# Feeding young show does



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

This year we are feeding a different feed and supplements to my kids young 4-H breeding does. They are eating and growing well, but a couple of them look sunken in and I don't know why, but I am guessing it's not really that they aren't eating enough or drinking enough, but that it may be because they are eating too much protein and/or fiber.
A couple of them have clumpy/dog poo log type of poo. Again, I am suspecting dietary not parasite.

I'm not sure what I should change. I'm the first to admit I've never been great at figuring out this feed stuff.

They are getting a weaning pellet, a heat stabilized rice bran pellet, and beet pulp w/molasses.

Feed tag









Beet pulp tag









Rice Bran supplement

Crude Protein (min) &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;12.5%
Crude Fat (min) &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; 18.0%
Free Fatty Acids (max)&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.4.00%
Crude Fiber (max)&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.13.00%
Calcium (min) &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.. 1.75%
Calcium (max) &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. 2.25%
Phosphorus (min) &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; 1.75%

There are 5 young does - 3-4mo

Morning & evening each -
4-6lbs. of feed, 1 large cup of beet pulp, and 1 large cup of rice bran supplement. They eat about half, and come/go through the day & night for the rest.

Just started adding the TSC goat electrolytes to their water today, although I may switch them over to powdered Gatorade (if they make a flavor other than lemon lime), or a horse electrolyte (apple flavor).

They also get a grass mix hay, and graze a little bit in their pen.

Think I am over doing it, and need to back off on something?


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Whoops! your post got missed. Did you end up changing anything? Sounds like each kid is getting about 2lbs of feed each per day which doesn't seem outrageous for creep feeding. The only thing that stands out to me on that pellet is the 5% fat which is higher than what I usually see in goat feeds (2-3%) but I have no idea if that may contribute or is normal for show feeds.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks, I almost forgot about this thread lol.

I am weaning the girls off of the rice bran supplement, they only get about 3/4 of a large cup.
I am thinking I'll just stick with the feed, a little beet pulp, and just add a little rice bran oil once a day, mostly because it's done such a great job with the yearlings coats/skin. 

I'm trying to look for a decent clover/mix hay locally. Our hay used to have a lot of clover, but last year's cutting had very little. For some reason they aren't eating the hay as well as they usually do, It's just the last 4 bales (last years cutting), nothing wrong with it that we can see/smell, just picky little rotten butts lol.


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

The clumpy poop might have been from the rice bran on top of the already higher fat feed. 
I personally would mostly feed the pellet feed, and add beet pulp for more filler/weight, rice bran for coat shine and condition if they need it. 

For water consumption, try bluelite electrolyte mix. It smells and tastes like blue raspberry sport drink, pretty good actually :lol: And it's loaded with vitamins and such. Or try some koolaid, my skinny goat gained 70lbs in 3 months with the only dietary change being the koolaid, no grain even, so it definitely works for water consumption! Mine had a favorite flavor, tropical punch was a hit with all of them, so I'd try that.
And you don't have to mix the koolaid strong, just a few scoops in a 5 gallon bucket for flavor.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> The clumpy poop might have been from the rice bran on top of the already higher fat feed.
> I personally would mostly feed the pellet feed, and add beet pulp for more filler/weight, rice bran for coat shine and condition if they need it.
> 
> For water consumption, try bluelite electrolyte mix. It smells and tastes like blue raspberry sport drink, pretty good actually :lol: And it's loaded with vitamins and such. Or try some koolaid, my skinny goat gained 70lbs in 3 months with the only dietary change being the koolaid, no grain even, so it definitely works for water consumption! Mine had a favorite flavor, tropical punch was a hit with all of them, so I'd try that.
> And you don't have to mix the koolaid strong, just a few scoops in a 5 gallon bucket for flavor.


Thanks I appreciate it! That's what we are going to do, weaning them off of the rice bran pellet, and just going to stick with plenty of feed, some rice bran oil and beet pulp.

We do add the TSC goat electrolytes to their water, and they like it. In fact, the wethers are drinking it up. A friend told me they use apple electrolytes for horses and their goats really like it. So I'd been debating on changing. Do you think the koolaid would be better, or stick with electrolytes?

We do set out plain water as well.


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Mine don't like electrolyte mixes as much as koolaid or juice water. The only electrolyte mine like is the bluelite, and its like $160 for a 50lb bag..... :shock: So mine get juice or koolaid :lol: before I sold a lot of my goats, I had 8 adult does and 6 younger kids in the pen and they easily went through 15-20 gallons in one "serving" I guess--they went through that in about a half hour. 

If your goats like the apple flavored stuff I'd keep doing that, hydrationis extremely important for their metabolism


----------

