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

[elevan]

Also how much and how often do I give them the minerals?

most of us do free choice minerals like you would a block, they will only eat as much as they need

You want to make sure to keep the loose minerals under cover because if they get wet the goats tend to not want them. I put out enough for them to eat in just a couple of days and then refresh.

 

[byardbabe]

Hi everyone,
We live in North Central WV. Our Nubian goats are on pasture 24/7 They get 4 cups Dumor sweet goat feed 2 X a day. Our buck gets 5 cups of a lower protien sweet feed 2X a day. Free choice grass hay for all. Free choice manna pro loose minerals for goats, as well as baking soda and Kelp. My queston is this, after the girls kidded this year I started giving them alfalfa pellets mostly because they look kind of thin. They absolutely loved them, couldn"t get enough of them. After about 6 weeks I noticed that their thyroid glands looked like they were enlarged, and they had stopped eating the Kelp. I have since stopped giving the alfalfa pellets, and they are back devouring their Kelp. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? I had read somewhere that alfalfa interfers with the absorbtion of iodine.

 

[AnnaLease]

I am currently feeding Purina to my milking does, but I would love to make my own feed. BUT, I know that with chickens, if they are fed a homemade grain mix (like corn, oats, barley, etc.) their egg production is much lower than if they were fed chicken feed from the store (like Purina or Dumor). Just wondering if the same rule applies to goats? Thanks!

 

[Chris]

I am currently feeding Purina to my milking does, but I would love to make my own feed. BUT, I know that with chickens, if they are fed a homemade grain mix (like corn, oats, barley, etc.) their egg production is much lower than if they were fed chicken feed from the store (like Purina or Dumor). Just wondering if the same rule applies to goats? Thanks!

Just like with poultry, there feed has to balanced. If the feed is off then there production will be off.

If you want to try to mix a feed your self here is a mix from University of Missouri Extension

Cracked or Rolled Corn 33 lbs
Rolled Oats 20 lbs
Soybean Oil Meal (44 percent) 24 lbs
Beet or Citrus Pulp 10 lbs
Molasses 10 lbs
Dicalcium Phosphate 1.8 lbs
Trace Mineral Salt 1.0 lbs
Magnesium Oxide 0.2 lbs

Chris

 

[lovinglife]

Boy do I feel stupid! My poor goats get pasture and grass mix hay, loose minerals and kelp. When I milk they get a little three way mix, thats it. So far all my goats are healthy and shiny, of course I expect that to change now after reading all the things you all feed your goats. Hope no one turns me in for goat abuse!!

 

[autumnprairie]

Boy do I feel stupid! My poor goats get pasture and grass mix hay, loose minerals and kelp. When I milk they get a little three way mix, thats it. So far all my goats are healthy and shiny, of course I expect that to change now after reading all the things you all feed your goats. Hope no one turns me in for goat abuse!!

Hey, if what you are feeding your goats work and they are happy and healthy then leave it be. There are many ways to feed them and what works for some May not work for another.

 

[elevan]

Boy do I feel stupid! My poor goats get pasture and grass mix hay, loose minerals and kelp. When I milk they get a little three way mix, thats it. So far all my goats are healthy and shiny, of course I expect that to change now after reading all the things you all feed your goats. Hope no one turns me in for goat abuse!!

Sounds like you're meeting your goats needs to me. The need fresh water, long stemmed foodstuff (hay or browse) and minerals. Every farm is different, every goat is different.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Boy do I feel stupid! My poor goats get pasture and grass mix hay, loose minerals and kelp. When I milk they get a little three way mix, thats it. So far all my goats are healthy and shiny, of course I expect that to change now after reading all the things you all feed your goats. Hope no one turns me in for goat abuse!!

No, you're not stupid. But you seemed to have mastered the fine art of sarcasm

 

[lovinglife]

LOL sometimes I just wonder if we are creating more problems than we are fixing by all the "stuff" we feed them, of course I do not have two gallon a day milkers either, that could be a big difference and we freeze hard in the winter and have dry summers so the worm load is not as bad as other places I have lived. I just always thought goats were supposed to be low maintenance animals, I hope to be able to keep my goats healthy with low upkeep. But if we have problems I know where to come for help!

Sarcastic??? ME???? LOL

 

[OneFineAcre]

LOL sometimes I just wonder if we are creating more problems than we are fixing by all the "stuff" we feed them, of course I do not have two gallon a day milkers either, that could be a big difference and we freeze hard in the winter and have dry summers so the worm load is not as bad as other places I have lived. I just always thought goats were supposed to be low maintenance animals, I hope to be able to keep my goats healthy with low upkeep. But if we have problems I know where to come for help!

Sarcastic??? ME???? LOL

I think sarcasm is a lost art. I'm a big fan

I agree with you. I have found goats to be low maintenance. A lot of people "overthink" on care.

But, it does really depend on the particular circumstances of your farm, and what you are trying to do as to how you feed.

My goats are "dry lot". Like you we do not have a worm issue. But, we show our goats and milk test our goats. That requires a little more effort. Free choice coastal Bermuda hay all the time for all of them. We get a local mix 12% protein feed. I know, I know goats need more protein but I pay $10/50lbs for this mix.

Oat hay when we can get it in the spring. I have a good source of alfalfa hay in the summer. And, we have access to peanut hay in the fall. We supplement does who need it.

But, I see a lot of Nigerian Dwarfs that are too fat. And, it's because of what you are saying.