# Grain for Pregnant Does?



## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

:help: Our Nadine, is due the end of April. She's a big Alpine girl and has been sturdy and healthy so far. She gets alfalfa hay twice daily (1/2 to 1 flake per feeding). Of course she always acts like she's starving. I give her a couple of handfuls of crimped oats with BOSS every couple of days or wet COB on rare occasions. I don't have very big hands, so maybe she's getting 1/2 - 3/4 cup max at at time. 

Not sure I have this right, since I read it over in a hurry, but I read the previous posts here about the WAD does and how it's a good idea to feed them more liberally during the kids' most crucial development in the middle of the pregnancy and a bit less near kidding. We've almost missed that time period. 

I understand that too much grain will tend to make the babies too large, but we don't want them too small either. Do we? :scratch: 

What would be a good method of feeding her for the rest of her time? I'm open to suggestions.

I'm going to our brand new TSC today and can pick up whatever would be good for Nadine. 

Thanks in advance. :thankU: 

Anna


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

Was she gettin grain before? I fed Luna a half milk ration during the last half of her pregnancy. about 1lb a day. plus a free feed bermuda with a bermuda/alfalfa pellet. she was in great trim for the birth. I would say as long as she dosent get fat go for it, but hey I could be wrong. I did read that pregnant does need a maintinance diet to help with the kid development.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Since you have a brand new TSC nearby....I would highly reccomend the Blue Seal Caprine Challenger as well as the alfalfa pellets....mine have done very well on that brand of feed, and it is goat specific will all of the vitamins and minerals as well as selenium anmd copper, your doe being this close to delivery, I would not give her any more grains other than what you have as it will cause the kids to grow very quickly. I woulds sub that 1/4 to 1/2 cup with whatever grain you do decide to get.
Oh and as far as loose minerals, mine thrive on the Dumor pasture minerals..it is labled fo cattle and goats and has all they need in it.
And also try out the oatmeal raisin cookies for horses on your goaties...it's made by Dumor as well....mine LOVE them!
Have fun shopping! TSC is my FAVORITE store!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I would slowly up her grain so that she can stay in good condition while getting ready fo rmilk an producing milk. Standard Dairy goats have a differnet demand on their system them pygmy goats do (which is what the study was for). 

I adapted the graining to fit what I like and what I do is up their feed at the crucial time, then I lower it for a month but right before kidding I start to up it again so that they have the grain needed to produce the milk.

It isnt an exact science but we shall see how it works.


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

I don't give my pregnant girls much at all.

once they hit the third trimester, I give the standards 1/2 -3/4 a pound of grain daily and the nigerians a 1/3 to 1/2 a pound.

I use kings sweet n' sassy for my goats and I LOVE IT!! 

you should be able to get it where your at too..
they add copper to it, and its made with distillers grains. i think its an awesome feed


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## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

I'm in kind of a unique situation with Nadine. I don't have free rein with her since she's my daughter's doe and she lives at the school farm. My daughter has been advised by the ag teachers not to give Nadine anything but hay to avoid potentially difficult births. I have to be a little sneaky when I give the goaties things. :roll: 

We'll have to supply our own feed soon, due to the school budget woes, so maybe then we can feed more freely. I can't wait to have my own goats, then I can make all the "mistakes" I want. (Sorry, sarcasm, :angry: ) 

I didn't have all the info and suggestions when I went shopping, so I think I may just have to drive out to TSC tomorrow -- alone. :angel2:

Thanks all. 

Anna


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I havent heard much good about AG teachers which is a shame.  many people dont grain their goats till they kid, I spoil mine and they get grain all year round at least once a day


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## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

Stacey, you're right. It is a shame. I understand that the animals are usually seen as "just livestock", in some circles. But if I were a teacher, I would want my students to really learn how to treat their animal projects humanely and with some common sense, even if the animal is destined for slaughter. 

Maybe it's something in the training of ag teachers that leads them to act the way they do. Don't get me wrong, there are several at the school for which I have respect, but there are others that just rub me the wrong way. My daughter will never raise another hog, due to the swine adviser's attitude and practices during last year's project season. 

I tend to want to spoil my animals, too. Heck, I already do that with all the pets at home. Why should the goaties get different treatment?

Thanks Stacey. :stars: 

Anna


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

as someone who's planning to be an ag teacher.. it's not their faults.. alot of teachers don't have expertise with all types of animals.. for instance one of mine was a hog person and the other was a dairy cow person..

If i were you i'd go to the teacher and offer to help out with goats, they probably don't know much about them.

if they get offended then its not a good teacher


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## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

If I offended with my rant, I absolutely meant no offense. 

I have a lot of respect for people who dedicate themselves to teaching. It's a very hard job and not valued as it should be. So, I ask you to forgive me if you feel I misspoke.

My gripes have never been with the profession itself, they've been with the personalities and harmful quirks of those who are instructing and guiding young people. Teachers can make or break a child's school experience. Being a teacher carries an immense amount of power, but some folks in the field have a hard time with appropriate uses of that power. 

I wish you all the best in your education. I have no doubts that you'll be a first-rate educator. 

:rose: :rose: :rose: My apologies. Offending others is not what I had planned. 

I really am a nice person, honestly.  

Anna


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Anna, I honestly don't think you offended anyone! :hug: You were not mean at all, so I hope you don't feel as if you were.

It's been years since I was in school and yes you do have a very good point, teachers hold the futures of our kids in their hands...after all, once babies hit the age for school, those that are with them 8+ hours a day really do make a big impact on their life....There are some teachers that I loved and others that really hould have been in another profession. Your daughters Ag teacher is either goat ignorant or just doesn't care enough to learn with his/her students as far as the care goes.


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

I'm not upset.. i'm just saying that the teacher might not know about goats.. i know for sheep they are never supposed to get grain unless they have 3 or 4 lambs..

i would give her grain.. but not alot, goat's stomachs aren't designed to handle massive amounts of grain..


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

*coughs* sheep aren't supposed to get grain unless they have 3 or 4 lambs? Over here you dont give a twin sheep grain and you're going the right way for pregnancy toxemia...

I give single sheep hardly any grain, twin sheep build up to 2lbs grain at the end of pregnancy. EVERYONE in Ireland feeds sheep grain. I have never met a farmer over here who doesnt. This is in the last trimester of pregnancy and the first couple of weeks after lambing.

LW


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

my 4h leader has 40 head of cotswolds and doesn't grain unless she has 3 or 4 on a ewe.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

If she's had free access to good quality hay, she should be fine. Goats generally can get most of the nutrition they need from hay, even when pregnant, until the last month of pregnancy. During the last month is when most of growth occurs--when the kids are taking up so much space in the abdomen, the rumen has less room to expand and the doe will not be able to eat as much hay as she needs...this is the time to start gradually adding a more concentrated feed source. Does that are fed too much grain early in a pregnancy put on fat and are more likely to develop Ketosis.


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