Need to know the ins and outs of feeding...

[Birdy]

Hello all!! I'm new to the site.

I'm a teen 4-H'er. I've raised chickens/ducks/geese for ten years (they're my first passion!), and rabbits for 5 years. I've wanted goats for about 5 years, but never have really looked into getting them.

The past few days I've been doing some research. The internet and books are great....but there are so many ideas and opinions I'm having trouble figuring out what to believe. x) So I'm here to get some advice and get a general opinion.

I'm looking to get two Nigerian Dwarves- a doe to milk, and a wether to keep her company. I live in mid-eastern Missouri, so that can kind of give you an idea about climate. I have about 1 1/2- 2 acres I could fence in for goats, but I probably won't be able to get it all fenced in soon. I'd start with something smaller (what's a good size to start out with?). The property is mostly thick brushy undergrowth with a few grassy patches here and there.

If I should need to grain goats, what kind of grain is my best bet? What will a lactating doe need? Also, will grass hay be fine? Should I offer salt/minerals?

I know when it comes to our horses, I prefer straight whole oats as grain, and a simple orchard grass hay (sometimes supplemented with alfalfa when it's cold). Less fillers and junk for their systems to deal with, and not too much alfalfa to kill their kidneys. I like a simple, kind of holistic method.

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer!

 

[babsbag]

My dairy goats are Alpine and I live in California. Our grass hay is as expensive as alfalfa so I feed straight alfalfa. The pasture is probably 150x 75 and I have about 14 goats living in that space. I feed no grain to my animals unless they are on the milking stand. If they are raising kids and I am not milking them they get nothing but alfalfa, and they look fat and sassy.

Wethers don't need the grain, at all, and it can be dangerous for them to have grain, too much phosphorous. With all goats you want to try and keep the calcium to phosphorous ratio at 2:1. Wethers and bucks can get urinary calculi when they have to much phosphorous in their diet and it can be fatal.

Many people feed grain and pelletized feed to their goats, and they feed orchard grass too, but where I live most of my friends with dairy goats feed as I do.

This is a very condensed version. Volumes have been written about feeding goats.

You will need to find a buck for breeding if you want to milk her every year.

 

[Catahoula]

Welcome!
Unfortunately if you ask 100 people what they feed their goats, you may get 100 answers. What I understood was goat's basic needs are water, hay and loose minerals. I have two Boer wethers, one Alpine wether and one Alpine doe. They are all pets. I feed them alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets with some sunflower seeds. They used to eat grains as growing kids. I would mix the alfalfa pellets with the grains to ensure proper CAH ratio. I just continue giving them alfalfa pellets just out of habit. Loose minerals for goats so they get extra nutrient. Loose mineral is better than block minerals because they can eat that better. I also place baking soda (prevent bloat) and Kelp meal (another supplement) free choice for them. I have fenced in 2 acres for four goats. I also have a 20' round pen I can gather them in if I don't want them to roam around. They have a 12'x 26' enclosed shelter that protect them from large predators and the weather. They are locked in every night before sun down.
Try to build a shelter bigger than you think you'll need. You just never know when you need more space...like keeping the kids, temporary housing the buck if you lease one to breed your doe, quarantine for sick goat and even storage space and milking stand... It would be great if you can give them all 1.5 acres. They would LOVE it. To start, you can do 40'x40' which is decent for two little girl. Some people may have less or more but just want to give you an idea.
Hope this helps.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

Real quick...I did not read the replies but you can not feed straight grain to wethers or bucks. It WILL cause UC. I myself am not a fan of feeding straight grain to any goats, I like feed with grain in it.

Find a goat feed (not sheep feed) or cattle feed with a 2:1 - 3:1 Ca to P ratio, high fiber (in the 14-18% range), high protein (16-18%) and fat in the 2-4% range.

Grass hay is fine but most people like Alfalfa hay, which is the best hay for goats but is very expensive. I feed mine grass hay only as do most people and it is fine.

Never give goats free choice salt. Ever. Give a loose mineral free choice with a 2:1 Ca to P ratio and be sure it has 10-12% salt, no more than that, and if in a selenium or copper deficient area get one with higher amounts.

Oh and stay away from sweet feeds and anything with molasses in it. They are crap feeds.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Like Catahoula said, 100 people 100 opinions.

I think Straw Hat gave you the ideal feeding plan.

You can definitely raise healthy happy goats with grass hay. Where we live alphalfa is very expensive.

I feed mine the best available hay I can get. Mostly Coastal Bermuda. In the spring when there is fresh cut Oat/rye hay I get it because it is better. If I can't get bermuda grass, I have fed fescue/orchard.

I don't feed a 16% protein feed.

I feed a 12% locally mixed all stock feed.

I agree with Straw Hat that 16% is ideal, but I purchase the most readily available cost effective.

I do also give all of mine alphalfa pellets. And free choice loose minerals.

We give ours an annual selenium booster injection because our vet told us that our area was deficient.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

Protein is extremely important to goats. If you can (this is to the OP, not you OFA) I would get it as high as you can but not above 18%. A low protein diet is not good for goats and if you don't have other ways of keeping it up your goats will suffer.

btw the alfalfa pellets are a good way of upping protein but you MUST still feed hay, never the pellets alone.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I have five full size dairy milking does and feed about 1/3 of a bag of Chaffhaye and about 3 pounds of Calf Manna in the morning (to split between them) along with free choice alfalfa 24/7. They get a 16-18% dairy goat grain while on the milking stand and they usually eat about 1-2 pounds of that. They also have clean fresh water and free choice Sweelix Meat Maker (2:1 ca/ph) free choice minerals.