They don't seem to like the coastal...
- Thread starter Moody
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Mike CHS
Herd Master
When I was a youngun we had field peas that was made into hay and the cows hit it like Cow Candy. About the only detail I remember is that those bails were HEAVY after 4 or 5 hundred of them. 
jodief100
True BYH Addict
I am not a nice as Southern, I would make them suck it up. Goats do not like to eat unfamiliar foods. They eat what their mommas taught them to eat. When introduced to something new, it takes a lot of tasting before they finally eat it. Give them a few days with the coastal, they will eat it eventually. Right now they don't touch it because they have better choices. When they have no choice, they will eat it.
Southern by choice
Herd Master
I'm not that nice ... selfishly motivated though. Meat goats have to suck it up. My dairy girls, I WANT MY MILK!
Funny too because my goats favorite is not alfalfa like most dairy goats.
They love timothy and orchard. We get the alfalfa orchard mix so they will eat it. BRATS!Kiko's are never picky ... they eat anything and never seem to be affected. We got some really awful hay in ... and I mean awful... Kiko's fine. My dairy bucks wouldn't touch it.
OneFineAcre
Herd Master
I should put this under the "you might be country" thread.
We still just give the coastal free choice, and give the peanut hay as a treat. I try to stretch it out through the winter. A little bit like we use the alfalfa. I bought 30 bales of alfalfa this summer, and have about a half bale left.
It so funny though, when you put it out the first thing they do is search all through it looking for the peanuts. There is probably 50lbs of peanuts in every bale of hay.
We didn't have a square bale of coastal to take to the fair, so Maurine stopped at an Ace Hardware an bought a bale of Timothy/Orchard grass. Man, they sure like that. It smelled so sweet I wanted to try some. Of course, it was $10.
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Moody
Loving the herd life
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Looks good! I never thought goats would be picky.... I always heard they eat anything.
jodief100
True BYH Addict
I hear that a lot. I have come to the conclusion the "goats eat anything" came from people who saw goats eat what their cows and horses wouldn't- weeds, trees, brush. They decided that goats must eat "anything" not realizing it wasn't that they eat anything but have different nutritional needs than cows and horses.
It drives me nuts because I see a lot of goats in bad shape due to people getting them and thinking they will eat "anything" they aren't providing proper nutrition for them. By the time they call me it is usually too late.
Climbing down from my soap box now......
Baymule
Herd Master
@Moody where in Texas are you? I am in southeast Texas, moving to the Tyler area. Do you have yaupon growing in your area? My horses think it is candy and I have had cows fatten up on it when there wasn't grass in the woods. And it is a great fire starter too, the green leaves flare like gasoline. You can also pick the leaves, let them dry and make a tea. Yaupon has caffeine in it and makes a good tea. I bet your goats would like yaupon too. Can you tell that I am a big fan of this shrub that most people dismiss as a trash plant? LOL
norseofcourse
Herd Master
Goats on caffeine??
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Goats on caffeine??
My goats love coffee and root beer and tea.
![:\](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/side.png "side :\")
I have learned to never take a mug of anything in with me... they suck it up. BRATS!
