Meat Goat v/s Dairy Goat Feeds

[helmstead]

I've been lurking, and find my fingers dying to post on this topic, so I'll start a thread to avoid further hijacking the original thread (http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11618&p=3).

Those who are advising against long term use of a meat goat feed in dairy goats, this is for you.

The ONLY differences are:
1) a coccistat (Deccox/Rumesin/etc)
2) ammonium chloride (part of the time)

The whole reason there is dairy goat feed is that you don't want the coccistat in milk. It IS transferred into the milk at a certain rate, and coccistats are not healthy for single stomached mammals.

And, the reason you tend to find AC in meat goat feeds is that they raise more wethers, which are most prone to UC.

Otherwise...there IS NO DIFFERENCE.

We have used meat goat feeds for our whole herd from the very beginning. The coccistat keeps your soil and GI resident cocci loads lower. The AC keeps your bucks healthier and DOES NOT negatively affect the does (who, BTW, get UC, too!). Using a medicated feed is just another measure towards a cocci prevention program...one that is advisable to most herds.

The only time you really must use a 'dairy' formula is when you are milking for human consumption. When we are doing so, only our lactating doe pen gets switched to the dairy formula...ALL OTHER GOATS are on medicated meat goat pellets.

It's just like any other animal feed - there are different formulations for different things. For instance, there's dog food for toy breed dogs and for your average adult dog...but you're not going to hurt a Shih Tzu if you feed it the adult formula, and you're not going to hurt the Lab if you feed it the toy formula. It's still dog food.

I've said it before. A goat is a goat is a goat. It doesn't matter if it's an Angora, a Boer or a LaMancha - they all work the same way.

Back into lurker-dome I go...watching the topic with interest.

 

[ksalvagno]

My feed store doesn't offer dairy or meat goat feed. They just offer medicated or non-medicated so I have never had a specific formula anyway. Glad to know it really doesn't matter.

When I first got goats, I went to all the local feed stores and got tags for their feeds. Then I compared them to a feed that was considered a very good goat feed and got the feed that was closest to that. My goats have been fine. Right now I don't feed the medicated to all my goats but I don't have the option to separate milking and non milking goats. All the feed at my feed store has ammonium chloride in it so it doesn't matter if the feed is medicated or non-medicated for that.

 

[freemotion]

Glad you are lurking. I feel safer now with my goats.....I appreciated all your input on the "Help!!!" threads.

Just a reminder, Helmstead saved several of my goat's lives in the past year. Notably, Peach and her triplets, who are thriving. Last year, Plum was vomiting and her advice saved her. Plum is now producing oodles of milk and has a healthy buckling. At least six goats are alive and well because of Kate.

 

[Our7Wonders]

Glad to know you're lurking - I miss you! And Helmstead has helped me many, many times - both on the board and via e-mail/PM.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

So happy to see you out of lurkdom.

I have a question about medicated feeds and I've done a little sleuthing to try and find the answer and so far haven't been able to. My question is this: I don't meet the suggested daily feeding amount by a long shot. We go heavy on the alfalfa and feed less grain that what is directed on the bag. Does that mean that I am under-dosing a coccidiostat with ramifications similar to under-dosing with dewormers or antibiotics? I like the idea of feeding a medicated feed because whatever I can do to keep cocci levels in check is good insurance IMO, but I'd like to see some research that shows conclusively (insofaras anything with goats can be considered conclusive ) that I am not creating super cocci by under-dosing a medication on a daily basis. Is this less of a concern because a coccidiostat inhibits reproduction rather than actually killing them?

 

[helmstead]

Thanks, y'all.

Nicki - Deccox is an inhibitor, it doesn't actually kill any of the cocci, just inhibits growth (works at 5 different stages of the cycle). So, with Deccox, undermedicating adults isn't a huge deal - but in KIDS you want to somehow achieve the correct dose (Deccox-M is the best way to do this with kids, then creep feeding keeps that gap filled until they're past the 6 month mark).

Rumesin is different. If your feed contains Rumesin and you're not feeding according to the mill's directions, you're underdosing. Rumesin and Bovatek actually KILL cocci, and you don't want to ruin that.

If you are at all concerned, purchase Deccox crumbles and add these as a topdress to non-medicated feed to ensure the proper dose. The feed we use, for instance, recommends 3.5 lbs per 100 lbs of goat per DAY, which is no problem here...even when we mix in alfalfa pellets and booster pellets, we do not reduce the feed pellet.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Ok- thanks! I was thinking that there might be a difference in the coccidiostats and the coccidiocides in terms of under-dosage risks. Good info!

 

[PJisaMom]

The only time you really must use a 'dairy' formula is when you are milking for human consumption. When we are doing so, only our lactating doe pen gets switched to the dairy formula...ALL OTHER GOATS are on medicated meat goat pellets.

I have a question, and I appreciate the clarifications you've provided. If there is essentially no difference between a meat and dairy pelleted feed, other than the specific AC and anti-cocci meds, then wouldn't and UN-medicated meat goat feed be considered essentially a "dairy" feed? (Please tell me yes, as I just returned from the feed store with a bag of unmedicated ADM Goat Power for my one-week fresh doe...)

I tried to put her on an unmedicated sweet feed slowly before she had the babies, but she's adamantly opposed to it. Did I mention adamantly?

If it's *not* the "same" or if I'm missing the point, steer me to an actual feed name that one could use for lactating does...

Thanks!

 

[RPC]

Thank you for posting this I was wondering what the true differences really were. I have boers so I feed the meat goat anyway but am always curious whats different with other feeds and why.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

The only time you really must use a 'dairy' formula is when you are milking for human consumption. When we are doing so, only our lactating doe pen gets switched to the dairy formula...ALL OTHER GOATS are on medicated meat goat pellets.

I have a question, and I appreciate the clarifications you've provided. If there is essentially no difference between a meat and dairy pelleted feed, other than the specific AC and anti-cocci meds, then wouldn't and UN-medicated meat goat feed be considered essentially a "dairy" feed? (Please tell me yes, as I just returned from the feed store with a bag of unmedicated ADM Goat Power for my one-week fresh doe...)

I tried to put her on an unmedicated sweet feed slowly before she had the babies, but she's adamantly opposed to it. Did I mention adamantly?

If it's *not* the "same" or if I'm missing the point, steer me to an actual feed name that one could use for lactating does...

Thanks!

You're better off with your ADM ration than the sweet feed anyway. I was interested to read recently that the molasses in sweet feed is high in iron and can interfere with copper absorption. Kate can probably give us a short list of other reasons not to feed sweet feed... She'll be the one to clarify, but I *think* your unmedicated Goat Power is fine for your lactating gal. I'm thinking it's 15% instead of 16%...