when I have them as well.

Hoof trimmings every 3-4 weeks! (Dont know why they grow so fast here!)

I will tell you this my goats are FAT! So, I cut back their grain feedings to only once a day and stopped the Manna, I fed twice a day up untill 1 month ago and have yet to see a difference in their weight.

I just saw that if im feeding Wet COBB, there should be no need for Goat Chow! That would save me lots of $$ seeing as they dont eat much of that anyways...they love the COBB!

Plus...I will now be adding 1 1/2 Tbs. AC to my Wethers food!

what is wet COBB?

 

[Queen Mum]

Live in Northern Belize
Weather is usually warm to hot and sunny. Of course, raining today.

There is nothing available for goats here. I've gone to every feed mill I can find. When I ask for something to feed goats they act like I'm nuts! Several places have even asked, "why would you want to feed goats?" All the animals here are small and skinny because they only get browse or a few places have actual pasture. There is no hay available. I'm trying to grow my own. Hard to get it to dry in high humidity though.

The closest I could come to feed is something called Pig Grower Pellets. It comes real close to the nutritional requirements of the goats and I add a little handful of corn, sunflower seeds (I have no idea what kind they are), and something called Mill Feed (dry, looks like Bran). And they each get a banana every morning (bananas are very cheap here).

They have a mineral block. No loose minerals available.

They get garden stuff when available. They just munched away on the trimmings from pidgeon peas. They have a 100'x100' fenced area to browse. When it gets a bit thin, I tether them out somewhere else for a few days. In rainy season (June - Dec) stuff grows like crazy so it only takes a couple of days for it to grow back.

I have 3 goats of unknown heritage. Two should kid soon. I feel like I'm not feeding them properly but we have to make due with what's available.

Wow! You are awesome! Sounds like you are doing the right thing. There are other ways to feed goats besides 'goat feed' and it sounds like you are doing it. As long as you do what you are doing they will probably do great! What kind of goats do you raise? Can you post pictures?