# Honestly now Please!



## mtgoat (Aug 20, 2011)

I have 4 alpine wethers that are 1 year old now actually. I am new to goats but I have had them since Sept. of last year. I feed them hay/alfalfa mix in the correct ratio. But I have not had the chance to build a feeder so I just put the hay on the ground for them. I got to admit, and I'm not telling any of you anything new here, but they do waste alot. I don't think very much of the stem gets eaten at all actually. 

So here is my question, If I build a feeder for my 4 boys will they actually eat more of the stems?

Thanks,

Marlowe
Great Falls, MT.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

yes, they will waste less but still leave something every day that doesn't taste so well.

If you have other animals - cows, horses, etc. - you can feed this "waste" to them or use is for bedding for your goats.


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

We feed just enough that they clean it up before the next feeding. That way they eat pretty much everything.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I build my hay feeders using 4" square hog panels. with the 4" hog panel the goats can only reach one stem at a time.
Premier catalog has plans for a feeder that works very well.
I also have plans for a hay feeder for big round hay bails.
I have 8 of these round bail feeders for my sheep they work very well.


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## mtgoat (Aug 20, 2011)

*Thanks Folks*

I have the 4 boys on the neighbors pasture now so they will not be needing much hay now. I went to the Premier site, http://www.premier1supplies.com/, and found a copy of the feeders, http://www.premier1supplies.com/instructions.php. Thanks for the info. I will build one. And what is left over for hay I will give to the neighbors horses. Boy goats can be finicky eaters. 

Here is a pic of the boys doing what they do best, eating. Just a year old now. Alpines and they weigh right at 100lbs. They are fun on a walk.

Marlowe
Great Falls, MT


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Good looking boys 

You should never feed on the ground. You feed on the ground, at some point you worm them (once and then again in 10 days or per instructions). But because you have been feeding on the ground, they are no re ingesting the same parasites that you just wormed.

I like rail feeders myself. Going to try and post 4 pics. First time, wish me luck ... Nope to big, so I posted them on my site and linked the URL here.

http://trinitypackgoats.webs.com/apps/p ... d=13456147


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