# Feeding bull rations to show goat



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

We have a breeding stock show doe. I have a friend that feeds her breeding show does bull rations from our local feed store vs. feeding goat pellets. She says the does do better on the higher fat vs. The higher protein. She also only hays in the winter. They also don't believe you should have show goats in pasture, only dry lot. All her goats look great & they do well @ shows. I'm still trying to learn tricks & tips to finishing out breeding show stock. So please discuss thoughts on this feeding regime, your feeding regime, anything that you think I could benefit from!! My daughter has caught the showing "bug" & we want to help her be as successful in the show ring as possible!


----------



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

I, by the way, can't stand the thought of drylotting so have mine turned out in an acre pasture w/ bermuda & plenty of weeds!


----------



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

Hello out there! Lol!


----------



## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

You have to relax sometimes it takes a day or 2 to get answeres.

I only drylot my wethers and Thats just bc all ny pens are inside the barn and they are kept i pens. My does are leased for atleast a few hours most days

Not shure about the bull ration

show goat/lamb equipment
www.Facebook.com/wickedshowchains


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Im not sure about bull ration either. Ours are not on pasture but that is due to space not by choice. We feed what's called Boer Goat Developer.
You are going to find that there's many components that go into a great show animal besides feed.
There's also genetics involved.


----------



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

goatgirl132 said:


> You have to relax sometimes it takes a day or 2 to get answeres/QUOTE]
> 
> Well hollering hello worked now didn't it? Lmbo!!


----------



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

nancy d said:


> Im not sure about bull ration either. Ours are not on pasture but that is due to space not by choice. We feed what's called Boer Goat Developer.
> You are going to find that there's many components that go into a great show animal besides feed.
> There's also genetics involved.


Learning the components is making my head spin haha!!. Guess we'll learn by trial & error. Thanks!


----------



## hscottom87 (Mar 21, 2013)

I may give the bull rations a whirl. Like I said, her does look great. I always hear people talk about haying so I was confused when she said she don't. I guess I need to learn the nitty gritty of their nutritional needs to better figure this all out.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I agree with you about the dry lot, but it seems the dry lot ones do better then the ones that are not. They are bored and so all they do all day long is eat. Right now I have some young girls that I am keeping from the buck, I only have a small pen, well not that small but still smaller, and they have gained like crazy, again, bored and eating a lot. Now Im not into showing or anything like that, and Im with you all the components and suck just seem to not stick in my brain and understand it lol. First if you choose to go with the bull stuff, look at the tag and make sure it has no urea, I do feed my goats stuff that does have urea in it and have not had any issues with it, but still I hear so much about urea causeing issues. Now if everything looks good on the tag, honestly, since your friends goats do seem to do good on it, I would try it. I cant find any good goat feed with higher protein, and if I do the price is soooooo high, I cant afford that. I have a friend with such nice looking goats, she feed sheep feed from the feed store. I went ahead and got some since it was just a little bit higher then sweet feed and has high protein in it. Im with you, trial and err, if you find its not doing what you want, its not that hard to slowly change them back over to to another feed


----------



## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

I hay
i dont do alfalfa.
I do coastal

Not her goas may look great because of amazing genetics. Now just becasuse you feed bull ration dosent mean your giats will just sprout to national champion goats.
Just hopin you know
No affence 
show goat/lamb equipment
www.Facebook.com/wickedshowchains


----------



## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

goatgirl132 said:


> I hay
> i dont do alfalfa.
> I do coastal
> 
> ...


Very true.

I do a pen with some browse, not really pasture though. 16% protien grain and add supplements depending on how they look. I also give a bagged hay with molasses made for horses.

Its more than a certain feed and dry lots. There is so much more that goes into raising winning goats


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We still have so much to learn too. I think one issue with dry lot feeding is to reduce parasite issues. That is a big problem in these parts especially this time of year with everything starting to grow.

We feed the same kind of feed as Nancy, we get it from a local feed mill.
We started adding in something called Stamm 30 <horse supplement>, and also give the does a little rice bran oil <it'll help their coat shine especially after the finish shedding winter coats>.

We're also going to start giving them something called Depth Charge. I was told it's a great way to make them look filled out & not sunken in <which has been our biggest issue>.

I've never heard of giving bull rations, or don't know what that means either LOL


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes very true about genetics. A bull ration is just feed that you would give to a bull, I have never purchased it so Im not sure what all it has in it. Hoosiershadow have you ever tried sunflower seeds for their coats? We had a feed mill that would carry it all the time and OMG what it did to our calfs, it was awsome!!

Are you going to be getting your feed from a feed store or a feed mill? I have noticed most feed stores are so helpful on figuring out what what feed to give and for what reason. But still, I dont see a issue with giving a goat a feed that is made for another animal, again the only thing I know about that can make a goat sick is the urea  But the people here are right just because it works for her does not mean that it will work for you. Is it getting hot where your at? Your goats are not going to eat as much if its getting hot, with my kids I do give them grain in the morning, but right before it starts to cool off I make sure the creep feeder is cram pack full and by morning it will be all gone. Its cooler so they will eat more, and actually will put on weight eating a lot at night. They say if you want to loose weight dont eat after 4, that way you still work off what you ate, so im sure with the goats they eat, go to sleep and gain weight


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We get ours at a feed mill, but the feed is not made there <we use the same thing as Nancy>.
We did use BOSS last year, but IMO rice bran oil just seems cheaper & the goats seem to eat their grain/supplement better when I mix it in their feed.
We don't have to give them much of the rice bran oil, and I think we pay $20 a gallon. I just started them back on it after trying it for a few weeks earlier in the year on a doe, and she just glistened. After almost a week her goat is glistening again and looks so slick and oily <it's not really oily lol>.
The other two does are shedding, so it might be a while before we see their true outcome from using it.


----------

