# How do YOU feed your Boer bucks?



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

This be our first year into having our own buck & his wether bud.
They have been getting grass hay & a Boer Goat Developer at the rate of about 1 1/2lb twice daily. (+loose minerals)
Lately they havent been finishing it so I stated cutting it down until they are no longer getting it.
When feeding does they start fiddling with feed at about 9 mos & get cut down & out.
I want to hear about your feeding program for your Boer bucks & wethers. Thanks!


----------



## echocreekranch (Oct 7, 2009)

We are very new into goats and so far give our buck really nice grass hay, a handful of oat hay and free choice minerals.

I'm interested to see what others do. Our buck is young and I worry about overfeeding him and about stones....


----------



## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

When we had boers(and even now with dairy bucks) we just fed them good quality grass hay and free choice minerals out of breeding season, and during breeding season they got about a pound of oats a piece, they never finished it all anyway so that's why we gave them so much.


----------



## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

We feed ours free choice hay and a little grain...we adjust it according to there needs and how much it takes to keep them at a good weight. Luckily not to much because we have 4 bucks right now!


----------



## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Well mine gotta stay nice and conditioned for show, so they get free choice Boer Goat Developer, and some hay, alfalfa or bermuda.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you all!
So during breeding season most of you give them some grain & free choice hay.
If no grain should I feed alfalfa?
I've heard that the high calcium in alfalfa can contribute to stones but I've also heard that if they are doing to develop UC they are pre-disposed to it.
Im inclined to the latter with absolutlely no proof.
Still want to hear more from you all!


----------



## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

I'm only feeding hay to open does, and bucks.

preg does, growing kids, bucks during breeding season, lactating does all get grain, also if the temp goes below -15F they get grain. The type of grain switches from a bovatec feed, (similar to rumatel and monesin), to alfalfa pellets, to 16% goat feed with mollasses. 

I dont have any access to Alfalfa, so I feed a high quality timothy/brome mix. and they seem to do great. 
Bucks will gain muscle by getting lots of room, having competition and good feed.


----------



## KGW Farms (Nov 25, 2009)

You are correct Nancy...watch the alfalfa for bucks and wethers. You can add amonium cloride to their feed to help prevent stones.


----------



## 7acreranch (Mar 8, 2010)

1. don't want to sound stupid :sigh: but I have to ask when you'll say grain are talking about bagged feed. 

2. We are about to start out kids on feed I was checking around and there seems to be some kid feed I am building a shelter that will only be available for the little ones and they would have access to the feed in there.

3. Do any of you use sweet feed for cattle or horses it is so much cheaper. It seems anything that says goat on it is highly priced. 
We mostly use feeds made by big v feed they are a pretty big supplier of feed in OK.


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

nancy if you feed alfalfa be sure to feed grain as well.

See you nee a calcium to phosphorous to be 2:1 ratio (yes more calcium them phosphorous).  Even in "balanced feeds" it seems that the ratio isnt always perfect. 

So it was suggested to me that if you feed a grass hay there should be very limited or no grain, if you feed an alfalfa hay you should feed grain to help offset the extra calcium with the phosphorous in the grain. 

I believe that some UC issues are genetic and some are diet related. Kind of like cholesterol in humans


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

7acreranch said:


> 1. don't want to sound stupid :sigh: but I have to ask when you'll say grain are talking about bagged feed.
> 
> 2. We are about to start out kids on feed I was checking around and there seems to be some kid feed I am building a shelter that will only be available for the little ones and they would have access to the feed in there.
> 
> ...


1) correct any feed that you purchase at a store. it can be pelleted or sweet feed (some call it COB)

2) watch the "kid" feeds. most have a coccidiastate in it which when you dont need to give it builds up resistance to the meds and then when the kids do get coccidia then you have to be much more digressive with treatment options that become limited. I would use a regular feed for your creep feeder unless you know you have a cocci problem.

3) feed made for horses is similar but the protein content tends to be lower then what goats should be getting (like 12-14%). Goats should be getting close to 16-18% protein. I have in the past mixed both goat and horse sweet feed together added Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) to up the protein content. But in the end I feel like it might still cost the same as BOSS is fairly pricey. If giving grain as a treat or tolken then its ok to give them horse feed. But if you are looking to show them, breed them, milk them etc then you should get feed that is formulated for them or mix your own.

and dont forget loose minerals


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

StaceyRoop said:


> nancy if you feed alfalfa be sure to feed grain as well.
> 
> See you nee a calcium to phosphorous to be 2:1 ratio (yes more calcium them phosphorous). Even in "balanced feeds" it seems that the ratio isnt always perfect.
> 
> ...


Very hepful, thanks Stacey!


----------



## utterdelights (Oct 30, 2014)

UC is normally only a problem for wethered bucks. This is due to the undeveloped urethra as it stops growing when the animal is wethered. Most good show feeds are medicated to help prevent this but if you are mixing your own feed the you will want to add a teaspoon of ammonium chloride as a topdress 2-3 times per month. this will prevent stones and keep them healthy. as for the buck, I feed mine medicated feed as well but since he is in-tact it should not be a problem. provide a billy block free choice and plenty of fresh water and you should be just fine.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you Utterdelights. This thread is pretty old. All the boys get alfalfa & medicated feed, never a UC problem.


----------

