# Feed questions



## Catalytic (Jun 8, 2011)

Eventually I plan to feed peanut hay, but it's in short supply until late summer. Will Coastal, Bahia, or Bermuda work in the meantime? The current owner is using alfalfa, but he grows his own and I don't have that capability right now. I can't afford to feed the bagged, dehydrated alfalfa indefinitely.

And, the goat/sheep feed the co-op sold me is medicated for cocci, so it has to go back, says not to feed to dairy or meat animals.

Last, the sweet feed. The ingredients are: Rough Pellet - BLK, Grain Products, Cane Molasses, Vegetable Oil, Proprionic Acid and Molasses Products, Mintrex, GHP2.

Said is formulated for cattle, horses and goats, and should be fed at a rate of no more than 2% of body weight per head per day.

Is this OK for a dairy goat or should I go check out what TSC has?

Thank you guys very much, I appreciate the help very much!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

You want to avoid medicated feeds if you plan to milk your doe...and the sheep/goat combo's aren't recommended due to the fact that goats need copper and sheep are super sensitive to it...so the combo feeds have no added copper.

I feed Blue Seal Caprine Challenger as well as alfalfa pellets and both are available at TSC......They also carry Manna Pro goat minerals which mine loved but you'll need to watch them for sign of copper deficiency though the mineral has a good amount, it's not enough for some goats/


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## Rechellef (May 17, 2011)

I feed a 16% sheep pellet to my dairy girls since it's $4 cheaper than Goat pellets and has the same nutrition except copper which they have in their mineral anyway. I mix that with some whole oats and sometimes cracked corn (just a little). When it wasn't so expensive, I was top dressing my grain mix with BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower Seed), but it's gone through the roof price wise so its off the menu for now. As far as hay, goats do well on Orchard grass mixes too. The sweet feed for horses is generally fine, but lacks the protein level a dairy goat may need, so mix with some alfalfa pellets to boost the protein levels. As far as how much to feed, it depends on whether or not your goats are dairy, meat or pets. Pet goats need little to no grain. Dairy goats need 2-3 lbs. of grain per day (3 cups is 1 lb. approx.) and some does who put all their feed into milk need a little more to keep weight on. Lastly always adjust feed changes gradually to avoid digestive issues.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Rechellef said:


> Dairy goats need 2-3 lbs. of grain per day (3 cups is 1 lb. approx.) and some does who put all their feed into milk need a little more to keep weight on.


I am guessing this is referring to full size dairy goats? Just might want to mention goat size since I don't feed my Nigerians near this much. :wink:


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## Ember (May 23, 2011)

I feed mine Purina Goat Chow since its the only thing Lucy will eat all of. The stuff my boyfriend buys for his Boers she just picks the corn out of!

Should I mix a mineral in with the grain?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Ember I would give her loose minerals in a separate container than the grain and leave it where she can get to it all the time. She will eat what she feels she needs.


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## Catalytic (Jun 8, 2011)

OK, so back to feed again!

Apparently hay is to remain in short supply, possibly until NEXT summer, due to the drought we are having. Guy I spoke to tonight says he doubts I will find peanut hay this year because of the weather situation, but he's going to keep an eye out for me. (He rents himself out to bale hay for people, so he's in the know about what is around)

He will have some grass hay, bahia mix, horse quality, next week. 2nd cutting, says he doubts he'll make a 3rd cutting this year, again, weather. I'm going to get at least one bale, maybe two. I can store it so it won't rot, though I never planned to store a years' worth of feed!

So I'm looking at grass hay for a while, not peanut as I'd planned. Does that change how I should supplement?

I can put the goats out in the woods, if that would be better, there is tons of forage out there.

Right now I have a 40lb bag of alfalfa "hay," it might be hay, but it looks like grass clippings, it's so shredded. Somewhere tonight I read they need longer stalks for roughage? If so, will the forage they are getting (vines, tree bark, etc) suffice until i can get the grass hay next week?

