What do you feed your goats????

[cmjust0]

If you can get first cut cheap, get it...but feed it when it's really, really cold out.

Stems = heat, and goats know it. My experience has been that when you throw stemmy hay (be it stemmy clover, or timothy/clover) when it's cold, you don't have NEARLY the "tumbleweed" problem you do when you feed it while it's warm out.

That's just my experience with my herd, though...but try it.

 

[savingdogs]

That is interesting to note. Would it have to do with there being less forage in the winter as well? My goats seem much pickier now that it is summer and there are so many food choices for them.

 

[mossyStone]

Cm even when we had three feet of snow a few winters ago those girls of mine poop and pee'd on the frist cutting Alfalfa.. The won't eat it...... They will eat the leafy yumms thats it!

I am trying this grass mix now Timothy / Alfalfa mix we'll see....
I may go to Alfalfa pellets and local hay and see how that goes..


Thing is to switch them takes a while

I think i need a cow to clean up after them LOL!

Mossy Stone Farm

 

[savingdogs]

I love using the alfalfa pellets but give mine hay as well. They do seem to like them and some of my other livestock like it as well so it is useful and I don't have to worry about my wether eating it.

 

[ALANB]

HERD MASTER ; I agree with you partialy , Actualy Goats are very finiky eaters !! But if you have good grass pasture you don't need anything else . Except , I pen up my Kidding Nannies and my one Milker for the house-hold and supplement them with good Alfalfa and rolled Barley . plus a small salt block and ALWAYS Fresh water !!! Warning , as most of you know , they will kill your Fruit trees instantly !!! Any pen-pals write to me tp bebop@i10net.com ........... , ALANB.

 

[()relics]

HERD MASTER.....ALANB.

Wait A Minute...is her Greatness Kim Roll here too

 

[Roll farms]

:LOL Shut up Mr. Dan....

CM is a fellow master of the herd, I believe that's who AlanB was speaking to....

(I laughingly told ()relics that I got a phone call from someone who asked if I was "the one they call "Herdmaster" on BYH" and he won't shush about it now...I explained to the caller that that's an automatic title you get for posting a lot, NOT for knowing a lot....)

 

[cmjust0]

Cm even when we had three feet of snow a few winters ago those girls of mine poop and pee'd on the frist cutting Alfalfa.. The won't eat it...... They will eat the leafy yumms thats it!

Try feeding less of it.

I am trying this grass mix now Timothy / Alfalfa mix we'll see....
I may go to Alfalfa pellets and local hay and see how that goes..

If you can get timothy/clover somewhere...aaahhhhhhh...that's actually my favorite "grass hay" for cold winter feeding. Timothy has one of the more favorable Ca ratios of all grasses, and clover -- to me, anyway -- is like a po' man's alfalfa.

Thing is to switch them takes a while

I'll tell on myself a little bit here...I'm not NEARLY so careful switching hay as I am switching bagged feed. Careful, yes, but not like 10/90, 20/80, blah blah blah -- especially if I'm going from something stout like alfalfa to something a little less fancy like grass..

I don't advise that, of course...but I do it.

 

[cmjust0]

asked if I was "the one they call "Herdmaster"

That immediately makes me think of Rick Moranis from Ghostbusters...."I am the gatekeeper. Are you the keymaster?"

I explained to the caller that that's an automatic title you get for posting a lot, NOT for knowing a lot...

Agreed, and often guilty as charged.

Besides...shouldn't you be a "Herd Mistress" anyway?

 

[jodief100]

If you can get timothy/clover somewhere...aaahhhhhhh...that's actually my favorite "grass hay" for cold winter feeding. Timothy has one of the more favorable Ca ratios of all grasses, and clover -- to me, anyway -- is like a po' man's alfalfa.

Cool, I did not know that and I can get Timothy/clover pretty cheap right now. $2.50 a bale as compared to 4-5 for alfalfa. I feed stockpiled pasture in the winter and I like to keep hay out for them as well. They seem to prefer pasture unless there is snow on the ground. I can buy a lot of grain to supplement at a dollar difference a bale.

Nutritionally, Dr. Pinkerton told me most goats need 13% protein. More for late gestation and lactating does. Does that sound right?

So what is the approximate protein on timothy/clover as compared to alfalfa?