NEW GOAT OWNER WHAT SHOULD I FEED HER

[happydays]

We have just acquired a doe she is one year old. We took her on as the owners were desperate to get rid of her. She has never had a kid and we dont intend to breed her she is purely a pet. We have half an acre of land and we hope to get her a friend as she is very lonely and cries a lot.

We are in Spain and at the moment she is just eating what is on the land. I am getting very confused as to all the information I keep reading.

Should I be supplementing her diet. Is it best to give her some alfalfa pellets or some grain or both or none. If so how much. She isnt a very large goat and I think she may be a little under weight. I dont think her old owners were feeding her very much just a bit of hay.

Should I also be giving her seperate minerals and vitamins.

I dont think we will be able to get hay as we dont have anywhere suitable to store it, but there is usually something to eat on the land all year round.

She is the most sweet goat and is very friendly she was following us around after only a couple of hours.

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Yes, she'll need a friend as soon as possible.
For her diet she needs:
water
hay
browse
goat feed
and a pan of goat minerals.

She'll need a nice fenced in yard and a lean to or some shelter. A dog house, lean too... etc.

What do you know about her past life? what breed is she, her shot history?

 

[happydays]

Hi thank you for the reply. She does have a shelter and half an acre which is all fenced. She was kept with a couple of other goats in a small pen with no grass or anything but soil. When you say she will need goat feed do you mean grains or alfalfa pellets. She has the half acre to graze on so does she really need hay aswell. We have ordered some goat wormer from the vet. We had a go at trimming her feet today as it looks as if they havent been done for a long time and she really did not like that so we will finish them off in a day or so as we didnt want to stress her too much. She has not been vacinated does she really need to be. Many thanks.

 

[redtailgal]

I have four goat on nice pasture. I am not feeding grain right now, as they have plenty of forage and are staying fat off of pasture alone. I'm not doing much hay right now either, but will put some out if its windy or rainy. My guys are hardy grazer/foragers and do well with this. They do need to have roughage daily, so you WILL need some hay, at least for the cold months and bad weather days.

Since she hasnt been getting grain, if you start it, you'll need to introduce it slowly, just a handful or so at first then gradually work her up to what she needs. As to how much she will need, that will depend on how big she is, the quality of feed, the quality of pasture and how efficient of a forager she is. Like I said, my guys stay fat and slick on air right now.

In the cooler months, I have been feeding a goat grain that is pelletized, but plan to switch to alfalfa pellets this winter.

She'll need minerals, a loose goat mineral (Not sheep blocks). She needs to have copper in her minerals, sheep products dont have the needed copper, so I'd suggest not using any sheep supplements or feed at all.

She does need a friend! It will make her happier, and safer.

Yes, I would definately vaccinate with a CDT shot (your vet should be able to help you locate that and advise you if there are other vaccination needed for your area). I would recommend getting her vaccianted as soon as possible.

Foot trimming........ug. HATE that job. I'm like you, little bits at a time, easier on the goats AND my back!

 

[TinyHouses]

Hay is a must. Goats are browsers and not grazers. Grass will not be sufficient for her. If she was in a haven of shrubbery you *might* be able to feed her off your land, but I am assuming that is not the case. Grain isn't necessary if you are not breeding her & making sure she has enough hay. She should have minerals made specifically for goats as they need copper & selenium in their diets and usually minerals are the best source for those. I would also give her a CDT shot 2cc subQ (the dose for all goats regardless of size), just to be on the safe side.
Enjoy her & post some pics when you can

 

[redtailgal]

I meant to ask about the wormer, too, lol.

I dont know how things are done there, so forgive me if I sound stupid.

I wouldnt recommend just giving her worm medication. Have your vet check her manure to make sure that there are worms, and so that you'll know what kind of worms there are and can medicate appropriately.

Worms will develop resistance to wormers and make then less effective, if not used properly. talk to your vet about the worm problems in your area, and ask him about resistance, as well.

You sound excited about your new doe! I know I was excited when I got mine. If you get a chance, I'd love to see a pic of her! lol, you'll soon be as addicted to goat kisses as I am!

And.....Welcome to BYH, It's very nice to meet you!

 

[elevan]

The things that are a MUST are:

Water - Good clean, fresh water at all times

Minerals/ Vitamins - A good mix that is higher in copper than is needed for sheep so don't buy sheep mineral. IF you cannot find goat mineral, go with cattle or deer mineral unless you have the ability and interest in mixing your own. If you have male goats your mineral needs to maintain at least a 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus and should include ammonium chloride.

Stemmy foodstuff - This can be in the form of year round browse or hay. (Hay is not a must unless you do not have year round browse). Grain products are not a required foodstuff for goats.

If you look at the Goat Feeding Discussion thread which is linked in my signature below then you will notice the wide range of ways that our members feed their goats. There is no one right way to feed them.

The one important factor in deciding what to feed is maintaining that 2:1 Cah ratio across your minerals and other feedstuff (including your browse - know your pasture!). Note that the calcium side can carry a heavier weight, especially in lactating does.

Another important thing to note is that the majority of our members are in the United States so what is available to us here may not be available to you there. That is why the basis of what to feed is more important than the exact foodstuff.

Welcome to BYH and welcome to goats!