I bought 16% goat feed, 17% alfalfa pellets (and before I really thought about it, dumped them in a tub and mixed them together :GAAH: ), sweet feed (12% I think), WeatherMaster Mineral, and Goat Balancer. I also have BOSS and a SweetLix 20% Meat Maker block.

(I had a plan for all this stuff when i bought it, now I can't remember what it was  )

What and how much of these should I feed? I've got two does, who, to me and a friend that used to do livestock rescue, look underweight. They are both FFs, so I assume a year-ish old. Two kids, one doeling, one wether, about 2.5 months old. When we can catch the kids, hubby will weigh them, but I've not a clue what the does weigh. Is there a formula to estimate weight with measurements, like there is for pigs?

And the minerals, can I put the block and the loose out? Do I need baking soda out for them? Both minerals say don't feed supplemental salt. I also ordered some AC, but I see it's in the 16% feed and the loose minerals, do I still need to supplement the wether with it? FiascoFarm's website suggests 1/4tsp per day for wethers per 50lbs.

I have read and read (I'm actually doing an 8-12 page research paper on goats right now for my English class) and the feed is confusing me. Does the 16% goat feed substitute for grain? (Like on FF's site, they say feed the kids up to a pound of grain a day, do I do that AND the goat feed, or instead of the goat feed?)

And how much of the alfalfa shreds do they each need per day, while they have plenty of forage available? (I am 99% certain the previous owner was using the same 16% feed I have, since it's milled locally, but he wasn't sure of the brand he used, so I can't be completely positive. I know he was also feeding alfalfa hay, but he grows it)

I figured out the chickens, and fed the pigs whatever, but the goats are throwing me for a loop :whatgoat:


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Mine do have baking soda all the time.
I do the loose minerals; since you also have the block you can use it or possibly return it?
If the food has AC I personally don't add any extra to the boys food. If you feed them separate a bit extra for the boys would be good; it wont hurt the girls I just can't waste the extra money to give it to all of mine since the wether eats with the girls. 
The amount of food should be built up gradually if they haven't had much before. You don't want them to eat too much and bloat. 
I use whatever good quality hay I can get usually it is a timothy x. I would get a bale try it out and if they like it get more. Mine like different fields sometimes even if it is the same type. 
Brouse is always great!! Just be sure there is no toxic plants and the goats are safe from predators. That will supply the long roughage they need for their rumen. 
I don't give any alfalfa other than pellets just a little mixed in with the other feed, 
Hope that helps a little.


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## Catalytic (Jun 8, 2011)

I plan to feed them separately once I can catch the babies. Hoping to feed them each on the stanchion to get them used to it for grooming and milking. Otherwise, I'm thinking of doing it ala Fiasco's method of clipping each of them to the fence by their food. I'm pretty sure these guys all need a hoof trim pretty badly, I've sent an email to a lady in my area who calls herself "The Goat Lady" and she does trims, disbudding, vaccinations, etc. to see if she will come teach me the proper way to do hooves. It looks simple enough, but if they're already overgrown, I don't want to mess up.

I'll get some baking soda today, and I think we got rid of all the toxic plants (we had azaleas and lantana to deal with) so what's left in their area should be safe for them. They're in a 6' chain link fence, roughly 100' x 30' x 80' x 35'. (It's an odd shape, but I think it's plenty big for them)

Thank you for all the help, it is MUCH appreciated!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Love to help when we can!

Glad that they are starting to settle in. 
It is great that you have someone in your area that can show you how its done. Hoofs are very simple but it is great it someone shows you the first time!! Especially if they are overgrown!!! :thumb:


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## Catalytic (Jun 8, 2011)

freedomstarfarm said:


> Love to help when we can!
> 
> Glad that they are starting to settle in.
> It is great that you have someone in your area that can show you how its done. Hoofs are very simple but it is great it someone shows you the first time!! Especially if they are overgrown!!! :thumb:


I just got off the phone with her, she's going to come up in a couple of weeks and teach me to trim the hooves and draw blood (so I can send it off for CAE and pregnancy testing). I'm excited!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:clap: Thats great!


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