Newbie needing feeding advice for possibly underfed does

[cmjust0]

True.. In my personal opinion, the ideal way to feed a goat is to provide access to sustainable browse and graze, supplemented with an appropriate mineral and plenty of fresh water..

My advice to anyone would be to start there and work downward with thoughtful supplementation as necessary -- no more, no less -- until you're successfully managing the reality of your particular situation.

 

[freemotion]

Absolutely!

 

[Jster]

Thanks for keeping this thread going with such great information! I had a couple difficult days at work and haven't been addressing goat issues other than the wonderful therapy they provide (yesterday after a sleepless night I went and watched the sunrise with my goats, it was very nice hearing the birds wake up and they enjoyed the company as well).

The only problem I saw with all the oats they were getting is that proportion wise, it was probably 2/3 oats, 1/3 goat chow, and just did not seem balanced. I'm sure oats are fine as part of a diet, but like I said these goats did not have access to pasture, did not have measured feeds but fought the chickens for their food, and did not appear to have hay or minerals offered. So it just led to an uneducated feeling that they weren't getting what they needed because they didn't have much choice. Now I'm happy that the does have lots of great pasture and I'm trying to make sure that the grain/supplements have variety for them.

My only worry now is they don't seem to be drinking much water. Could it be because they are eating a lot of green leaves and other watery plants? Ah, well, we just have to find balance.

 

[ksalvagno]

If they are out in pasture and eating the plants, they probably won't drink a lot. Yes, there is moisture content in the grass. My girls drink more water on days when I have to keep them locked up by the barn than when they are out in pasture.

 

[cmjust0]

I remember reading once that a large number of old-school herders in Africa believe goats don't drink water, so they don't provide water.. Obviously, they do drink water, but when they're grazing and browsing a lot, they may not touch it for days...we've seen that happen many times with our goats.

If you haven't already, set a good loose mineral mix out beside their water source. We switched to a custom blend mineral that's apparently MUCH more palatable than our old mix, and they're hitting it pretty consistently now.. The result is that their waterers are MUCH lower at night when we refresh them than they ever used to be.